Noyce Scholar Profile
Jeff Spears
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Math Teacher Certification
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
East Central University
Current academic or teaching status:
Junior
School and school district:
Field I at Vanoss Middle/High School
Background:
I grew up in Bossier City (Shreveport), LA, and did six years in the U.S. Navy as an Electronics Technician (Nuclear). I am divorced and a single dad to two growing boys.
Why do you want to teach:
I realized while I was in the military that I enjoyed helping others learn and getting what I like to call ‘the light bulb’ effect. I enjoy showing others that math is not a four letter word and that everybody needs and uses math and that it is much easier than everyone seems to think it is.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I don’t have any memorable experiences teaching in the classroom yet, but I have a tutoring memory that stands out. I was tutoring a non-traditional student who had been putting off college until her son had grown, and was having a hard time with college Algebra. I spent much time with her feeling very confused and frustrated because she had gotten it into her head that she was dumb at math. Finally, one day she was able to grasp the concepts because of how I would reflect them back to similar life experiences and show her that she had been using them all along, just thinking about it in a different way.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
It has meant that I don’t have to work my way through school so that I can spend more time focusing on my school work and spending more time with my boys.
