The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

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Tara

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Noyce Scholar Profile

Tara Thompson

Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics

Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 9-12

Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar

Name of Noyce institution:
Western Kentucky University

Current academic or teaching status:
Senior

School and school district:
Various teaching experiences at schools throughout Warren County through the SKyTeach program

Background:

I was born and raised in rural Metcalfe County in south-central Kentucky. I always loved helping my peers understand something that they just couldn’t get from the teacher. I entered into Western Kentucky University (WKU) as a pre-physical therapy major after finding interest in the field from attending physical therapy as a patient for a sprained ankle. It only took a summer job as a PT tech at a hospital and one winter break tutoring students in math at my former high school to show me that I need to teach. Since then, I have entered in the SKyTeach program at WKU and pursued a math major so that I can one day inspire high school math students.

Why do you want to teach:

William Butler Yeats once said “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Since I heard this quote, this is how I’ve come to view my job as a teacher. I want to motivate students, not just to answer a problem, but to discover how to answer their own problems. I have always loved working with children and hope to inspire them to strive for success.

Describe a memorable teaching experience:

My most memorable experience as a teacher was teaching a lesson at a local Bowling Green high school for my classroom interactions class. As a student who is still learning and has yet to student teach, this was the first lesson where I had really felt confident and comfortable, and it went smoothly. The lesson covered probability with and without replacement; the students were split into groups to discover different probabilities using cards, dice, marbles, and coins. This lesson was both engaging and entertaining to the students, and I really enjoyed their active discovery and participation. It was a great experience, and I strive to engage my own students this way.

What does the Noyce program mean to you:

The Noyce Program has been a very rewarding experience. Through the seminars I have learned things about teaching that I have yet to learn in the classroom such as different technologies effective in teaching and professional learning communities. I have also had the opportunity to join and attend the KCTM and NCTM conventions and take part in a presentation locally. The Noyce Program had provided me with invaluable experiences that have given me early exposure to things many teachers don’t see until in the field. I am very thankful for this wonderful opportunity.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant Numbers DUE-2041597 and DUE-1548986. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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