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.
