Noyce Scholar Profile
Chad Tritz
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Mathematics
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 6-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of Colorado Denver, Rocky Mountain Noyce Scholars Program
Current academic or teaching status:
I am a senior in college with some internship experience.
School and school district:
I'll be teaching in Aurora Public Schools in the 2011-2012 school year.
Background:
I graduated from Columbine High School in 2008, and I have always shown interest in math. I have spent a semester in the Mapleton School District at York International, a 5-week period over the summer in Aurora Public Schools assisting with their 5th Block program, and I have also worked in the college’s math lab, and co-taught a trigonometry recitation on campus.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach because I not only have a passion for math, but also a passion for helping other people. A lot of people really dislike math, and I want to show students that not only is math necessary, but it can also be fun. My hope is that I can show students a fun approach to a topic everyone needs to learn in order to be successful in life. Helping other people succeed is a big success for a career in my eyes.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I remember when I helped out with the 5th Block program. There were many students who could have cared less about whether or not they were there. I feel that we really got through to some of the students. There was one who was very far behind in math, and I knew he was struggling. But just in that short amount of time we were there, I saw a huge difference in not only his skill set, but his attitude. He was actually excited to try because he felt great when he got things correct, and understood why he was correct. It was a very nice moment.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The NOYCE program has really helped me get a lot of experience in the teaching world, and I know that in my final year, it will really help me get to a position where I am comfortable handling my own classroom. I am not sure how prepared I would be to teach without the experiences the NOYCE program has given me. I am forever thankful that I have been a part of it, and I would recommend it to any pre-service teacher.
