Noyce Scholar Profile
John Young
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Middle Childhood Education
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Math and Science, grades 4-9
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Noyce Scholars Program at Ohio University
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
Field work at Crooksville Middle School
Background:
I am 34 and have been married for 12 years. I have three children: a daugher that is 7 and twins (boy and girl) that are 5. After graduating from high school in 1995, I got an Associate’s Degree in Computer Aided Drafting. Since then, I have been working in the construction trade. In 2009, I made the decision to return to college to pursue a degree in education.
Why do you want to teach:
I have been around teachers my whole life. My mother is a retired teacher, and my wife has been teaching for 10 years. I have personally seen how much of an impact a teacher can have on a child’s life. I want to teach so I can also have this opportunity to touch the lives of the students in the community where I live.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I taught a lesson on measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) recently. After a refresher on the terminology, the students had the opportunity to create their own set of data. They counted how many paper balls they could shoot into a trash can in 30 seconds. This gave them “real” numbers to work with. This lesson made me realize how important it is to involve the students in the learning process. They enjoy hands-on activities that they can relate to real life.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has been an important part of my life this last year. I have gotten to know many students and faculty members that share the same interests in math and science education that I have. We have been able to share thoughts and ideas that have been very beneficial as I have worked in various classrooms. The Noyce program has also helped financially this year. It has allowed me to focus on school and becoming an effective educator. Without it, there would have been the constant worry of how to finance my education.
