NC STEP Profile: The Teacher I Found

[This post is the eighth in a series featuring the eight teacher interns in the 2012-13 cohort for NC STEP — the North Carolina STEM Teacher Education Program, an initiative of NC New Schools. These eight interns will complete the program this summer and are seeking teaching positions in North Carolina public schools for fall 2013.]

I found a teacher through NC STEP.

A year ago, I was home watching the 10 o’clock news and saw a story about a program in North Carolina looking for science, technology, engineering and math graduates or mid-career professionals. I had been laid-off from my network engineer position with an international telecommunications company. I had been on several interviews during the year without any job offers. I started to think it was time to consider a career change and decided to submit my application to NC STEP because I wanted to share my knowledge and experience in the IT industry with my area high school students.

I have a bachelor’s degree in information technology and 14 years of experience as an engineer to share with the students that would be interested in a career as an IT engineer. Through NC STEP, I have found that the training sessions and the strategies I have learned are making me a better teacher. Each session that I have attended, I have taken something away that I will use in my classroom.

I have found the desire to not only be a great teacher but challenge our students to become great citizens that will make a difference in their community. Yes, I want them to learn and understand the material of the subject matter that I give them, but I also what them to learn how to ask and look for the right questions. This approach will allow them to create and discover real world solutions.

When I began interning at Hillside New Technology High School, I didn’t know what to expect. I was nervous and anxious at the same time. But I made it through my first week of student teaching — and beyond — and I met a new person in the process. That new person was me, Mr. Pierce, up-and-coming teacher at Hillside New Technology High School.