Devanshi Patel

Program

My program of study is a Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Math.

Undergraduate major

I'm a graduate student.

Background

I graduated from VCU with a B.S. in Math in May 2017 and started my masters Fall 2018. I taught high school math in Southeast D.C. for a year during the year in between.

Why do you want to teach?

Usually, people want to teach because they've had great teachers and were inspired. I want to teach Math because I struggled with it in high school, and I want to make it a different learning experience for future students. The field is always growing in terms of teaching and education, and I think it's great that educators are being innovative to make it the best experience for our future generations.

Please tell us about a memorable teaching experience and why it stands out in your mind.

A memorable teaching experience for me was when I had to leave my high school a month before school ended, and one of my most distracted students broke down crying. He was upset because he said he never actually understood math until he took my class, and that he really enjoyed it. It meant a lot to me because as a first-year teacher, sometimes I would doubt my abilities, and that showed that I made somewhat of a difference.

What has the Noyce program meant to you?

The Noyce program keeps me committed to my goals and dreams.