Teaching

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KIND WORDS FROM MY STUDENTS

Theo Prineas 2016 — Elizabeth Ayers, 2017 — Maya Djalali, 2018 — Tai Caputo, 2023, and this one from Sonali Durham

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Screen Shot 2020-04-09 at 3.48.58 PMSOCIAL MEDIA STATEMENT

FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS

If you use social media, feel free to connect with me on social media on instagram/tiktok @sweetandarch or on Goodreads, where I am Alina Borger (alibg). Please note that these are my own accounts, but they are set apart for social and professional topics; they are primarily dedicated to reading, writing, and teaching. I use them to offer resources, thoughts, and ideas. However, please be advised that there is some political content on these pages. Nothing on these accounts reflects the positions my school or my school district.

I continue to give students access to these social media accounts–despite the inclusion of political content–because I believe that this access

  • Allows me to model appropriate and thoughtful use of social media for my teen students, many of whom are accustomed to “living online” but haven’t yet learned to set healthy boundaries.
  • Offers a meaningful way to connect teens to real world opportunities, like live writing classes, free seminars, authors, book giveaways, etc.
  • Provides a safe place for “brags” about our wonderful students, our school, our town, and the broader writing/teaching community.
  • Helps me to stay abreast of thought trends from professionals in my field and from teen students around the world.

Per district policy, I will NOT “follow” or “friend” students until after graduation. If a student or parent messages me there, I will likely return the message and ask them to take that messaging over to school email, where it can create an appropriate public trail.

Screen Shot 2020-04-09 at 3.58.30 PMTEACHING STATEMENT

I teach literature, reading, and writing to empower and affirm students in living meaningfully and significantly.

In this work, I strive to:

  • Equip all students to read, to think, and to communicate with curiosity, creativity, and critical skill.
  • Facilitate engagement with a variety of texts, authors, speakers, performers, and thinkers from a diverse array of perspectives based on political views, religious expression, culture, class, gender/sexual identity, etc.
  • Advocate for anti-racist practices and LGBTQ+ Equity at every possible level (classroom, building, district) with a clear and unequivocal voice. This includes maintaining the posture of a learner toward the BIPOC thinkers and leaders who are graciously showing white teachers the way forward. It also involves being open and forthright about my own identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ Community.
  • Bring compassion and mindfulness to the classroom daily by collaborating with colleagues who can teach students mindfulness practices, and by encouraging students to extend compassion to themselves & those around them.
  • Create meaningful work that uses real world technologies, opportunities, questions, and problems.
  • Promote exceptionally high academic standards for all students, expecting that every single student can and will grow beyond their current skill levels.
  • Translate and scaffold the expectations of high stakes tests, academic/AP experiences, the publishing industry, and the future workplace so that students understand exactly how to achieve their goals.

linkLINKS

I no longer provide general links to open school district sites, which might accidentally imply employer endorsement. For any & all classroom needs, please see our Canvas Site or our Daily Agendas on Google Slides.