A teacher’s role is to prepare students to be scientifically literate and have the background and confidence to question the world around them.”
Alaina’s Story
Teaching Discipline
Chemistry
Why Chemistry
“I enjoy that chemistry has a mix of mathematical and conceptual applications. I like being able to design real-world applicable learning experiences and chemistry allows me to do that for my students!”
Professional Experience
During her undergraduate studies, Alaina worked as a teaching assistant for Organic Chemistry I and II courses for two years. In 2021, she spent a semester working on the Chemistry Curriculum Development Project, a research experience that sought to find effective teaching assistant programs for organic chemistry. Alaina was awarded the Breakthrough Collaborative Teaching Fellowship in 2020 and again in 2021. Through this experience, she served as the lead teacher for chemistry, French, environmental science, and nutrition courses, while also taking on the role of a homeroom advisor. She spent July of 2022 working as a co-teacher for a chemistry course at the Cambridge Harvard Summer Academy. Her first year teaching was at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she taught chemistry during the 2022–2023 school year.
Alaina will begin her second year of teaching chemistry at Westwood High School in Westwood, Massachusetts, during the 2023–2024 school year.
Hobbies
In her free time, Alaina enjoys reading, specifically within the thriller genre. She also enjoys practicing French, a language she began to learn in fall 2021, when she studied abroad. Additionally, Alaina loves staying active and teaching barre classes at a local fitness studio.
Academic Background
- Brandeis University (Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, Bachelor of Arts in French and Francophone Studies)
- Harvard Graduate School of Education (Master of Education in Teaching and Teacher Leadership)