Alexandria Tabora

Alexandria Tabora, Teacher, Collins Middle School

Alexandria Tabora is an 8 th grade science teacher at Collins Middle School in Salem, MA. She learned about the program through a co-worker who had previously participated and had spoken about how he gained valuable skills and experiences. As a young teacher, Tabora wanted to be able to take this experience with her throughout her career and better connect with students who may not have the same interests in science that she does.

Summer 2019, Tabora worked in Chuanhua Duan’s lab on detecting coagulation in nanochannels. She worked with professor Young Kim and two students throughout her time in the program, as she wanted to experience research in nanotechnology in order to be able to add it to her curriculum.

One major challenge Tabora faces is her student’s motivations. She feels that today’s youth need to be constantly stimulated and challenged. “By participating in this program, it opens doors that can create well planned lessons and possibly inspire young scientists to pursue their inquiries,” says Tabora. She also hopes to be able to create a welcoming classroom environment where she can share her RET experiences with students and fellow teachers.

Tabora has important advice for future RET participants. “If you are someone that likes to work independently, be open minded when working with a team of students. Being unsure about something is perfectly alright, as the students are eager to help and guide you on what you need.”