Alexis Spina

UC Santa Barbara
adspina@ucsb.edu

Alexis Spina is a third-year doctoral student at UCSB with research interests in mathematics education and the Teacher Education Program. She received her B.A. in Physics Education from the University of Delaware in 2007. After receiving her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary Science Education in 2009, Alexis moved to Southern California where she taught math and science for seven years at a boarding school.

Now working towards her Ph.D., Alexis is involved in many different aspects of teacher education and preparation. She has been a TA for several mathematics education classes and has had the honor of being teacher of record for three classes the UCSB education department. This has given Alexis the opportunity to work directly with the Teacher Education Program and help with the training and preparation of teacher candidates. Alexis is currently working on several research projects which all focus on pre-service and in-service teacher education. Her work with Dr. Julie Bianchini looks at how teacher candidates over the past few years have supported English learners in their Math and Science classes. She is also doing research with her advisor, Dr. Sarah Roberts, on providing professional development for in-service mathematics teachers to help them better support students through questioning practices.

Alexis is a teacher at heart and her number one priority is to support students and fellow teachers in achieving academic and nonacademic success. Being an ETE Fellow is a responsibility she is honored to be a part of and a perfect way for her to continue being involved in teacher education.