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Lifelong learner. First time college prof. Probably too excited to be here.
History | Teaching | Laughing
Also @alinascott

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“How can digital tools shift students from passive consumers of history into active, curious thinkers?” One of Dr. Alina Scott’s ideas: making ClioVis ‘Teaching Timelines’ where students draw analytical connections between course material using ClioVis.

Follow @dralinascott updates on her project and comment below how you use digital tools in your classroom. by @dralinascott

*One day in the early 2000s, I borrowed The Diary of Anne Frank from our tiny primary school library in Punta Gorda, Belize. The room was the size of a closet and immediately beside the water fountain (a spout attached to a giant water tank). I walked into the library and felt fear, curiosity, and wonder. My nose itched from the smell of old books. Sometimes walking into the history department feels like walking into that tiny room, except every week there are seemingly limitless opportunities to learn.

I used to dream for the opportunity to be part of a research community. Almost every Monday for the last year, I’ve gotten to know what that actually means. For the first time since I dreamed this dream, I can see what my life looks like in it. For that reason, I’ve grown to love Garrison Hall and who I am in it. This year I have not shied away from my curiosity or joy or self expression or use of the bolo tie. It has been a beautiful academic year of growth and learning.

On the note of OOTD’s (if they are even still a thing)… I’ve truly enjoyed documenting this process. Tween Alina would be losing her MIND if Instagram was around 😂 I’m having so much fun doing this for her. TBD if next semester will feature as many pants.

*audio not mine but deeply compelling

#ootd #belizeandiaspora #academicoutfit #businesscasual #academiclife by @dralinascott

another one on the substack. It’s about a girl from Monkey River, ripe cashew, and why I can’t stop trying to document the world. link in bio. by @dralinascott

A few weeks ago, some students asked if I could assign extra-extra credit. I said I would accept it as long as it was something I’d enjoy grading. One student suggested a rap. I approved if his classmates approved. He pitched it to the class and they enthusiastically agreed. Today he performed.

The book he is discussing is called Firsting and Lasting by Jean O’Brien, an Ojibwe Historian. The argument is about local history and memorializing in New England. It’s an academic monograph and they parsed through it so well. Enjoy! (Ps. Currently trying to find ways to incorporate “erasure shit” into my regular speech.) by @dralinascott

LAST lecture of the semester. Reflection to come but for now here are some photos I took today on campus. My class this semester has been so wonderful! I almost forgot that learning in community was the whole point. Oh- and did I mention that one student performed a rap? (I have his permission to post which I will in a reel- his rap was about key arguments in Jean O’Brien’s book, Firsting and Lasting that we read as a class).

Same film stats as the last: canon ftb, fujifilm ISO 400 film from/developed at @onehrfilm by @dralinascott

$Ca 2011, i visited Monkey River Village, my grandmothers home town with my mother, grandmother, aunt, and cousin. It could only be reached by boat. Large, ripe cashew fruits hung over the boat dock. We joked about how beautiful they were uncooked. We need more historians because history shows us who we are. Telling the stories of our lives, the circumstances, decisions, and breakthroughs that made our world is imperative for being a more dynamic and empathetic global community. I always tell people I study history because I was raised around tour guides, but that is the short answer. It could be for any number of reasons that I study history but here are a few. I study history because I’ve seen, with my own eyes, held with my own hands, and felt in my spirit the longing that only comes from not knowing where you are from. I study history because I’ve walked Maya archaeological sites, broken bread with their descendants, sipped sere in Hopkins village and danced punta horribly wrong. I’ve seen with my own eyes how small a fraction of historical treasures most never do. I seek truth by way of history as ravenously as the tide eroding monkey river’s coastline. With each passing day, the erosion of our cultural knowledge makes us more susceptible to misinformation. I worry for the next generation of Belizeans and Americans who must sift through ai slop to find the foundation of their history while using ai models trained with everything but their history. We desperately need more historians. #TalkAboutHumanities #talkaboutsocialsciences A longer post will be on my substack later. by @dralinascott$

Only NOW realizing I didn’t finish a sentence on my worksheet and sent all these students home with a typo. 🥹❤️‍🩹 Anyway they loved this assignment haha

#cursive #transcription #paleography #collegeassignments #pedagogy by @dralinascott

Honestly, I can’t believe I get to do this as a job and get to meet these cool people. I was in a room with hyper specialists. Like…this is my Super Bowl. by @dralinascott

History in the wild! What a cool find today. #victorianhairjewelry #fleamarketfinds by @dralinascott

Get ready with me to cry on the internet 🤪 on April 7, 2025 I defended my dissertation. For some reason I wanted to record even the most mundane moments about that day. What I didn’t record was the defense itself and the beautiful moments with friends afterward. In revisiting these clips I was taken back to how quiet the day was. It felt like the defense started days, weeks, and maybe months before. In the traditional History dissertation defense (in my department),the phd candidate sends the completed dissertation to the committee (made up of their advisor and other experts in their field) about a month before the defense. On the day of, the experts gather and ask questions of the candidate. I gave a brief overview as to the significance of my work and its historiographical impact. Then my committee members took turns calling attention to specific instances they enjoyed or wanted to see clarified. I concluded with asking them field specific questions. Then, myself and everyone who came out, stepped outside the room for deliberations. What you see in the second to last clip is what happened immediately after we reentered the room: I passed!! In hindsight, I’m glad I recorded these moments. I’m glad to see I was doing everything in my power to take care of myself, maintain focus, and remain optimistic always. ❤️ -Dr. Scott by @dralinascott

I’ve started following several creators that talk about their experience studying or building archives. When I gave a talk in a friend’s course about what it means to be a Belizean academic a month or so ago, a student said it was like I was my own walking archive. How surreal to not have noticed that myself. In revisiting old Instagram posts from the early 2010s, I was reminded how quickly trends come and go. It’s really not worth it to be anything other than yourself in public and private. Instagram feels like a personal archive to me more than anything these days. If each post is a timestamp of this moment, I’m free to enjoy this moment for what it is. It also makes it easier to post whatever feels right and be present in the season I’m in. In that way maybe Instagram really is the 2009 Facebook album.

On another note, it is so exciting to see the next class of students at all levels preparing for graduation! I’ve passed a few photo shoots and can feel it in the air. The tower area has once again been refreshed with orange flowers. by @dralinascott

Nothing like teaching the next generation about chalk boards and paleography 🤌 by @dralinascott