This post is by Kirsten Salonga, a 2026-2027 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Library of Congress.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
For the past 9 years, I have taught Environmental Science and Biology for Multilingual Learners. Through the Fulbright program, I taught English at Universidad Nacional in Bogota, Colombia, from 2019-2020. There, I improved in my practice for making content both rigorous and accessible for multilingual learners and later brought these skills back to my classrooms. I also serve through education leadership roles at the school, state, and national level: as Science Department Chair at Justice High School; Science For All Committee Chair of the Virginia Association of Science Teachers; and High School Division Director for the National Science Teacher’s Association.
How has using primary sources changed your teaching?
Before coming to the Library of Congress, I was not aware of the range of science-related primary sources that are accessible online. Primary sources I had previously used in my classroom were limited to datasets, and I have thoroughly enjoyed digging through the online collections to discover varied formats: maps, images, letters, videos, and audio recordings. Highlighting primary sources that relate to students’ diverse backgrounds and interests not only allows them to see themselves as scientists, but also better connects our community in general.
What prompted you to apply to be an Einstein Fellow?
I am always looking for more opportunities to improve my practice and use my expertise in meaningful ways. I have met such brilliant science educators during my time in various professional development programs, and a few of the program leaders had been Einstein Fellows. I felt that since I had been teaching with passion and creating accessible science curricula that engages all students, I too would be able to transfer these skills to a larger audience, representing my school and advocating for my diverse student population. The Einstein Fellowship allows me to do just that.
What are your goals for your year as a Fellow?
My main goal is to contribute to the educator resources at the Library as much as possible. I hope to add to the online teacher resources while promoting these resources within my networks for other educators to use. I am ecstatic that I am able to harness my own creativity and curiosity while exploring the Library’s vast array of primary sources.
I also hope to improve my own understanding of cross-disciplinary curricula. I want to continue to foster innovation through global education by using a variety of primary sources from many areas around the world, and I hope that this deepens empathy in my classroom, both within my students and myself.
What advice would you give to teachers who want to use primary sources in classroom activities given the push to meet standards and ensure success on standardized tests?
Using primary sources and addressing standards are not mutually exclusive! Including primary sources is not meant to be a tedious extra step; rather, primary sources are meant to integrate into curricula you are already using in order to engage students in academic discourse and critical thinking routines. There are several ways to quickly integrate primary sources, such as through Warm-Ups (such as viewing an image and determining its relation to extreme weather) and Exit Tickets, while supporting standards.
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