Title: English Language Arts Teacher
Company: Brooklyn Lab School
Education: MAT in Literature, Bard College (2011); BA in ELA and Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College (2008); Diploma, Cardinal Hayes High School (2002)
Career History: English Language Arts Teacher, Brooklyn Lab School (2022-Present); English Language Arts ICT Teacher, Charter High School for Law and Social Justice (2020-2022); English Language Arts Teacher, New York City Department of Education (2013-2022)
Alfonso T. Strong, English Language Arts Teacher at Brooklyn Lab School, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.
From a young age, Mr. Strong’s parents, Alfonso Strong Jr. and Elizabeth Strong, stressed the importance of a strong education and sacrificed a lot to put him through private school and eventually college. They not only ensured he graduated—which he did by earning a Bachelor of Science in ELA and Puerto Rican Studies from Hunter College in 2008 and an MAT in literature from Bard College—but that he had a place to live and that his bills were taken care of. Having that support had a significant impact on him and propelled him to focus solely on academia and getting good grades. A gifted problem solver and communicator with great adaptability skills, Mr. Strong obtained teaching certifications through New York State and has flourished as a teacher ever since.
Starting out as an English Language Arts Teacher through the New York City Department of Education from 2013 to 2022, Mr. Strong was active as an English Language Arts ICT Teacher at the Charter High School for Law and Social Justice in the Bronx from 2020 to 2022 before accepting his current position. At Brooklyn Lab School, he utilizes his accrued expertise in curriculum planning, classroom management, social and emotional learning, providing a strict and structured learning environment, and advising over the course of his schedule, which includes running advisory for 20 to 25 students, lunch duties, contacting parents, counseling students as needed, and teaching four classes per day. Outside of his primary endeavors, he serves as a volunteer for Alzheimer’s Donors Club Society and a member of that organization, as well as the National Council of Teachers of English, International Literacy Association, and Hunter College Young Alumni Network.
Proud to be the first professional educator in his family, Mr. Strong aspires to one day advance to either a department head or an administrator and teach college students. His life motto is, “There are solutions to every problem.”
