Hello! My name is Christie Cino, and I am currently the Lead Science/STEAM Teacher here at Tip-Top Brain. Besides being curious about the natural world, I love playing video games, paddle boarding, traveling, and spending time with loved ones. A quote that has always inspired me to continuously pursue science is by Alan Watts, stating, “You are the universe experiencing itself.” I believe every student has an inner scientist, and my goal here at Tip-Top Brain is to facilitate them in finding that person and enjoying the wonder the natural world has to offer us. I hope to work closely with all the wonderful students and parents that enroll at Tip-Top Brain to help them achieve their academic goals in science and help them where they believe they can improve.
I went to high school out in eastern Long Island where I grew up. I was a principal honor roll student who received an Advanced Designation Regents Diploma with Honors in June 2010. The only AP class I took was AP Chemistry, in which I received a 4 on the exam. My proudest accomplishment during high school was being invited to the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) seminar at Brookhaven National Lab due to my academic accomplishments in science. My extracurricular activities in school included symphonic band, jazz band, and having a part-time job after school.
I received my Bachelor of Science in Geology with Departmental Honors with a minor in Chemistry and Biology at Stony Brook University in May 2015. I also have my Master of Science in Geochemistry from the University of Minnesota (May 2018) and I am currently working on my Master of Arts in Science Education at Columbia University, which I plan to finish in May 2021. Before becoming a teacher, I worked as a scientist on a few different projects. For instance, during my undergraduate degree, I worked on analyzing Opportunity Rover data to find traces of ancient water on Mars, and hile working on my graduate degree, I worked on understanding the chemical evolution of hydrothermal vent fluids in Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming. To read some of my publications, here is the link.
My first experience as a teacher started back in high school, when I tutored my struggling classmates in Chemistry. Building off that, I became an undergraduate TA (teaching assistant) in college working with students in the Geology department mainly for Mineralogy. In graduate school, I was a TA for an array of subjects, including Intro to Geology, Geology and Cinema, Oceanography, Mineralogy, and Environmental Science. It was during graduate school that I realized it was a more enriching experience to teach than do research, for me personally, and thus decided to switch career paths. I have always had an inner passion for science since I was a little girl, and I love sharing my passion with those around me and showing my students how fun science can be for all no matter your background!
I worked as a leave-replacement in a NYC public school as a middle- and high-school science teacher in the 2018-2019 academic year. I now have a full-time teaching position as a Chemistry and Research teacher at an all-girls private high school in Brooklyn. Every day in the classroom I’m not only a teacher, but a student as well. I always strive to improve myself to be a more effective teacher for a variety of learning styles, making each student feel like they’re reaching their full potential in my classroom. What I love about Tip-Top Brain is the flexibility to teach to each student’s skill set. Also, during STEAM camps we teach science here as a more hands-on and interactive learning experience, as if you were an actual scientist working in the field.
