Biography
Alexander Pratt was born in Minnesota, raised in Oregon, went to college in Wisconsin, worked in Wisconsin and Illinois, received his master’s degree in elementary education, taught in Chicago Public Schools, and went to the University of Oregon for his Ph.D. Before he became a teacher, he worked on a loading dock, was a laborer for a general contractor, assembled children's toys on an assembly line, managed a restaurant, was a graphic designer, photographer, videographer, baseball coach, DJ, MC, event coordinator, and for a summer he was the guy with the microphone on the field at minor league baseball games telling kids how to run the bases.
Pratt loves teaching and has wanted to be a teacher his whole life. His favorite subject has always been social studies because of the great stories. His research is focused on teacher knowledge and how that knowledge develops in response to changes in curriculum. Pratt's hope is that this work will better foster teachers' ability to create equitable classroom spaces. He has a wife and two kids, a dog, and a cat. He can't wait to work with the future teachers at Penn State Altoona.
Fun facts
- Pratt played semi-professional baseball as a left-handed pitcher
- Pratt DJ’d an event at the Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago