Christine Poreba
Early Childhood General Education '03
I have a visceral memory of creating a final art project and the non-evaluative language we learned to use. I carry that with me as a parent and as an educator and librarian.
Christine Poreba is the Environmental & Sustainability Specialist at Oak Park Public Library in the Chicago area where she creates varied earth-related programs for community members. She is also a published poet; in August 2025, she released her second book of poetry, This Eye Is for Seeing Stars, which was selected for the Orison Poetry Prize by poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama.
The child of two teachers (including a fellow Bank Street alum), Christine was motivated early on to work in education, starting with a job at a daycare center in San Francisco. After earning her BA in Literature at Swarthmore College, Christine completed her MSEd in Early Childhood General Education at Bank Street College while working as a preschool teacher and an early elementary reading instructor.
Christine’s passions have always led her in two directions—working with people and her creative pursuits. After Bank Street, she completed a second master’s degree in 2005, this time an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Florida, after which she moved to Chicago. From 2005 to 2020, she balanced writing poetry with teaching English as a Second Language to adults, and then transitioned into working in public libraries.
Here are Christine’s answers to some questions about her time at Bank Street and her career.
What do you remember most about your Bank Street experiences?
Teaching art to children with Anne-Marie Mott is one of my favorite memories. There was a final project where we made an art project about all the things we had learned. I have a visceral memory of creating that project and the non-evaluative language we learned to use. I carry that with me as a parent and as an educator and librarian.
And Sal Vascellaro stands out—the block-building class and studying children’s literature with him. I just remember how much attention to detail he gave to all of his lessons. The children’s literature class gave me the chance to read and think about what makes a story a draw for kids.
Another memorable moment was the Teaching Reading course with Peggy McNamara and Mimi Rosenberg. I took it before I taught reading part time, and that was so cool because I learned so many practical things that I then used. And The Art of Storytelling with Nina Jaffe was a memorable course. Having to tell a story that way was so daunting at first, but then so fun. Also, I remember my work observing and recording one specific child. I found a binder I had done for that class with so many details of observing this one child. As a poet and an educator, I still love that kind of attention to detail. Thinking about this has reminded me of how many facets of my life are Bank Street-influenced!
What motivates you in your current work?
Our library slogan is “a library for everyone.” The challenge is creating different programs that will pull in new people. The educator in me is motivated by connecting the people who know so much with the people who don’t—and doing that in an interesting way. I feel endlessly motivated by that question and I feel inspired by the people I meet every day. Plus, it feels good to be doing something for the earth, however small it may be.
What’s something about your job that you wish more people understood?
Many patrons I come across tell stories of a turning point in their lives when they realized how much the library could offer and how many resources there are. I just want people to support and use their public libraries and take advantage of all they have to offer.
And I always like to give a little plug for poetry—I wish people were less daunted by it. It gives us an opportunity to slow down and be in a conversation with both blank space and words. Try reading a poem a day for a month and see what you think!
Watch more of our conversation with Christine to hear how she sees her Bank Street education reflected in her current work.