Amber Borne
Being organized is one of Amber Borne’s strong suits. She’s the mother of six children, and she admitted her sense of organization borders on the obsessive. It comes in handy when the family hitches up their camper trailer and hits the road. The AP English Composition and Dual Enrollment Composition teacher plans trips to the smallest detail. “I map it out and plan it out,” Amber explained. “The prep for anything we do is like a week,” she laughed. She looks for campgrounds that have showers, laundry facilities, and a pool. Sometimes the family trips are three to four weeks long. The Borne’s have traveled the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, and places in-between. “I know when my kids get older, they will say we’ve been there. I hope we’re giving them a positive experience,” she exclaimed.
For eight years, Mrs. Borne has been with University View Academy and has two children that will have attended the school in various grades. Thirteen-year-old Chloe is enrolled as a freshman this fall, and her older brother attended through the seventh grade. Amber says she treats her students as if they’re her own. “I’m a little mama hen. If that were my child, what would they want the teacher to do?” as she explained her practice of keeping in close contact with students. “I’m a texter,” Amber said. “I think it’s important for them to know you are a real person. You want them to know they can come to you for help,” she added.
Mrs. Borne became a teacher in a challenging way. She started college with her eye on becoming a speech-language pathologist and worked three jobs to pay for her education. Amber admitted struggling academically. An instructor suggested Amber change her major because it required a graduate degree she may not attain. Mrs. Borne switched her major to English, something she loved, and finished in Education. Now, Mrs. Borne has that master’s degree the instructor mentioned she wouldn’t achieve, and she’s also working on her Ph.D. in Education. She’s used that life-shaping experience to help her students excel and related a story involving one high achiever. Mrs. Borne gave the student her first-ever “C” grade on an essay. After discussing it, the student admitted her argument in the piece wasn’t solid. “For me, that was a crowning moment,” since Amber’s goal is to have students grow as writers and become independent thinkers. The student eventually graduated as UVA Valedictorian. “I was the proudest of proud. I moved that child to do better,” Mrs. Borne gushed.
English Composition is Amber’s calling, but she has a soft spot for history. Mrs. Borne and her husband are part of a group that reenacts dances from historical periods. They perform with the Louisiane Vintage Dancers, showcasing the 1860s and the 1820s, the Jane Austin Regency Period. She even sews the costumes. Her unparalleled ability to organize allows her to carve out the time to practice and perform.
