History Teacher Dr. B Brings New Experience and Ideas to Archmere Classes and Clubs

From Edinburgh to Pittsburgh to Claymont, Dr. Alima Bucciantini—better known to students as Dr. B—has brought history alive with her avid interest in museums and how objects can tell stories about history. Joining Archmere Academy’s history department this year, she introduces a new perspective on history and culture to AP European History and AP Seminar students. 

Dr. B started her career by working at The National Museum of Scotland while pursuing a masters degree in nationalism studies at the University of Edinburgh. She wrote her masters’ thesis on the creation of the museum. 

“I talked to a lot of curators there, and then the University of Edinburgh said, ‘This is quite good, would you like to do a PhD—would you like to do a larger history of this whole project?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, you’re going to pay me to stay in Scotland? Yes!’” 

During her PhD, Dr. B did research jobs for the museum and helped with exhibitions. Throughout this time, she learned how a museum works and how they are founded. As she’s becoming more familiar with the Archmere community and tradition, she’s been thinking about how to bring her museum experience to the school. 

“I happened to make a new best friend with the abbot [at Daylesford Abbey]—I got a tour of the collections at Daylesford,” she explains. “I’ve also been looking at the collections in the Patio, and I would love to go… into the archives either at Daylesford or here at the Patio and do some training with students about how to handle objects and how to label them—and build a collection here!” 

Dr. B also wrote a book during her time in Scotland called “Exhibiting Scotland: Objects, Identity, and the National Museum (Public History in Historical Perspective)”. When finding ideas for the book, she turned to new ways of collecting historical information. 

“I did a lot of oral history research, which is interviewing people about their experience,” she explains. This is another historical technique that she would love to bring to the classroom. “I think oral history [is] really interesting, important, and fun. We’ll probably be doing that in AP Euro.” 

Before Dr. B came to Archmere, she worked at Tatnall, and before that, Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Her motivation to teach in high school rather than college was that she wanted to work more directly with students, and she’s excited to continue that at Archmere. 

“I feel like I have a more personal connection with how [students] are learning,” she says.

She was specifically drawn to Archmere because of the good reviews from people she talked to. “It feels a lot more like a college than what I expected,” she says, “so I feel like it’s a good place for me.” 

Outside of the classroom, Dr. B is involved with Archmere’s Gay-Straight Alliance and has many exciting plans for the club, including watching movies and reading books about the LGBTQ+ community. 

Dr. B emphasizes that these activities are open to anyone: “You don’t have to identify yourself in any way to come to GSA,” she says. “We’re hoping to provide a safe space for anyone who wants to learn about LGBTQA+ identities, or explore wherever they are in their journey.”

Supporting students on every step of their personal journey is an important part of Dr. B’s job. She is looking forward to guiding students along their way, whether by introducing them to new ideas in the classroom or helping them discover their identities in GSA, as a member of the Archmere community.