My team is supportive, collaborative, and passionate about helping teachers and students.
What 3-5 adjectives best describe you?
Achiever, Activator, Focused, Learner, Self-Assurance
Briefly describe your job… what do you really do at EL?
I collaborate with district leaders/content coordinators to support them with the implementation EL products. My implementation support includes curriculum alignment, planning onsite/virtual professional development to support classroom/teacher needs and recognizing top teachers through leadership events, contests, and promotions. To determine teacher needs, ExploreLearning usage reports are pulled regularly and discussed with the implementation team to determine next steps.
What do you like about working at EL?
The people! My team/department is supportive, collaborative, and passionate about helping teachers and students. We tap into each other’s strengths to create and provide resources to support our districts. I feel valued and appreciated for my expertise and experience across the different departments I’ve worked with (sales, marketing, development, etc…). And working from home has been an added bonus.
Why is STEM education important, in your personal opinion?
I think STEM education is important because STEM provides knowledge and skills through common strategies that expand and promote a mindset of critical thinkers and problem-solvers. STEM education requires skills like communication, active listening, collaboration, reading/writing, critical thinking, innovation, adaptability, and grit – to name a few. Students learn, practice and use these daily to start thinking like a “scientist”. This thinking allows students to apply and transfer these skills to various known (ie: scientist, software developer, mathematician, and engineers) and unknown future careers. STEM education allows students to apply and transfer the mindset and skills into their daily lives allowing them to make connections and form ideas – changing how teachers teach and student experience the world around them. Providing STEM opportunities early in childhood allows students to play and explore ideas around phenomenon with no right/wrong answer expectations. This plants the seeds and exposes students to career paths in various STEM fields later in their educational careers. We miss opportunities to develop future STEM professionals by waiting to expose students to STEM education in late elementary, middle or high school. STEM education prepares students to contribute to society (real-world) in meaningful ways.
How long would you survive a zombie apocalypse? Why?
I think the last movie I watched was ‘Night of the Living Dead’. If it’s just for one night – I think I’d be ok. I can board up the house and have plenty of canned food. Who am I kidding…I’d be a zombie the next day!
Chemistry or Biology?
Biology. I’ve been putting my degree to work for some time now.
Algebra or Geometry?
Algebra. Solving for the unknown and having “rules” to manipulate formulas, graphs and expressions gets me excited about math.
Learn a language or learn how to code?
Language. According to my mom, I only spoke German until the age of 5/6. I believe people who know multiple languages are some of the smartest people I know. I wish I paid more attention to learning French and picked up Spanish. To be able to learn and master a whole other set of grammar, vocabulary, dialect is impressive!
Deep space or deep sea?
Both! We’ve only explored the tip of the iceberg in both places. I can’t wait to see what they uncover – human life in other galaxies? New species? It’s all very exciting!
Bill Nye or Neil DeGrasse Tyson?
This is a tough one!!! Bill Nye brings me childhood science joy (and I’ve met him) and Neil DeGrasse Tyson made science cool for adults. I’m going to go with Neil. Representation matters! Being able to see an African-American Astrophysicist when they are few and far between.
Einstein or Newton?
Einstein. You know the picture of his messy office being a sign on genius…that’s me. I know where everything is so don’t touch and move things around.
Star Wars or Star Trek?
I’m a Trekky at heart. Can’t help it growing up watching it with my mom…Live Long and Prosper!
Keyboard or Paper + Pencil?
I am a note-booker! The joy post-its and markers brings me is astounding. I still love a good notebook and I carry colored pens, markers, etc…to meetings and trainings. I have upgraded to a digital notebook! I can still use all of my colors but on my ipad.
Playlists or podcasts?
Podcasts. Dateline and Crime Junky are top on my list of go to podcasts when driving in the car.
In the classroom… Front row or back row?
My last name is Barber. If you know…you know! I grew up in the front row, back in the alphabetical days of seating charts. To this day, if there’s open seating, I RUN for the back. I think I’m traumatized.
Who's next?