Her Story
About Barbara
I teach adults English Language Learning, working with new immigrants and students who often already know two or more languages. I've been doing this work for about 12 years, starting as a volunteer while I was at the University of St. Thomas, where I fell in love with it. Before teaching ELL, I had a rich career in higher education. I worked as a visiting professor at the graduate level at St. Thomas, then became director of the Community Partnership Program, where I required all undergraduate business students to do 40 hours of service in a nonprofit. That was the perfect blend of my passions - I loved nonprofit work and teaching. I was able to shape this amazing program where students could do their service anywhere in the world, and we'd meet with them online. I had 8 or 10 student employees, and students would learn about nonprofits, interview people about organizational structure, and reflect on what they gave and what they got. I also worked for a nonprofit that looked at how to reduce dropout rates in high school, where I was assigned 8 schools in New York City with the highest dropout rates and 11 schools in the poor Appalachian Mountain area. I did teacher training and worked to develop student leadership clubs at each school. I have a PhD in organizational behavior and development from George Washington University, along with master's degrees in student development and counseling from Ohio State and in teaching ELL. My teaching philosophy centers on experiential learning - I want students up and moving and active. I spend a lot of time preparing lessons that will be interesting and matter to students' real lives, like practicing what to do when returning something at Target or making a doctor's appointment. I'm constantly researching the best ways to teach, staying active in the field as a perpetual student.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Barbara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my lifelong commitment to service and helping others. My parents were both scout leaders, and we were the scouting family - my scout troop would go out and do all kinds of stuff. So service was just normal for me. As I breathe, I would help. It was just that normal. I've had some key interactions throughout my life where that just seemed like the right thing to do, to do service. My philosophy is that our lives are better when our focus is on helping each other. I've never cared about the bottom line or profit - I would argue with my colleagues in the School of Business at St. Thomas when they'd say the only reason a business exists is to make a profit. I'd say, really? It's not my colleagues, it's not my customers, it's not a safe product that I'm putting out there, it's making money? No. Being good to other people has been a theme throughout my life, and it's made me very happy. You can't do everything, but you can do something. Just being open and saying things like 'Tell me about your hijab' - I'm curious, I want to know. And just to know you can create a safe space just by being kind. That's my philosophy of how life needs to be lived - that we're kind to each other.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are kindness, service, and creating meaningful relationships. My philosophy is that our lives are better when our focus is on helping each other. I've always believed that just being kind can create a safe space for people. In my teaching of organizational behavior and management, my passion is about how to connect and create relationships in the workplace that matter, not because it affects the bottom line, but because it affects the people around us. Which, oh, aren't we lucky, it helps the bottom line too - but I don't want that to be your focus. I've never cared about the bottom line or profit. I would argue with my colleagues when they'd say the only reason a business exists is to make a profit - I'd say it's not just about money, it's about my colleagues, my customers, putting out a safe product. Being good to other people has been a theme throughout my life, and it's made me very happy. I also value curiosity and openness - I'm not afraid to ask questions like 'Tell me about your hijab' because I want to understand and be respectful. I don't want to inadvertently do something to offend somebody else. And I believe you can't do everything, but you can do something.
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