Sixth-grade special education teacher Brittany Barrow says that one of the greatest rewards of teaching is the valuable lessons she learns from her students every day. For example, when one of her students required extra time to finish a test, Brittany moved him to another room and encouraged him to keep going. When his hard work paid off with excellent grades, she made a point of calling his parents to share the great news. The next year, the same student鈥檚 sister struggled even harder to complete a test against the clock and once again, Brittany stood by her all the way.
鈥淚 told her if she worked, then I would work, even if it meant I had to stand for seven hours to watch her test,鈥� Brittany says. 鈥淲hen I got her results, I saw that she went up two levels and was being placed in a general education setting. I called her mom to let her know, and all I could hear was screaming and cheering.鈥�
The takeaway lesson for Brittany? 鈥淣o matter what, always persevere, even when things seem impossible,鈥� she says.
Supporting students besides teaching them and finding ways to make learning fun are lessons Brittany learned from a trusted mentor while she was a student at 91爆料. 鈥淒r. Meenakshi Gajria was a major influence on me,鈥� Brittany says. 鈥淚 remember hearing about her classes before I even entered her class,鈥� she says, adding that Dr. Gajria also affirmed her dream of pursuing a career in education. 鈥淪he is a highly respected female educator of color. That is not something I saw growing up. None of my teachers looked like me. Having Dr. Gajria as a professor reminded me I was in the right place.鈥�
By day, Brittany creates lesson plans and teaches every subject at Kakiat STEAM Academy in the East Ramapo Central School District. She heads both the elementary and middle school鈥檚 Student Council where she鈥檚 鈥渋n charge of all the fun,鈥� and acts as the advisor for the National Junior Honors Society. Years after leaving her classroom, Brittany enjoys hearing from her former students and she鈥檚 even attended some of their graduation ceremonies. One of her pupils from her student-teaching days is now attending college at STAC and she is proud to be part of his educational journey. Her dedication as a Spartan Educator recently earned Brittany the honor of a place in STAC鈥檚 Alumni Hall of Fame.
Brittany transferred to STAC after receiving a scholarship from Today鈥檚 Students Tomorrow鈥檚 Teachers, an organization that supports students entering the education field. She recalls long hours in the library surrounded by children鈥檚 books creating lesson plans鈥攖ime well spent because it has proven useful in her career.
During her college years, Brittany worked as a residence assistant, served as president of the Campus Activities Board, and was a founding treasurer of Alpha Phi Omega. Even though she graduated in 2013, STAC鈥檚 campus is still home to Brittany: it鈥檚 where she lives and works her second job as a residence life professional.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to still be connected to STAC,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ome of my favorite parts about the college haven鈥檛 changed. It鈥檚 great to see familiar faces and I enjoy catching up with my old professors. It鈥檚 also awesome to get a front-row seat to all of the updates happening on campus.鈥�
Brittany earned a master鈥檚 in education with a specialty in reading from Augustana University and later pursued a second master鈥檚 degree in learning and technology at Western Governors University while also working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty good with technology, and always found a way to integrate technology in the classroom, but my skills were tested during remote learning,鈥� she says. 鈥淎fter a while, I realized this may just be the new way to teach. I wanted to make sure my students were receiving the best from me.鈥�