Bio

Manager, El Otro Lado; Faculty

Barbara is the manager of the El Otro Lado program, incorporating her passion for the integration of arts with self-discovery; offering support, guidance and imagination to participants in the program, including facilitating experiential workshops for educators and artists centered in the Academy pedagogical practices.

Barbara’s educational pursuits offered her opportunities to live and study in several countries in South America and Europe. Studying dance for two years in Peru sparked a fascination with language acquisition. After returning home from Peru, Barbara pursued degrees in Spanish and Health & Human Service, later adding a teaching certification with several endorsements, including English as a Second Language (ESL).

Throughout her explorative path of education, Barbara credits her dedicated mentors who helped expand her curiosity about learning and inspired her teaching career to include teaching K-12 grades in public school, 8-12 grades in a Waldorf school, and serving as founding faculty at an International Baccalaureate magnet school. Barbara also offered a social justice group for middle school students, ESL classes for parents, and a visionary in-school reflection group for educators. This wide range of teaching and mentoring experiences, as well as her up close view of education through the eyes of her mother, an elementary educator, has imbued Barbara with a profound respect for the profession and a call to support the art and the heart of teaching and learning.

Prior to joining the Academy, Barbara taught 7th and 8th grades in Santa Fe. In addition to teaching, Barbara served non-profit organizations in Wisconsin and Colorado with roles in social services and educational programming.