Ms

Dear Family, I hope your new year has gotten off to a wonderful start! My name is Shaunna Barbee and I am pleased to serve as your student’s new Spanish II teacher. I am beyond excited to join the team at Middle Creek High School. The remainder of the school year will be challenging and rewarding for all of us. I have worked diligently with my cohorts in the World Languages department to carefully map a course of study to include exciting activities, enrichment opportunities and meaningful, relevant lessons. Whether your child ultimately desires to be bilingual or they see Spanish instruction solely as a required course, it is my hope that at the end of this semester, they will be able to clearly see the additional benefits foreign language instruction has to offer, i.e. improvement in cognitive reasoning and understanding their position as a global citizen of the world. I aim to show them how to leverage this skill towards accomplishing other personal, academic and professional goals. I have been passionate about the language for decades and am even more passionate about teaching and sharing what I've been so fortunate to learn and experience. Dr. Maya Angelou said "When you get, give…when you learn, teach." It is my life's work to give what I have received through the vehicle of teaching. Though I have served in many professional roles over the years, teaching Spanish has been a consummate thread in my experience. I am eager to get to know your child and serve as a collaborator in his success. I hold a bachelor's in Spanish/World Languages from Tennessee State University and am currently completing my MBA coursework at Bethel University. I'm an entrepreneur and have been teaching Spanish for 7 years. I also enjoy teaching English to non-English speakers. I moved to the Triangle in 2017 after serving my client in Mexico helping to manage a hospital there. I have been fortunate to live and study in Spain and did a Department of Defense entertainment tour in Asia, serving our troops in Japan, Guam, South Korea and Singapore. I am actively involved in my community and will be committed to bridging our classroom and the world outside through relevant and rewarding opportunities. I am a firm believer in the power of having a global mindset and learning Spanish is just one tool of many to help open the doors of opportunity for your child. As a teacher and mother, I have instilled this mindset in my two sons and they both have gleaned so much from their travels with me and even apart from me. My eldest is an aficionado of Asian culture and has studied in China twice and plans to return this year. My youngest is diligently practicing his English accent and can't wait to get to the UK. As your child is in my presence this year, I can assure you I will treat them as one of my own. With care, thorough instruction and my unwavering support and my total commitment to teaching them as a whole student, I am certain this will be an awesome and memorable semester marked with lots of growth. I have an open door policy and encourage communication of any and all concerns or suggestions in person, by phone or email. I am here to serve. On Wednesdays, students can come for extra help from 2:30 to 3:30 for Spanish Bootcamp. I’m flexible to work around their schedules to address any concerns as well. Thank you for your support! Ms. Barbee