Alumni Spotlight: Jasmine Barber
When Jasmine Barber was in elementary school, she didn’t love reading. And then, one particular book came along: Lois Lowry’s The Giver.
“One thing that stood out to me, is the idea that there could be a world outside of the one we live in,” Barber says. “It’s also a great book to teach kids to love reading, to notice things like symbolism and literary devices. That book was a big stepping stone on my journey to becoming a teacher.”
Soon, she started getting in trouble for always having a book in class (maybe, when she was supposed to be doing something else…). And as an English major in college, Barber got more and more excited about how she would teach literature. “I started to become obsessed with, ‘If I were a teacher, I would teach this book this way…’and that’s when teaching really became an option for me.”
So Barber launched her teaching career by joining the 2022 cohort of Relay’s Master of Arts in Teaching - Teacher Residency Program in Houston, Texas. She spent her first year as a teacher resident, learning under an experienced mentor teacher. In her second year, she had her own middle school English Language Arts classroom at KIPP Nexus. She says, “My Relay experience prepared me for real life teaching. It prepared me for building relationships with coworkers and students, how to plan for the whole picture, and how to balance teaching with my degree coursework.”
Barber saw the results in her classroom, as her students not only grew their reading skills but also came to trust her. She says, “I love that they feel comfortable enough to tell me not just their academic needs but personal needs. I love to see previous year’s kids telling me, ‘Ms. Barber, we just learned about X thing this year, and I remember when you taught us about that.’”
One of the best parts of her Relay program was having the support of her professors and her advisor, Bailey Galbreath. “From the beginning, she was so welcoming - I was able to authentically tell her my strengths and what I wanted to work on, so she could give me constructive feedback,” Barber says. “She taught me all sides of teaching - building relationships with students, how to put together a lesson, and how to take care of yourself. If I needed something, I could come to Bailey.”
Barber decided to pay it forward, becoming a grade-level chair and then ELA Department Chair and Resident Advisor. In those roles she supported and guided staff, stepping in as an exemplary Secondary English Language Arts Teacher when needed. Recently, Barber took on even more leadership as Dean of Students and Culture at Uncommon Schools in Newark, New Jersey - her hometown. In this role, she can ensure that students at two schools feel safe and secure, and that students, teachers, and parents feel heard. She has seen the impact of a positive school culture on many students who come into the year struggling, but slowly gain the skills to thrive. Barber recalls one particular student who used to shut down when frustrated, but who now knows he can come to her office, take a moment, and then return to class refreshed.
Even as Barber stretches her skills and her impact, she is still a reader at heart. She will never forget when some of her students made a TikTok video called “What Does Ms. Barber Say?” highlighting her number one catch phrase: “Get a book”!
Jasmine Barber is a Relay Ambassador, sharing her story with fellow teachers and prospective teachers. You can find her on Instagram at @itsjassss_ or connect with her on LinkedIn.