Graham A. Barden Elementary
School |
| Education |
Bachelor of
Music Degree from East Carolina University Master of
Music Degree from Appalachian State University
|
| Current Job | Currently I am the principal of Graham A. Barden Elementary School. The school is located in Havelock, North Carolina and is part of Craven County Schools. As the instructional leader, I am responsible for optimum student achievement. I monitor student growth and provide resources and training to help the teachers meet the individual needs of their students. I have a 50-year-old facility and work to maintain both the building and grounds; one that is conducive to learning. Environmental issues such as heat and air conditioning, building cleanliness and safety affect what goes on in the classroom. I hire the best possible candidates for jobs as they come open. I work to maintain a positive school image within the community through participation in community events. Most importantly, I have a vision of where I want this school to go and I work toward that every day. I want a school where all children learn the skills they need to be successful in the world they face. |
| Other Jobs |
I have served
Craven County Schools as an assistant principal for four years before
becoming a principal. Before
that I was a music teacher for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School
System. |
| Passions | I love the
outdoors. I am an avid sailor
and love to camp. When
weekends are spent at home, I enjoy gardening.
Reading is my favorite indoor leisure activity. |
| Must Read |
Who Moved my Cheese by Whether at
work or in your personal life, change is inevitable.
Who Moved My Cheese is a fable of 4 characters that were
affected by change. It tells
the story of how each dealt with the change.
The book is easy to read, and the characters in the book relate to
people we know. The Seven
Habits of Highly Effective People by
Stephen Covey If you want to
be successful, you need to know what is most important and develop
attainable goals. Steven
Covey organizes success into 7 habits.
This is a must read for anyone who works within an organization. Jonathan
Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach Jonathan is
not satisfied with the status quo. He
wants more in life than to fly to eat, he wants to see how well he can
learn to fly. This philosophy
is not accepted within his flock and he is cast out.
As he goes on with his life, he wants to better himself. He learns many lessons on his life’s journey that we
as educators can relate to as we deal with our students. The book is easy to read, and I recommend it be read aloud
followed by discussion. The Cat Who – A Mystery Series by Lillian Jackson
Braun Reading for pleasure is important. The Cat Who series provides easy reading entertainment. The fourteen books in this series involve a newspaper reporter and a Siamese cat, who are involved in a solving a mystery. The cat always leads the reporter to discover the criminals. The characters are enjoyable and believable. |
| Quotes |
From the right
point of view, every storm and every drop in it is a rainbow. Patience is
the companion of wisdom Have a heart
that never hardens, a temper that never loses and a touch that never
hurts.
Charles Dickens It is amazing
what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit. |
| last modified: 01/23/01 |