St. Francis School Faculty & Staff

Susan Barker

Dyslexia Specialist

When we moved to Austin in the summer of 2000, I was distraught about leaving a school I loved and a neighborhood where not only could I tell you each child's name, but the names of all the dogs as well. My husband's transfer could not have come at a worse time, according to me, and I was not planning to ever be happy here in Austin. I was very fortunate to hear of the second grade position through one of my husband's colleagues, so I applied and added St. Francis to my daily trips between Houston and Austin to look for a job. And the rest, as they say, is history.....

I am originally from nowhere – my father was in the military, so I spent most of my formative years moving all over the globe. Texas is where I consider home, and I truly believe it is one of the best states around. I am a die-hard Red Raider fan – go Tech – and proudly wear my red and black fearlessly in this town of burnt orange. I love to quilt and garden, but I really enjoy teaching children how to use their hands to create something beautiful.

Throughout my teaching career, I noticed that I always had a curiosity about trying different teaching methods in order to reach every child in my classroom. When we lived in Houston, I was very lucky to have access to Neuhaus, an organization devoted to dyslexia and teacher training. There I learned that not only could their methods help those that were struggling in my class, but those who weren't having trouble had much more fun learning and were internalising the concepts introduced. When I came to St. Francis, Polly McLean noticed the methods I was using, and started urging me to become a Dyslexia Specialist. After my first year of teaching second grade, I was becoming a bit frustrated that I didn't know how to help the younger child improve their reading. Again, Polly chimed in about taking the course. Finally, she succeeded, and I joined up.

Since taking the course and researching further, I am overjoyed at the knowledge I have gained in order to help students more. As a Dyslexia Specialist here at St. Francis, I have the opportunity to work with some of our most gifted students. I love working closely with each student on improving their reading and helping them advocate for themselves in the classroom. Watching the sparkle in a child's eyes as they begin to understand that the symbols on a page translate into sounds, words, sentences, and paragraphs is the greatest joy for a teacher. Working in the Reading and Language Arts Learning Center is tough and demanding work, but the smiles and hugs are worth every moment.

I truly love being a part of the St. Francis community, and now I don't ever want to leave Austin because of this school. The staff, parents, and students truly make this school a family that I brag on every chance I get. I want to be a part of its growth and to be here for future children that might need extra support in their classes.