Molly Barlow has taught middle and secondary science courses and has nineteen years of classroom experience. She is committed to providing lessons that generate curiosity and empowers her students to collaborate, search for evidence, test ideas, and critically assess information as they determine possible solutions to problems. She currently teaches biology at Challenger Early College High School in Hickory, North Carolina. Viewed as a valued faculty member, Molly assumes a leadership role in supporting the school's mission that focuses on problem-based, investigative learning while providing students with exposure to life-ready, 21st Century skills and opportunities for intellectual development. In addition to her instructional duties, Molly has served as a cooperative teacher for interns pursuing a science education degree from Lenoir Rhyne University and mentored several first-year teachers joining the Early College faculty. She also assists her fellow faculty incorporate literacy into the content area as a school-level trainer for the Literacy Design Collaborative.
Molly is an active member of the North Carolina Science Teachers Association and has been a presenter at each Professional Development Institute since 2012. As a North Carolina Science Leadership Fellow, she has developed and implemented several professional development activities for teachers in her home school, as well as for educators working in Catawba County. Most recently she presented her ideas of using discussion protocols to engage students at the 2018 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) National College and Career Readiness Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Molly earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a Master of Secondary Education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and holds National Board Certification: Science/Adolescence and Young Adulthood. She was named the 2015 Catawba County Secondary Teacher of the Year and received the North Carolina Science Teachers Association's District 7 Outstanding Secondary Science Teacher award for 2018.
I believe that as science teachers we are responsible for doing our part to make sure students are college and career ready. We need to do this by providing experiences in the classroom that are rigorous, engaging, and require students to think, collaborate, and reflect. Looking back at my career I realize I was surrounded by quality teachers who mentored me and introduced me to organizations like the North Carolina Science Teachers Association and the North Carolina Science Leadership Association. Science teachers need to know about resources availability and how to network with other science educators in order to continue to grow professionally. As NCSTA district 7 director I will be an advocate for science teachers in my district and communicate the opportunities in professional development, grants, and resources available to them. I will continue the mission of NCSTA of promoting excellence in science teaching and learning in North Carolina.