Barbara
Amador Scott

I have had the privilege of collaborating with Barbara Amador for the past five years in my capacity as Deputy Head of School. Throughout this period, I have consistently observed her unwavering commitment to her work, a high level of professionalism, and a keen willingness to engage in collaborative efforts. Barbara’s attributes, such as consistency, reliability, organizational skills, kindness, and a strong team-oriented approach, remain as evident today as they were on her first day at the school.

Barbara is not only exceptionally knowledgeable in her field but also has a broader understanding of various subjects. Yet, she is humble and continues to maintain a growth mindset. ‘Lifelong learner’ is a buzzword sometimes overused in our field, but Barbara genuinely embodies it. She actively pursues professional development opportunities, both within the school framework and as an individual, demonstrating a serious commitment to continuous learning. Moreover, she applies what she learns in her teaching practice and supports other teachers in their learning and teaching practices.

Barbara is a leader whom others turn to and trust. She is admired and respected because she possesses unwavering integrity — in her personal character, professional conduct, and the work she does and supports. Barbara does nothing halfway, and you can always count on her to go above and beyond.

It is with great confidence that I recommend Barbara for any professional position or institution of her choosing. While I wholeheartedly endorse her for roles within the educational sector, I firmly believe that her capabilities extend beyond these boundaries. Barbara is a true professional, and any school, team, or company would be fortunate to have her as part of their organization.

Tremendously efficient and persevering, are two words that come to my mind when I think about Barbara. I had the pleasure of working with Barb for about 4 years, and we run PDs and great projects together. I have always admired her organizational and communication skills. These are some of the roles Barbara had as an EdTech coach:

Collaborate with classroom teachers and specialists to design and implement lessons and units of instruction, and assess student learning and instructional effectiveness.
Empower staff to be reflective practitioners.
Ensure that staff are effective users of current educational research and student data to drive instruction for maximum student growth.
Provide job-embedded meaningful professional development opportunities for all staff.
Able to use and learn a variety of technology applications and tools.
Coach and support individual teachers in increasing the use of technology to positively impact student performance in the classroom.
Develop and conduct professional development sessions on infusing technology into the curriculum for faculty.
Develop and conduct professional development sessions for students and parents.

There is an ‘island five concept’ – if given the choice, which five people you would want on the island with you- that I have kept as a running mental framework for how I would start a school or educational project. Which five people would I recruit? Barbara, without a doubt, would be one of my ‘island five’ candidates.

I have known Barbara for over 10 years now and she has always been a great person to work with, very passionated and knowledgeable about education and technology, her driven towards providing better educational opportunities for students through training teachers and in her own classes is awesome.

She is also an outstanding international school person and I highly recommend her. I am proud to have her in my network of colleagues and continue to connect on areas of educational technology. She is simply someone you want on your team or in your classroom.

Barbara is a well-rounded professional whom I highly recommend to work in any international school. I have known Barbara for more than 10 years. I worked with her in different settings. I was her colleague, her supervisor and her student. As a colleague, we had professional conversations on how to improve our math teaching to reach all learners. She readily integrated technology in her teaching to differentiate instruction. As her supervisor, we worked collaboratively integrating technology in EFL instruction. She took the initiative to train teachers in the use of different Google Apps. As her student, she trained me in the use of new apps and platforms in education. She is patient and breaks down tasks to make them achievable. Barbara is also a self-driven learner. She has worked on different certifications to be a better Technology Integration Specialist. Thus, I reiterate my recommendation.

Barbara’s deep knowledge of all things tech integration help not only colleagues feel confident bringing new solutions into the classroom but also students open their horizons to showing their learning and passions in new ways. Barbara is the epitome of professionalism and a dedicated, lifelong learner. I always felt comfortable approaching her for support, collaboration in ideation or emergency tech assistance during our time together at the American Nicaraguan School.

Barbara is always thirsty for more knowledge and skills. She strives to be the best she can be so that she can be the best support for those around her. I had the pleasure of working and collaborating with Barbara on a number of inquiry projects while at ISSP. Barbara is a forward thinking educator who has an infectious positive attitude and outlook especially in times of challenge.