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I’m happiest when hiking in mountains, exploring deserts or watching sunsets from beaches with my wife, Mary Ellen and daughter, Maisy Lou. Experiencing live music is another passion, and we go to as many shows as possible. I’m also an avid trail runner, disc golfer and ultimate frisbee player.
The world needs more individuals, institutions and systems that are focused on human liberation, and schools like TSAS hold the greatest promise of laying the foundation of a just and humane planet. I love working with young people because their energy, curiosity and creativity give me hope for a better future.
Email: barcher@tsas.org
Room: 315
Educational Background:
- Master of Arts in Ethics, Peace and Global Affairs from American University, Washington DC
- Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education from Northeastern State University
I moved to Tulsa to teach in 2018. Along the way I’ve taught two grade levels, two subject areas, at two schools. I’m proud to call Tulsa home now with my two cats Frog and Noodle that I love as if they were human children. We enjoy watching lots of reality TV and reading all kinds of books together. I love seltzer water, trivia, and running.
I picked up a bumper sticker at a journalism convention I attended in high school of a quote from William Butler Yeats: “Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.” I stuck it to the back of my bedroom door and saw it every day as I left for school. This is the philosophy that I bring into my classroom every day. I believe that education is the key to liberation in this world. I do this work because I think it’s the most important and most difficult job a person can have. It’s a honor to have the opportunity to teach kids who are not only our future, but our present.
Email: sbarry@tsas.org
Room: 305 A
Educational Background:
- I studied secondary education and English at Drury University for two years before moving to Chicago to concentrate my studies in fiction writing at Columbia College Chicago where I earned my Bachelor’s degree.
Hi! I began teaching in the US Peace Corps in Estonia in 2000, and I’m delighted to teach at TSAS – here in Tulsa, where I was born and raised. My husband Matt and I have three children and a German Shepherd – “Bonnie the wonder dog”, and we love living just north of TSAS. I enjoy dancing, reading, practicing and teaching Pilates and learning about native Oklahoman plants and grasses. I do this work because of the students – middle schoolers are my fave. They are my best teachers.
Email: cbyrne@tsas.org
Room: 303
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature (minor in Women’s Studies) – University of Oklahoma
My name is Clayton Flores. I live with my wife, Hailey, and our two boys, Calvin and Redford. Outside of school, I enjoy running and playing music. Running was a huge passion of mine when I was younger, and I have recently rediscovered it. I completed my first marathon this summer and am looking forward to future events! Per music, I have played in several bands over the years and absolutely enjoy jamming with my best buds.
I teach because I have had teachers who inspired me and instilled academic confidence, allowing me to surpass what I thought possible. I want my students to feel empowered to think critically and to share their opinions; some of my best moments from my first year of teaching stemmed from watching students take chances and thrive in those uncharted waters. I am excited to build a space at TSAS where we can have many more moments of discovery.
Email: cflores@tsas.org
Room: 301 A
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Tulsa
- Associate of Arts in Visual Communications from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
I am from OKC and love the Thunder and watching NBA games. My wife Lindsay and I enjoy drinking coffee at home and the local shops in town, as well as, working on our fixer upper.
I teach because I want the world to be a better for everyone and while our society loves to teach people what to think, it rarely teaches them how to think. At TSAS we are passionate about releasing thoughtful humans, into the world, capable of critical thinking and thus able to create a world that is a better place for all people.
Email: whill@tsas.org
Room: 114
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Science in Government from Oral Roberts University
- Master of Arts in Education from Oral Roberts University
I’m a 5th Generation Oklahoman who moved to Colorado the summer before 8th grade, I consider both to be home. I moved to Tulsa three years ago and love working at TSAS. In middle school, I lived to beat a girl named Danielle (who obvs had it all) for first chair clarinet. I rarely won. Even though I held down 2nd chair, I wasn’t allowed to march with my clarinet crew because I couldn’t keep in step with the rest, but I could be found holding the flag in the front. In 9th grade I rode in the back of a golden El Camino through the desert to find a secret punk rock show. That was all a long time ago, and now I mostly chill with my family–husband and two children, plus our dog. I like to read books/stories, watch TV/movies, read the news, and make things. I can get weirdly competitive when I play board games. I like grape flavor, Central Asian/Middle Eastern food, Tajin, Chamoy, & popcorn. Music is great too.
Learning about things I’ve never even imagined is one of my top top favorite things about life. Learning more about things I already know gives me hope. Sharing stories and hearing stories — making those human connections – reassures my faith. Working with students, especially in a school with talented, inspiring, and hilarious faculty and staff, restores my spirit daily. My students surprise me, teach me, and make me better. Teaching demands that I take risks constantly and that I stay vulnerable. Those are hard but necessary things.
When I think about those special teachers that loved me when I was unlovable, pushed me to think past my emotions or uninformed opinions, guided me to discover new ideas, saw something in me that I couldn’t see, showed me a kind of patience that I had not earned from them, and helped me on my way, I wonder if there is really any way to properly thank them. How could I ever show my true appreciation for the sacrifices they made for me? The only thing I’ve come up with is to do for someone else what they did for me.
Email: kjohnson@tsas.org
Room: 113 A
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Arts in History from Mesa State College
- Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Wyoming
I am an avid movie watcher, traveler, and reader.I am constantly traveling and exploring new places. I love the possibilities of meeting new people and seeing new cultures! I have a passion for education and making sure that students are enlightened about the world around them.
Ask me about my Corgi! Her name is Molly and she is the sweetest.
Email: jturner@tsas.org
Class Website: CLICK HERE
Room: 113 B
Educational Background:
- Master’s in American Studies from Northeastern State University
- Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Tulsa
- Certificate in Classical Studies from the University of Tulsa