Matoaca High will be greeted by a new face in the fall: Elizabeth Baber, the school’s new principal. Baber was the associate principal at Monacan High, and she will be replacing John Murray, who served as principal for three years.
Baber taught science for four years before becoming an associate principal, but being a teacher was not always her goal. Her penchant for helping people led to her volunteering for a local rescue squad, where she said she realized her impact would be greater if she helped to instruct and build others in their skill set as emergency medical providers. She soon found her passion for teaching once she became an EMS instructor.
Baber’s time in the emergency medical field (she also worked in the emergency room at a local hospital), coupled with her fondness for hands-on experiences and problem solving, made teaching science a natural fit.
“As a science teacher, I was able to bring real-world problems into the classroom for students to investigate and explore,” Baber said. “Science was always a subject where I felt the learning was immediately applicable to day-to-ay life, which meant experiments and fun.”
Baber is thrilled to be Matoaca High’s new principal, and she said she is looking forward to continuing the traditions that make Matoaca a true community school while pushing them to be their very best.
“Matoaca is such a diverse and spirited community that even in a pandemic, where I am meeting most people virtually, I have felt nothing but a sense of pride and family,” Baber said. “The overwhelming positive embrace of the school has made me feel right at home, and I cannot wait to work alongside some amazing educators as we welcome our students back to school next year.”
Although the emergency of recent months has disrupted the current school year, Baber said it has also shed a light on how important it is to be reflective as practitioners and learners for the purpose of continuous improvement, and it has helped us all to realize the importance of relationships. She believes returning to the way things were before the pandemic would miss the mark because it has highlighted gap areas in the county that they have been working to close.
“The pandemic has also shown us that instruction can be provided in a variety of modes, at all times of the day, and that teachers have the skills and knowledge to individualize their teachings to meet the needs of each of their students,” Baber said. “This is the time to try something new to give our students the best educational experience possible to meet their individual, diverse needs and goals.”
Over the summer, Baber will be organizing different councils and reaching out to students, parents, teachers, and the community to gain further insight. The lockdown has deprived Baber of the chance to interact with the students everyday, which she said is the main reason it has been challenging.
“The kids are where I get my energy, and I can’t imagine doing a job where I don’t get to interact with them on a daily basis,” Baber said. “It is the number one reason why the pandemic has been tough; I am missing my ‘why’ on a daily basis.”
Baber said that she plans on staying in administration and that she is looking forward to helping the rest of Chesterfield County recognize the gem that is Matoaca High School.
“I want to help our students find their passions and grow as young adults, all while having the exciting experience that is high school,” Baber said. “Ever since I started my journey as an educational leader, I’ve seen myself as a lifelong principal. I plan to be principal of Matoaca High School for as long as they’ll have me.”
