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ABOUT THE TEAM

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CARRIE BARKER

7th - 9th Grade Instructor and

Curriculum Architect

Carrie has over 20 years experience teaching English, History, and Writing. She teaches students from all over the United States to internationally in India. Read more.

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KEITH HOWELL

Substitute Instructor

Keith holds both an Art and Law degree, and believes that "good education is essential to a life well-lived." Read more.

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LINDA WILSON

4th-6th Grade Instructor

Linda Wilson has her Bachelor's of Science from Philadelphia University along with her Masters in Education from  Loyola University, Maryland.
Read more.

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PAIGE KIRSCH

Business Director

Paige partnered with Carrie Barker to create Academics1st after successfully launching a Math and Science tutoring platform, Adventure by Learning. Paige runs the behind-the scenes operations and general parent correspondence.

INSTRUCTORS

Intructors

Carrie Barker

Carrie is married and an empty-nester, living vicariously through her three adult boys.  She graduated from Texas Tech University with a triple major in English, History and Education, and has teaching experience in both public and private schools.  She enjoys showing students how the study of English and History ideas are intertwined with culture, allowing for a greater appreciation and understanding of historical context which inspires an author's story. Since blending History and English is her passion, many of her students have participate in the National History Day Writing competition with placings at the state level and national level.


Previous experience includes teaching grammar, academic & creative writing for the Austin Chinese Education Services for several years. She continues to offer dual credit English/ History courses to select Firelight Academy students.  In addition, she is currently teaching students from all over the United States to internationally in India with Academics1st 

Keith Howell

Keith Howell is a life-long Texan. He has been married 30 years and has raised 2 children. He has both an Art degree and a Law degree, which makes him either a struggling artist or a recovering lawyer. Perhaps he's both.

 

One thing he knows is that good education is essential to a life well-lived. He has taught students from Kindergarten age through college ages over the last 20+ years. He also worked over 13 years with an educational textbook and game publisher, and he currently self-publishes and freelances as an illustrator and designer when he is not teaching in the local schools.

Linda Wilson

Linda Wilson has her Bachelors of Science from Philadelphia University along with her Masters in Education from Loyola University, Maryland. With over three decades of teaching experience, she uses her AMI Montessori Elementary Diploma to develop enrichment strategies to reach kids through various forms of learning techniques. 

Linda's desire is to develop a compassionate relationship with your child to guide them to their highest level of achievement in reading, writing, and math. She is skilled in presenting material through multiple facets to engender a deeper connection to the academic material. Linda currently works as a lead teacher for Butler Montessori located outside of Washington D.C. It is ranked in the top 75 AMI Montessori schools in the nation. 

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