Sarah Barz

Student, pursuing an M.Ed. in Teaching - Elementary Education 

After years in the information technology industry, Sarah Barz began looking for the next big thing — and what she wanted to do when she “grew up,” as Barz says. Some people might have continued a comfortable career path, after being in the business for 20 years. But Barz was ready for a change.

In what many would consider a 180-degree career shift (Barz would disagree), she decided to become a teacher — returning to college online at American Public University to earn a Master of Education: Teaching Elementary Education degree.

Barz chose American Public University for its accreditations, similar to traditional post secondary schools, and the benefit of online learning for its convenience, monthly class starts and affordability.

She chose American Public University, part of American Public University System (APUS) over other online institutions, “because in addition to earning my master’s, I could apply for my teaching certification. APUS was the only program I found that offered a teaching certification credential with a master's program."

“I applied to and was accepted into other master's education programs, only to find out that without the student teaching and certification opportunity I would be qualified to do exactly nothing,” says Barz.

Candidates for APU’s program in elementary education earn the West Virginia teaching certificate and the Master of Education in Teaching degree simultaneously. Teachers with licenses in West Virginia may apply for licensure in other states. Many states have formal reciprocity agreements with the state.

There is an observation requirement to her studies that Barz meets by participating in a local elementary school classroom.

“When I started my observation, the instructor told me he also followed a non-traditional teaching career path,” says Barz. “He said one day he realized he had been ‘working someone else’s job’— and a light went on in my head. That’s exactly how I felt — what I’d been doing for many years.”

Like most online students, she enjoys the flexibility that online learning provides, allowing her to study on her own time and schedule. She appreciates American Public University’s discussion forum that allows contributions from all students, across time zones.

Does she learn, also, from other students?

“Yes! Since it’s a master’s program, many of my classmates are already teachers. For me, that’s huge, since I don’t have that background or practical experience,” says Barz.

Class participation subjects change weekly on the discussion board. Some discussions can become quite involved, moving from the week’s subject into dialog about current education issues, ranging from opinions on end-of-course-testing and no-child-left-behind to relevant stories heard on NPR.

There are specific learning outcomes that each APU elementary education master’s candidate must accomplish before earning his or her degree, along with completing the program requirements. Barz likens her APUS experience to other conventional high-quality universities.

“You get out of it what you put into it. Your learning experience is as extensive as you would like it to be. The faculty is willing to take experiences further and provide additional learning opportunities,” she says.

In addition, the observational component enables students to see immediate applications of their current coursework.

“Say you’re studying motivational strategies,” says Barz. “Instead of just reading about it, you can see what works and what doesn’t in your current situation.”

“It helps,” she says, “to have a high-quality teacher-school experience for observation. Shepherdstown Elementary is really amazing.” When Barz graduates, she hopes to teach in her hometown of Shepherdstown, W.V.

What advice would she give others about switching careers?

“It’s all connected,” says Barz, who plans to use her experiences with IT and management in the classroom. “As a manager, in addition to watching the bottom line, I’m providing coaching and training and knowledge to do the job. I think the people I’d be working with as a teacher would just be smaller and nicer. They’re really what the bottom line is about.”

Fast facts:
Residence: Shepherdstown, WV
Occupation: IT manager with 20 years of experience
Career goal: Elementary Education Teacher