Barbara Alvarez

Special Education Teacher

A Conversation with Barbara Alvarez

What is your current employment/career?

I am currently a special education teacher with Forney ISD.

What do you like most about your current position with Forney ISD?

I enjoy working alongside families and educators to help children be their best. I help struggling students through a variety of assessments and provide the missing puzzle piece in their educational instructional plan. I feel I am helping each child receive specific instruction and strategies for learning which foster their academic potential to be all that they can be.

How did A&M-Commerce prepare you for your current position?

Collaboration with the faculty and students helped prepare me for better communication with my colleagues and my students’ families. In addition, Autism and Adapted Behavior Analysis were interesting courses and sparked a desire to research deeper into autism and educate students on the spectrum. 

What advice do you have for students?

I highly encourage anyone who is interested in the area of Special Education to investigate all the different areas of study the university has to offer.  The professors are amazing, patient, and extremely knowledgeable in the area.  Yes, it does take time to earn the degree, but it is well worth the time and effort.  I am proud to be an A&M-Commerce Alumnus.

Educational Background

• MS, Special Education, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2019
• BS, Journalism, East Texas State University, 1995