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Q & A With Raquel Barnes, Lead Teacher for Head Start at the Children’s Museum

989debf0-8f11-43cb-a5dd-b207cbde391cRaquel Barnes, far right, during Head Start’s most recent graduation ceremony

The Children’s Museum of the East End is one of two museums in the nation to host a Head Start classroom. Since Head Start’s mission is to provide “support for the whole child, the family and the community” and “ensure all vulnerable children and families have what they need to succeed,” the partnership with the Museum is a perfect fit. We recently spoke with Raquel Barnes—the Lead Teacher since the Head Start preschool opened in 2011—and talked about how the partnership originated, the role it’s played in her teaching, and the impact it’s had on her students.

How did the partnership come about? How did you come to lead the classroom?

Before partnering with the Museum, we had about 60 kids on a wait list to get into a classroom. I was talking to people about finding a new place where we could host all these kids who needed our help. By chance, Steve Long [the Museum’s president] was sitting next to me during an event and overheard me saying, “I’m still looking. I’m still looking.” Steve asked me all these questions and said, “We have a classroom at the Museum.” We spoke to Long Island Head Start and set it up.

I had been the Center Manager at the Head Start located in the Bridgehampton Childcare Center for a few years. When we were hiring for the position at the Museum, I thought, “What am I, crazy? This is the job I want.” It had always been my dream to have a classroom there, so I stepped down and became a teacher. Since then, I’ve seen almost 100 kids graduate from the program.

How does the Museum influence your teaching?

I do a lot of my lesson plans based upon how I can use the Museum to implement them. There are a lot of interactives. Everything is geared towards children’s play and learning.  About a fifth of my instruction is enhanced by having the Museum right there outside the classroom. Imagine what our students would be missing if they didn’t have it! To have it as extension of our classroom is amazing. To be able to dress up and pretend? To play on a pirate ship? We have a limited budget with Head Start and are not allowed to fund raise independently, so they couldn’t possibly have the same experience.

What impact do you think the Museum has on your students?

It’s just a great place for them to be. Even the quietest of children become engaged. The Museum really makes them come alive. They feel like it’s home.

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