Q&A: Meet Professor Sarah Barber
Meet Your Mentor
Associate Professor of English Sarah Barber brings a unique combination of creativity, collaboration, and mentorship to her teaching. Whether she’s guiding students through poetry workshops or introducing them to the transformative power of Shakespeare, her courses inspire students to explore their voices and perspectives in meaningful ways.
What’s your favorite class to teach, and why?
I absolutely love teaching the First-Year Program poetry and printmaking, which I co-teach with my colleague Melissa Schulenberg. This course combines poetry writing and printmaking while helping students build essential skills like writing, research, and public speaking. It’s so rewarding to watch students forge friendships, discover their creativity, and produce incredible work.
How do you make your literature and writing classes engaging?
I’m a huge fan of workshopping. In poetry workshops, we focus on the strengths of each piece while helping the writer refine their vision. In literature classes, I start with what the students find interesting in the text. This approach lets us dive into issues that matter to them and discover how literature continues to shape and reflect our world.
What do you value most about your students?
St. Lawrence students bring energy and curiosity to the classroom. I love the way they dive deep into discussions, finding themes and connections I may not have considered. It’s exciting to witness their interpretations of texts like a Shakespearean play or a contemporary poem—it’s a reminder of how timeless literature can be.
What’s an unusual course you’ve taught at St. Lawrence?
One of the most unusual—and impactful—courses I’ve taught involved pairing my students with incarcerated individuals at a local prison. The classroom discussions between these two groups were eye-opening and often life-changing, offering fresh perspectives on literature and the human experience.
What surprises students most about you?
Probably that I live on a farm! My family and I raise cows, sheep, and way too many chickens. We also have a tough little cattle dog who keeps everyone in line. Students are often surprised by this side of my life, especially since I’m usually immersed in books and poetry during class.
What’s been your proudest moment as a professor?
My proudest moments come when students complete their honors projects, independent studies, or summer research fellowships and publish their final chapbook of poems. Watching them lay out their work on big tables, find the perfect order, and choose the right title is so satisfying. It’s a beautiful culmination of their hard work and creativity.
What’s a favorite alumni success story?
Many of my students have gone on to do amazing things—graduate programs in creative writing, careers in law, and roles in social media or communications. A particularly special moment was running into a former student at a storytelling event in Potsdam. She’d become a teacher and was working in the area. It was such a joy to see her thriving.
