We take great pride in the shared passion our field staff has for education and love sharing their words of wisdom, and sage advice for those just starting out in the field.  

<p>
  We take great pride in the shared passion our field staff has for education
  and love sharing their words of wisdom, and sage advice for those just
  starting out in the field. We are thrilled to showcase our January 2020
  Substitute Teacher of the Month, Barbara Williams. Barbara took some time to
  share with us her &ldquo;purpose&rdquo; as well as some extremely insightful
  advice for those new to the field.
</p>

<p>
  Thank you, Barbara, for all that you do! You impact children&rsquo;s lives
  every day as well as the communities you serve. We couldn&rsquo;t be any
  prouder to have you on the Cross Country Education team!
</p>

<h3>Why did you become a Substitute Teacher?</h3>

<p>
  My journey on the educational path officially began in 2014 when I was laid
  off twice within 3 years. Although I had previous experience speaking in
  classroom settings, I was not an educator by profession. I had been unemployed
  for 5 months at the time and literally said the following prayer: &quot;God,
  rather than just a &quot;job&quot;, please lead me to my &quot;purpose with
  pay.&quot; Within a couple of weeks, I was connected with someone who owned
  and operated a substitute teacher placement agency.
</p>

<h3>What do you like about Cross Country Education (formerly DirectEd)?</h3>

<p>
  What I always have, and still like about DirectEd is the recognition of
  substitute teachers as &quot;Guest Educators&quot;. I feel the title aligns
  with my belief that DirectEd holds its teachers to the same standards of
  excellence that the schools we serve expect from its full-time employees.
</p>

<h3>
  What have you liked about your experience working at schools with Cross
  Country Education?
</h3>

<p>
  The most enjoyable part about being an Guest Educator with DirectEd is that
  every assignment (mostly long-term) has given me the privilege of witnessing
  and participating in the invaluable lessons and principles provided to
  students who have a genuine desire to become prominent citizens within and
  beyond their community. Literally, I learn something new every day.
</p>

<h3>What kind of advice would you give to those starting out in your field?</h3>

<p>
  My advice is to remain open, flexible and stay focused in ways to add value in
  what Guest Teachers contribute. For me, being an educator with DirectEd, in
  any capacity, is an opportunity to have an imprint on a child&#39;s
  education-one day at a time.
</p>

<p>
  <em
    ><a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/home"
      >Cross Country Education</a
    >
    is educator-led, student-driven and solutions-oriented. With over 50 years
    of combined dedicated expertise, we service the education industry
    exclusively. Focusing our knowledge and resources on engaging with and
    understanding educational organizations, industry trends, and leadership
    needs, we provide a wide range of services to our educational partners to
    meet their individual needs including special education and substitute
    services. We specialize in substitute teacher and instructional assistants,
    special education service providers, healthcare staff, early childhood
    education teachers, educator search services, consultation, and trainings.
    Cross Country Education, formerly DirectEd and Mediscan, is part of the
    <a href="https://www.crosscountryhealthcare.com/about-us"
      >Cross Country Healthcare</a
    >
    family, one of the leading healthcare and education staffing companies in
    the nation.</em
  >
</p>

<p>
  <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/contact-us">Contact us</a>
  today to discover how our experienced team of talent professionals at Cross
  Country Education can deliver solutions for your educational staffing needs.
</p>


Lessons From The Field: Barbara Williams, Substitute Teacher of the Month