Mary Spohr-Barilla received her B.S. in K-12 Physical Education from the University of Minnesota. She taught K-2 Physical Education for eight years at a parochial school in St Paul, and also assisted with Athletics while she was in that position. She has additional experience working as a physical therapy assistant.
Mrs. Spohr-Barilla decided to go into education because she wanted to help children learn about their bodies and to teach them how to be healthy for a lifetime. She believes that bodies are made to move! So, she introduces students to several ways to move their bodies, both with and without equipment. She also likes to show students how their bodies work. By creating an environment where students are excited about learning, she hopes to make them feel comfortable enough to try new things. She wants her students to work hard and always do their best. Her favorite lesson to teach is rope jumping because it can be done at a very beginning level with one person and one rope, or at a more advanced level with multiple ropes and multiple people – it can be used as a lifetime skill for fun and for fitness!
One of the reasons Mrs. Spohr-Barilla is attracted to Catholic schools is that she can talk about God with her students, especially when it comes to conversations about sportsmanship. (Why do we do our best, play fairly and have good attitudes about winning and losing if not for the glory of God?) Mrs. Spohr-Barilla loves being active – especially outdoors! She enjoys playing tennis and riding her bike and recently completed a sprint distance triathlon. She hopes to be a good role model for her students by being physically active outside of school.
“One of my favorite parts about working with students in the early elementary grades is the excitement they have when they learn something new. I want them to always remember to have that love of learning and excitement with new discoveries.” – Mary Spohr-Barilla