Barnett retires from Murray State as senior Spanish lecturer

Cindy Barnett has had an interesting career teaching English to people who speak other languages, and teaching others to communicate with those who only speak Spanish.

A resident of Murray, she’s the daughter of Anne Williams of Paris and the late Bill Williams, and has retired from Murray State University after an 18-year teaching career as an instructor in Spanish, the last 10 as a senior lecturer of Spanish.

A member of the Presbyterian Church, she has two daughters, Laura, who lives in Australia, and Anne, who lives in Nashville.

“I’ve been so blessed to have had such a varied teaching career,” she said, adding that she’s had numerous retirement receptions and parties in Murray.

A 1975 Henry County High School graduate, she attended MSU for two years, then transferred to Oregon State University in Corvallis, While there, she studied abroad in Mexico for a summer, then received her Bachelor of Arts degree in nutrition, specializing in community nutrition, in 1980.

Barnett then signed up for the Peace Corps, but first spent a summer in eastern Oregon with Spanish-speaking migrant farm worker families, developing a bilingual nutrition program for workers’ children. After Peace Corps training, she spent two years as a rural home Extensionist in Ecuador.

She returned home to Paris in time for Christmas 1982, then began working for the Henry County Health Department, holding various positiions such as nutrition educator, breastfeeding counselor and Spanish-English interpreter over a period of 18 years. Barnett also earned a master’s degree in teaching from Bethel College (now University). She transitioned to Tennessee’s Adult Education program in Henry County, working the next 10 years teaching ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) classes.

In 1994, she also began teaching at MSU as an adjunct instructor; by 1996, she was teaching a full load of four classes a semester, and earned a master’s degree in teaching ESOL from Murray State. In 2004, she became a full-time faculty member.

Barnett has taught classes such as Fundamental Communication in Spanish, Social Interactions in Spanish, Basic Spanish and Culture for Agriculture, and Basic Spanish and Culture for Occupational Safety and Health.

Barnett has published two worktexts: Putting Spanish to Work: Spanish for Agriculture – A Worktext of Introductory Spanish for the Agricultural Industry (Kendall Hunt, 2017) and co-wrote The World Comes to Tennessee: A Resource Book for Adult Education and ESOL Teachers of Advanced Level ESOL Students (U-TN Center for Literacy Studies, 2004). In addition, she shares authorship for theTennessee Adult ESOL Curriculum Resource Book. She’s also presented her work at numerous conferences and has been the recipient of the Murray State Board of Regents Teaching Excellence Award.

PEER TRIBUTES

“When I first came to Murray State … Cindy was not only welcoming but also generously shared some of her teaching materials as I navigated my new reality. Throughout the years, I have admired her dedication and professionalism and how she goes above and beyond to check on her colleagues’ and students’ well-being.

“Our department has been incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated faculty member who gives her best to ensure her students are learning and connecting with the surrounding community in meaningful ways. …” — Dr. Tanya Romero-Gonzalez, associate professor of Spanish and Global Languages Coordinator.

“I am so grateful to have had Cindy as a colleague and as a friend. I have rarely met anyone as kind, warm-hearted, open-minded, and generous as she. I have always admired her for her natural ability to brighten the atmosphere around her.

“Before she came to Murray State, she had taught English to Japanese women who moved to the Paris area with their husbands. Cindy generously shared some items that she got from them so that I could use them in my classes to introduce Japanese culture to my students.

“Professionally, she is an excellent instructor. When I took her class as a student, I found that she was always well-prepared and sincerely cared about her students. …” — Yoko Hatakeyama, senior instructor of Japanese.

“Cindy has been a kind friend, a wonderful colleague, and a dedicated teacher, respected and appreciated by her students. …” — Dr. Elena Picech Reisinger, associate professor of Spanish.

“Cindy Barnett has been a most dedicated teacher and wonderful colleague.

“She cares about the academic success and well-being of her students and over the years, has spent uncountable hours to improve and adapt her teaching to changing circumstances.

“As a colleague and friend, Cindy is an excellent listener and always has advice full of wisdom. …” – Dr. Roxane Riegler, associate professor of French and German.