Sonia Barker

Elementary Teaching Assistant

I graduated with a degree in biology from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota (my home state), but I then started an internship where I had the opportunity to teach hands-on science classes to middle and high school students from around Minnesota.  I had so much fun teaching that I took several courses in education at the University of Minnesota and continued to teach classes at the university’s natural history museum.

My husband and I have been partying together since 1999!  Eight years later, we welcomed our precious daughter into the world and I became a stay-at-home mom for five fun years.  In that time, I developed one of my favorite passions – designing and sewing – and started a very busy home business creating custom-made clothing and accessories.  I still sew clothing, quilts, household items, upholstery (just about anything I can think up) for fun.

When my girl started elementary school, I joined her school and became an aide in special education for several years.  It was certainly the most challenging, but also the most rewarding teaching I have ever done.

I joined the IDLA team in 2020 as a TA in kindergarten and love it!