Humanities & Arts Division:

Barbara Giffin

Lecturer, English

Phone: 860-343-5753

Office Location: Snow 520

Barbara Giffin knows “no two classes are created the same” and that “the days of the whole class lecture are gone.” That is why she has developed flexible teaching styles focused on variety, interest, and use of technology.

Giffin’s efforts help keep her student s focused in the classroom, as they reflect on and apply new material. She works in both “whole group” and smaller “peer group” environments to teach courses in developmental writing, developmental reading, public speaking, literature and writing. It is important to her to offer one-on-one or any other level of support to each student so they are able to master class content and meet all their academic goals.

Since 1989, Giffin has taught all levels of reading, writing, and speaking at MxCC (including ESL courses), and also has trained employees at local corporations. She participated in a Peer Mentoring pilot program in Meriden, has served on the Student Development Committee at MxCC, and has participated in MxCC’s High School Partnership Program.

Before teaching at the community college level, Giffin taught Spanish at several different Connecticut schools including Windsor Locks High School, Sage Park Middle School in Windsor, Rockville High School in Vernon, and Lyman Memorial High School in Lebanon. She also served as an English/ESL/Life Skills instructor at the CREC Work and Learn Center in Hartford, helping high school drop outs prepare for their GED or learn other job skills.

Giffin earned both her Master’s of Arts degree in Higher Education Administration and her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Secondary Education: Spanish from the University of Connecticut. She completed intensive coursework in Spanish literature and composition from the University of Valencia in Valencia, Spain.

Giffin knows students today are presented with many new challenges than those of a generation ago, especially in the community college setting. She understands her students may have been away from school for many years, may be working full-time, and may be jugging family and other responsibilities. She is impressed by the strong motivation her students show, and is inspired to work closely with them so they truly succeed at MxCC, where no two students are ever the same.