Liat Baranoff, M.S., came to be an educational consultant through more than a decade working with youth. After a first career in the technology sector, she found her passion teaching early adolescents. As she says, “You either love working with this age group, or you fear it… and the students can always tell!” For a decade, Liat taught in both public and private school settings in New York City and the Bay Area. While her undergraduate background at Brown University was largely in the social sciences, she found her passion in teaching science, and the inquiry-based approach, while pursuing her Masters in Teaching at Bank Street College of Education.
Since coming to California, Liat has become a “lifelong science learner,” acquiring the knowledge and skills to teach all strands of science at the middle school level. In addition, she has tutored and/or taught all other core subject areas. Liat is equally passionate about areas as diverse as essay writing and conducting scientific investigations. Her successful approach to working with youth, as both a social-emotional advisor and in leading extracurricular support groups, comes from understanding and valuing the developmental needs and talents of adolescents.
As a senior teacher at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto, Liat mentored beginning teachers in K-8 classrooms. Since her own children have entered elementary school, she volunteers extensively in their classrooms and has developed science curriculum and professional learning for teachers at the elementary level for the nonprofit Science is Elementary. Liat has presented at National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conferences. In addition to her time in the classroom, Liat has worked behind the scenes in the administering of a top tier public school district (Palo Alto Unified), including policy work regarding special education, response to bullying and school placement.