Cheatham County Exchange
ASHLAND CITY WEATHER

New ‘principal of movement’ comes from Kingston Springs




Glenna Barrow, 68, serves as fill-in instructor for a variety of movement classes at the Senior Center at Ashland City. She is a former principal at Cheatham County Central High School.RANDY MOOMAW

Glenna Barrow, 68, serves as fill-in instructor for a variety of movement classes at the Senior Center at Ashland City. She is a former principal at Cheatham County Central High School.RANDY MOOMAW

For Glenna Barrow of Kingston Springs, providing instruction to help seniors get moving to improve mobility and stay healthy is a familiar path she has taken for many years but in different ways.

Currently she steps in to lead classes for yoga and movement at the senior center at Ashland City when instructor Lindy Murff is not available. The class members affectionately call Barrow “Sam” or “Glenna Sam.”

She was introduced to yoga and related movement classes after knee replacement surgery in 2013.

“I saw an ad in The South Cheatham Advocate for yoga classes taught by Linda Mills at her studio on Main Street Kingston Springs,” said Barrow, adding that she saw some familiar faces there including former Cheatham County Central High School English teacher Laura Malarnee.

It was at Mills class that she ran into Murff.

Prior to her role at the center, Barrow, now 68, served as principal for two years at Cheatham County Central High School after serving eight years as principal of Pegram Elementary School in South Cheatham. She remembered Murff as being a positive, active, supportive room mother at PES where Murff’s daughter, Emma, attended.

Glenna Barrow enjoys the movement classes at the Senior Center at Ashland City.RANDY MOOMAW

Glenna Barrow enjoys the movement classes at the Senior Center at Ashland City.RANDY MOOMAW

She learned that Murff was active at the senior center and decided to head across the river and participate in Murff’s classes in yoga, dancercise and aerobics.

It wasn’t long after that Murff would call on Barrow as a substitute teacher on days when she couldn’t make it to the center.

“It’s been very fulfilling,” Barrow said. “The whole mind-body-spirit connection. It’s fulfilling, brings happiness to others and myself. The sense of connection, involvement, and acceptance, it’s all something I look forward to as do others who participate.”

Barrow and her husband, Chris, live in Kingston Springs. She’s hoping to talk Chris into coming to the classes.

In 1990, the Texas native started teaching in an interim teaching position at PES when she was hired by the school’s principal, Martha Frazier. Her teaching tenure included second grade and then she taught a class for fourth, fifth and sixth grade at-risk students, those needing extra help to learn and advance. Then, she went into teaching third grade for several years.

She got her master’s degree at Trevecca University in 2000 and in 2003 she became principal at PES.

After eight years at PES, Barrow then served for two years as principal at Cheatham County High. She said that the joy and positive feelings that are triggered by teaching and helping others while working out is very much like the joy that she received by encouraging and supporting teachers as principal.

 “Just as I loved to see those lightbulb moments for the kids when they got something right or made progress, I get that same feeling from seeing the seniors here enjoy and make progress through movement, dance and exercise,” she said.

Barrow retired from teaching in 2013, but she continues to encourage, support and help others to bring their best to whatever they face in life.

“I love to look out and see people checking their heart rates, working hard, striving to be independent and fit for life,” she said, adding that she looks forward to participating in the classes as teacher or student on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the center.

“I served 10 years as principal and 12 years as a teacher in the county,” she said, not counting her time as movement instructor.

Murff offered praise for Barrow.

“Glenna taught my daughter in third grade at Pegram and loved her,” Murff said. “She was my son’s principal at CCCHS and loved her! He cheered and she was at every game … such a presence with the kids! How lucky I am to have her now as my friend … sharing a love for yoga, dance, and SAIL (Staying Active and Independent for Life). She subs for me whenever she can and I need. Her smile lights up a room. I hope we say Active, Independent, and Friends for life!”

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