She is involved in all aspects at Ongaonga School.
She came to teaching after spending many years in the corporate environment and discovered that she enjoyed connecting and building relationships with children.
Originally from Wellington, she comes from a dance background and started studying when her now-adult children were young and attending Taradale Primary.
During her 16 years of teaching, she has worked at two schools, Taradale Primary and Ongaonga and undertaken 2 certificates in Te Reo Maori.
She also has a leadership role in IT and has been instrumental in up-skilling staff and students to ensure they keep up with digital technologies.
Teaching is in the family for Ms Barkle, whose father was a teacher and 25 year old son currently teaches in Wellington.
The deserving teacher said she never wanted to stop learning and wanted to go on a sabbatical in the future.
"I am very passionate about learning and want to show the children that you never stop learning."
Rather than focusing on her own achievements, she was celebrating the recent successes of a few of her Year 7 and 8 students, including Ben Waugh and Jack Irvine who were CHB Ross Shield representatives; Tristan Jackson-Lloyd who came 3rd place at the CHB Rotary Speech Competition; Jehoshua Monegro who was a bronze medal winner at Hawke's Bay Mathletics and Curtis Osborne acknowledged as the Outstanding Award Winner at EIT Hawke's Bay Science Fair.
Ongaonga School principal, Aaron West said it was "a tremendous achievement her work as a teacher and how highly regarded she is in the community."
"She's an amazing teacher and the kids and parents absolutely love her. She is a great role model and has an amazing way with the students."
"She manages the behaviour associated with intermediate ages students incredibly well in a positive and proactive manner," Mr West said.
Other parents should know that this is one way to reward teachers and the hard work and dedication that they put in to their jobs.
ASG NEiTA chief executive officer, John Velegrinis said educators like Ms Barkle recognise that "it takes a village to raise a child," which is a testament to their dedication and the impact they have on the lives of those they serve in the local communities.
"In many respects, teaching is about giving, not only to children and students but to their families and the community networks around them. Some of the ASG NEiTA recipients come from very small towns and do represent the heartbeat of these communities," Mr Velegrinis said.
He said "teachers have an enormous responsibility in shaping and guiding these young people as well as supporting the educational aspirations families have for their children."
