Emily Spreng
3rd Grade Language Arts Teacher
Bachelor of Arts, American Sign Language Manual Communication Certificate, University of Akron
For Ms. Spreng, becoming a teacher checked all the professional boxes. “I wanted to pursue a career where I could have creative freedom and the opportunity to make a difference,” she says. Today, she is continuously thinking about ways to make school enjoyable – fun! – for her third-grade students, instilling in them the same love of learning she has had all her life.
Connecting with Each Student
Ms. Spreng joined the faculty at Ohio Connections Academy in 2020. She immediately understood the advantages of online learning: Compared to a traditional brick-and-mortar environment, there is significantly more opportunity for one-on-one interactions. “I get an insight into each student’s personality,” she says.
“Personality” is a major theme in Ms. Spreng’s classes. Students are encouraged to share as much as possible about themselves, as people. She asks them to talk about their favorite pet, their favorite socks, even show off “wacky” outfits they’ve created. When students complete arts and crafts projects, Ms. Spreng makes sure they are shared with classmates.
It’s all about creating “fun Live Lessons®,” she says, and helping each student to feel excited about school, not only academically, but socially too. “Students create friendships that are unbreakable,” she says.
Artist, Bird Watcher, Swim Coach
Outside of school, Ms. Spreng has fun herself – keeping busy with a wide range of activities. She enjoys drawing. “I especially like to draw with chalk on the sidewalk with my son,” she adds. She has also become a bird-watching enthusiast. A few years back “a Baltimore oriole was perched in a tree in my backyard,” she explains. “Ever since then, I have been hooked.
Her biggest extracurricular commitment, however, is as a swim coach. “I am the head coach of a summer swim league – this summer will be my eighth year coaching,” she reports. It’s a significant investment of time, as well as a lot of responsibility. But Ms. Spreng enjoys every minute of it. “I love everything about the program,” she says, “and cherish all the memories that have been made.”
Each family has different things going on in their lives, and Ohio Connections Academy provides a virtual learning environment that accommodates those needs.
— Ms. Spreng