Meghan Grinstead
2nd Grade Teacher
Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, Ashland University; Master of Education, Curriculum and Instruction / Education Technology, Cleveland State University; Inspired Leaders Principal License
Enjoying Means Learning
Ms. Grinstead has been at Ohio Connections Academy for more than a decade. She has taught first grade and third grade, and is now a second-grade teacher. For all her young students, Ms. Grinstead has taken a similar approach: kids should see school as a positive, fun experience. Happier students are better learners.
“Some of my most memorable experiences,” Ms. Grinstead says, “are having dance parties, kids presenting their work, and our reader theatres.” She loves that Ohio Connections Academy offers her the opportunity to make learning “accessible to our students” because it helps them “excel academically.”
Individualized Support
Perhaps the biggest advantage of the online schooling experience is how often teachers get to interact one-on-one with their students. In many traditional classroom settings, these kinds of personal experiences are far less common.
“Students can receive individualized support based on their needs,” Ms. Grinstead says. For some students, that means being exposed to more advanced material. “If a student is excelling in one subject, they may be able to move more quickly through the curriculum or do some enrichment work.” For students who aren’t mastering the material easily, there are “one-on-ones with teachers and interventionists to help.”
It means that in most cases, students are working at a pace that keeps them fully engaged. In the years ahead, Ms. Grinstead believes that Ohio Connections Academy will be able to do even more for its students. “I’d love to see us continue to grow,” she says, and continue to “lead the online school world.”
Students can receive individualized support based on their needs.
— Ms. Grinstead