Olivia Pinckney
1st Grade & 2nd Grade Teacher
Bachelor of Arts, Child Development and Family Studies, University of South Carolina Upstate; Master of Arts in Teaching, Early Childhood Education, Converse University
For Olivia Pinckney, it’s always been about younger students. When she was in school, her focus was preschool, because she could “make an impact by giving students an opportunity to get a head start on their learning.” Her first job, however, was as a K5 teacher – and that changed everything. “I fell in love with the classroom setting,” she says.
Strong Relationships
Ms. Pinckney has been teaching since 2017 and joined Lowcountry Connections Academy in 2023. Now as an online educator, she relishes the individual attention she can give each of her students as they work through, and sometimes struggle with, their lessons.
“The most rewarding part of teaching at Lowcountry Connections Academy is the ability to have one-on-one interactions with students at any time,” she says.
In this way, online learning can foster stronger student-teacher relationships than a traditional classroom setting. In fact, Ms. Pinckney continues to be in touch with quite a few of her students who have moved on to higher grades. “In my six years of teaching,” she reports, “I am still in contact with at least two or three students from each year.”
“I am versatile in understanding that you have to give grace where it is needed.”
— Olivia Pinckney
Free Time? Maybe in a Few Years…
Ms. Pinckney is the proud mother of twin boys. Yes, it’s a lot of responsibility. When she’s not teaching, “all my free time goes to them,” she says. However, Ms. Pinckney does get to enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities with her family. She particularly enjoys “being on the water.”
Free time? Check back with Ms. Pinckney when her sons are older.