This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Local teacher is inspired by students' success

Missouri Connections Academy teacher challenges and engages students in the virtual classroom

Jacob Smith, of Fenton, teaches social studies to students in grades 6th through 12th at Missouri Connections Academy. He joined the online, charter school this year after graduating from the University of Missouri-St. Louis where he earned Bachelor of Arts Degrees in History and Psychology, and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Social Studies Education.

According to Jacob, he became a teacher because, as a person with a disability, he believes it’s essential to have educators who understand the challenges that students with disabilities face.

“When these students see that there are people that see them and genuinely care about their success and are successful themselves, they realize they too can work towards and achieve whatever their dreams may be,” Jacob said.

Find out what's happening in Fenton-High Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In Jacob’s opinion, the best teachers are those who believe in their students and root for their success no matter what challenges the student might face.

“This is exactly the kind of teacher I strive to be, and this serves as my inspiration to be a teacher,” he said.

Find out what's happening in Fenton-High Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As a teacher Jacob believes education should be more than learning objectives and standards, it must have that human touch. As a result, the students can see the value that education has and how it can truly transform someone’s life.

When it comes to teaching in the virtual classroom, Jacob said he likes how it provides students with flexibility. Whether a student learns better in the early morning or late in the afternoon, they can be successful. He also believes it helps the student to develop self-discipline as well as the technology literacy skills needed to be successful in life.

“At the end of the day, the purpose of education is to prepare students for the real world, and this is exactly what MOCA does,” he said. “The fact that we have welcome calls and regular check-ins enables us to also build meaningful connections with students. This way, no student feels like they are left out or forgotten.”

Jacob said he is able to effectively engage the students in the LiveLesson classroom by starting the session with casual conversation about topics that he knows interests them.

“Whether it’s how bad I am at Fortnite or a discussion about who will win in Kong Versus Godzilla, this helps to show that I am a person and that I genuinely care about what my students think,” he said.

To some parents who might be concerned with how students and teachers connect, Jacob said that Missouri Connections Academy has a fantastic staff that will do everything in its power to ensure each student is successful.

“We care and that, to me, is the most important part of any successful education program,” he said.

Outside of school Jacob enjoys reading books about history and science and all things Marvel. He loves dinosaurs, playing video games and considers himself a huge Star Trek “nerd”.

“I could walk you through the entire history of the Star Trek universe if you give me a couple hours,” he said.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Fenton-High Ridge