Tuesday Teacher Profile: Ms. Christina Kauffman

Name: Ms. Christina Kauffman

Courses Taught: Latin I and Latin III

Years Teaching: 9

Hidden Talent: I enjoy photography and travel.

Thoughts About Teaching and Learning Online: Teaching students who would not have had an opportunity to take Latin in a traditional classroom setting has been very rewarding for me. I have enjoyed working with a wide range of students from all over the states and have been privileged to have some students from other countries, too. Each student brings a unique background and set of experiences to the course and makes the online environment a very rich and dynamic place for learning.

Advice for Students Taking Online Courses: Like many things in life, communication is essential. To succeed in an online course, students should frequently communicate with the instructor. VVa courses contain multiple means of communication and students should take advantage of all the opportunities their courses afford.

Tuesday Teacher Profile: Ms. Cat Latcovich

Ms. Latcovich, with her dog Seger

Name: Ms. Cat Latcovich

Courses Taught: AP United States History and AP European History

Location: Richmond, VA

Years Teaching: 10

Hidden Talent: Shopping - I can find a bargain anywhere.

Thoughts about online teaching and learning: Teachers and students can be intimated by online learning as it is quite different from the face to face classroom. However, online teachers can provide students with just as much, if not more, individualized instruction. I have also found that I can get to know students very well in online classes through our instant messaging, emails, and phone calls.

Advice for students taking online courses: Work on your time management skills. Don't wait until the day of a deadline to complete all of your work. Pacing the work out over how many days you have to complete it will help you better understand the material and leave you feeling less stressed.

Tuesday Teacher Profile: Ms. Rachel Herbst

Name: Ms. Rachel Herbst

Courses Taught: AP Art History

Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Years Teaching: 6

Hidden Talent: I can name the starting lineup for the Chicago Bears.

Thoughts about online teaching and learning: It is a unique way to interact with students. We meet them on their playing field...the computer.

Advice for students taking online courses: Stick to the schedule. Do not fall behind!