Online and in person, Oak Grove teacher provides a stellar education

By Lou Ponsi

Capistrano Unified offers families several options during the pandemic for in-person, hybrid, and online-only education.

And teachers, too, are adapting to this new way of educating their students. Some, like education specialist Kristy Thompson of Oak Grove Elementary School in Aliso Viejo, are alternating between in-person and virtual learning.

“It has been a bit of a learning curve,” said Thompson, who teaches language arts and math to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. “I think finding things that are compatible with teaching online has been one of the challenges.”

As an education specialist, Thompson’s role is to help bridge the gap between areas of need to get students from where they are to where they need to be, she said.

Para educator Alisa Hill explains the word “candid” to a student at Oak Grove Elementary School.
Photo by Spencer Grant / for CUSD Insider

Thompson and her in-person students have had to adjust as well, with a new room layout that places six or seven desks far apart. Teaching in person allows Thompson to see and correct mistakes quickly, moving from one student to another.

When observing students online, Thompson has to wait for each student instead of being able to see everyone at once.

“When you are doing your groups, especially working with kids who need more attentive support, you want to keep the groups as small as possible,” Thompson said. “Online, I like to keep it to no more than three or four so I can rely on those individual responses, so scheduling wise we want to space it out a little more.”

Designing lessons that are compatible with teaching both online and in person has also been a challenge, Thompson said.

“The students have just been flexible,” the teacher said. “They are very go-with-the-flow. They’ve taken what has come at them. They’ve been doing amazing.”

Everyone has had to learn to use new programs, such as the online learning system Canvas, to manage digital education materials and communicate with administrators, teachers, students, and parents.

Holding up a written sheet of the two-syllable word “witness,” Kristy Thompson explains vowels and consonants for an online pupil at Oak Grove Elementary School.
Photo by Spencer Grant / for CUSD Insider

Oak Grove Principal Jill O’Connell-Bogle said all the school’s teachers have done a terrific job adapting to multiple changes throughout the school year.

“I am in awe of the tremendous work our teachers have done,” the principal said. “They have worked hard to do what is right and to do what is best for kids under extraordinarily difficult, stressful conditions.”

As an education specialist, Thompson has adapted particularly well, the principal said.

Being an education specialist is a “very challenging job,” O’Connell-Bogle said, and the pandemic is bringing Thompson’s already stellar teaching skills more into focus.

“She is hard working and extremely dedicated,” O’Connell-Bogle said. “She is resilient and she has persevered. Most importantly, she does whatever is necessary so that kids continue to learn, grow and soar.”

Holding up a written sheet of the two-syllable word “napkin,” Kristy Thompson explains vowels and consonants for online pupils at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
Alone after her in-person class, Kristy Thompson prepares for online instruction at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
A student does some double-digit addition at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
A student writes out the word “cactus,” breaking it down into two syllables at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
Kristy Thompson notes the vowels in the word “cactus” at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
A student spells out “napkin” before breaking it down into vowels and consonants at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
Teacher Kristy Thompson breaks the word “napkin” into vowels and consonants at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
Kristy Thompson explains three-syllable words at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
Kristy Thompson discusses three-syllable words at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
With a thumb’s up, Kristy Thompson welcomes her 3rd graders at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 
Kristy Thompson’s lesson plan for the day at Oak Grove Elementary School. Photo by Spencer Grant / For CUSD Insider 

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