The Garden Competition: A Springtime Mystery

Hello! 
I am so happy that you have stumbled upon my classes!
My name is Meghan Gillespie, and I live in Aiken, South Carolina, USA!
I have always loved learning and teaching, and I have wanted to be a teacher since I was seven-years-old. I am so happy that I now have a platform where I can express my love of teaching, and I hope to also inspire my students through learning. 
I love reading, writing, science, and problem solving! I received my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of South Carolina - Aiken in 2017, as well as my Read 2 Succeed certification. I am also certified in the state of South Carolina to teach children between the ages of 7 and 12.
I have also been an online English as a Second Language teacher since January 2019, and I absolutely love being able to teach the English language to children all over the world!
I firmly believe that children should have fun and easy-going learning experience, and I hope that your children will have fun in my classes with me!
Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have and make sure to follow my profile for any upcoming classes.
I hope to see you in my classroom very soon! :)
- Miss Meghan 💙

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CLASS EXPECTATIONS/MUTING:
I do my best to encourage participation from learners enrolled in my classes. I prefer to leave learners unmuted, however I understand that there are instances where learners need to be muted due to background noise that cannot be prevented. Parents, please feel free to mute your learners at your discretion. 

As the teacher, there are also instances where I will need to utilize the mute function. If there is background noise that may be distracting to other learners enrolled in the class, I will advise the student that they are being muted to limit the background noise. 

At the beginning of each class, I will also advise the learners of my expectations. Students are required to raise their hand and wait for their name to be called before speaking. To be respectful of all learners and to give everyone a chance to participate, it is important for students to abide by these rules.  I will use visual and verbal cues in an effort to remind young learners of these expectations. 

Classes will begin at the scheduled time, even if all learners are not in the classroom (unless there appears to be a technical issue). I will not contact absent learners during class time so I can focus on the learners who are present. However, I will contact absent learners after to transfer them to another section. 

Per Outschool policy, if there are no learners in the classroom, I will wait 10 minutes before exiting the classroom. In this situation, I will contact the families after I have left the classroom to transfer learners to a new section.

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SIBLINGS:
If you have more than one learner enrolled in the class, each learner that wants to participate must be enrolled to be fair to other students participating. Enrolled siblings are always welcome to share a screen during class. 

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REFUNDS & TRANSFERS:
Per Outschool's limited refund policy: "Full refund within 24 hours of purchase or up to a week in advance of the class." 

**Please ensure the time is AM or PM when signing up. I am not able to refill a spot last minute if it is realized that the time of day was mistaken or the class was missed. This is a non-refundable policy.

For one-time classes:
If within the week, you realize you won't be able to make class, please submit a transfer request from the classroom at least 24 hours in advance. This ensures another student who would like to take the class has enough time to see the opening and enroll. 
If contacted after class, I cannot refund or transfer. I do understand personal/family emergencies come up and will do my best to support you if I am contacted before class. If your learner is withdrawn on your end within the non-refundable period, I am unable to transfer you. It is best to contact me first for your options.

Please test Zoom before class. I like to be fully present with students as soon as we begin class, and do not access my conversations or classroom comments on Outschool after the class has already started.

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RECORDINGS:
Recordings are not automatically shown in the classroom. I like to create a safe, open space for students to be themselves and want them to be as interactive as possible. If you would like access to the class recording or have missed class, feel free to message me so I can make it available to you. Teachers don't get notifications if recordings are requested from the classroom tab, so messaging me is best.

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CLASS CANCELLATIONS:
If a class has not met the minimum number of enrollments, it is subject to being canceled. I will send a message asking if you'd like a transfer to another date & time or full refund if the class is canceled. Automatic refunds are issued for no responses after original class start time.