DELAWARE — Dainta Teeple’s virtual classroom has become a place where students do more than learn about media — they work like they’re part of a media company. That approach recently earned the Ohio Virtual Academy teacher statewide recognition.
The 2026 Virtual Teacher of the Year recognition put a spotlight on what career and technical education (CTE) can look like when the classroom exists entirely online.
At Ohio Virtual Academy (OHVA), her Media Arts CTE students create professional videos, earn industry credentials, build portfolios and take on projects that mirror the work they could encounter after graduation.
The Delaware resident has taught at OHVA for three years, following five years of teaching CTE at another school. She has taught art since 2002 and began her own career as a graphic artist.
“I was a fine artist and I did large-scale paintings, but I also made signs and did graphic art,” Teeple said.
Her love of film, video production and animation eventually pulled her further into media arts. She now teaches ninth-through-12th grade students, focusing on advanced courses while another teacher handles introductory classes.
A recognition Teeple wants to share with fellow teachers
When Teeple learned she had received the 2026 Virtual Teacher of the Year recognition through the Ohio Council of Community Schools, she didn’t think of it as an individual accomplishment.
“I feel like I did accept it for all teachers, especially the ones in my CTE group because I know how hard they all work,” she said.
Teeple said she learned the news while more than 30 teachers in her CTE group were together at OHVA’s annual teacher convention at Kalahari.
She first learned she was likely to receive the honor when someone told her they thought she would get it.
While she knew she had been nominated and was a finalist, she said that was the first time she had heard from someone else they thought she would win.
“I blushed and I covered my face,” she added. “I felt very honored and happy.”
Teeple said she felt especially grateful because she works alongside educators she believes deserve the same recognition.
“I do know that they care about them so much, they want them to have great lives, and I feel like maybe it’s just kind of a symbol that that’s working,” she added. “I see it working, but you kind of forget that there might be other people that see it working also.”
The award also reminded Teeple how much recognition can motivate educators. As an undergraduate, she said she received awards and grants for her work.
“I kind of forgot what it feels like to be acknowledged for what you do,” Teeple said. “I wish I could give that to all teachers.”
The award does not change what she wants to accomplish in her classroom: helping students find what they enjoy, develop skills they can use and leave high school with options.
Turning a virtual classroom into a workplace
Teeple said teaching CTE virtually looks different from teaching in person, but the connection she builds with students remains much the same.
Students work on professional projects, communicate with clients about deadlines and expectations and use industry software. They also can earn Adobe credentials and work-based learning hours that give them experience beyond traditional classroom assignments.
“They’re like employees at a media art company,” Teeple said.
She said virtual education can come with misconceptions, particularly for people who have never experienced it. While students still need social connections and physical activity, she said online learning can provide a full education for students who find the format works for them.
“For those people who choose to do online, it can be a really full education,” Teeple said.
The virtual setting can also give students flexibility. Teeple said some students balance their CTE coursework with activities such as athletics while still keeping up with their schoolwork.
The format requires communication and guidance but she has seen students who came from traditional schools adjust to virtual learning and end up enjoying it. She said students either learn to manage their time independently or receive support from learning coaches, which often means parents or other family members.
Teeple said watching her students manage their work, log their hours and balance school with the rest of their lives has taught her to make better use of flexibility in her own life.
“Last year was my first year where I really was getting a work-life balance back,” she said.
OHVA students can also participate in in-person events such as Business Professionals of America competitions. One student recently won at the state level for video production, advanced to nationals and placed in the national competition.
“I’m telling you right now, that kid is going to be a producer,” Teeple said. “I know it.”
The program gives students opportunities to earn college credit through aligned coursework, allowing students who plan to attend college to carry credits from their CTE education with them.
I want them to be happy in life and know what they want to do and give them those skills ahead of time.
Dainta Teeple
Teeple said those choices matter because students do not always know exactly what they want to do after high school.
“The big thing about CTE is jobs, getting them a career,” Teeple said. “I feel like that’s why I went into the CTE pathway because I want them to have a choice and I know media art gives them a lot of choices.”
Students take their work beyond the classroom
One of Teeple’s favorite projects asks students to create career videos that help other students explore career options.
The students created promotional videos for OHVA’s career pathways, including videos designed for students in third through fifth grade. The projects gave high school students the chance to adjust their work for a younger audience while producing something the school could use.
“We were so fortunate to have that opportunity to be able to make those,” Teeple said. “I think this has given them a well-rounded choice of opportunities and challenges, and I think they like it.”
Students used multiple programs within the Adobe Suite to complete the project. They used Audition for audio, After Effects for graphics or animation and Premiere Pro to assemble the final video.
“They have certain stipulations, deadlines and have to talk to clients and see what they want,” Teeple said.
The projects give students a head start by adding work to their portfolios and resumes.
“That’s probably the most professional, I want to say, because it went out to clients,” she said. “And that’s what we want. We want them to have that real-world experience.
The goal goes beyond teaching students how to use industry software or build a portfolio. She said she wants them to leave high school knowing they have choices and the skills to pursue them.
“I want them to be happy in life and know what they want to do and give them those skills ahead of time.”
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