U.S. history comes alive in Meghan Menchella’s eighth grade social studies class at Ellisville’s Crestview Middle School. Menchella transforms her classroom into a crime scene during a unit on the Boston Massacre and a courtroom to introduce the Salem Witch Trials. Students look at evidence, examine primary source documents, and analyze timelines, reports, letters and pictures to reach their own conclusions as to what actually happened centuries earlier. Always seeking ways for students to see themselves in the curriculum, Menchella piques students’ interest by reading the Declaration of Independence as a romantic breakup letter. To prepare for her unit on the Civil War, Menchella attended a Black history conference, gathered a panel of students to offer input on readings and discussion topics, and introduced constructive discussions skills to her 140 students. Menchella’s approach delivers — her students outperform the district on eighth grade U.S. history assessments.
Menchella leads Crestview’s grade-level U.S. history professional learning community and sits on the school leadership and district social studies curriculum teams. She runs professional development for second-year teachers on best assessment practices, opens her classroom for observation and works with pre-service teachers. Menchella scaffolds instruction across all learning levels to ensure that each student has the opportunity to succeed in her class and beyond. She helped incorporate student reflection into summative assessments, a practice now used across grade levels at Crestview.
As co-leader of the National Junior Honor Society and Crestview’s Leader in Me Student Lighthouse Team, Menchella helps students build skills through service projects at school and in the community. She guides a mentor program that connects each student with a Crestview staff member and has coordinated the school’s eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C.
In 2016, Menchella earned a Bachelor of Arts in middle school education, with an emphasis on social studies, from Lindenwood University. In 2018, she earned a Master of Science in education from Southwest Baptist University.
Press release: Historic, Nationwide Tour Touches Down in Ellisville to Surprise Local Teacher with $25,000 Milken Educator Award
