Paul Reinhart uses both parts of his brain to teach.
“The two sides of the brain are talking together,” said Thomas Klein as he introduced Reinhart at
Thursday’s Kiwanis Club meeting.
The Kiwanis Club has dedicated February as the month to honor outstanding Bowling Green City Schools
teachers.
In its sixth year, the club’s awards will be given to three educators who have been selected by their
peers as having exceptional impact on their students.
Reinhart, the first of three Inspirational Educators, is a fifth-grade teacher at Conneaut Elementary.

Klein said Reinhart uses the left, analytical side of his brain, for teaching math, and the right,
creative side, for teaching language arts.
Reinhart has taught in Bowling Green for 20 years.
“I joined a great group of people. I have been blessed beyond measure,” he said.
He encouraged the audience to reach out and show appreciation for those who inspired them.
He told a story of a student, with whom “I probably died a thousand deaths with all the death stares he
gave me.”
Recently, he was told by this child’s mom that her son said in a recent meeting that Reinhart was the
teacher that taught him more than any other.
“I just about passed out.”
As a teacher, Reinhart said he is not always successful but has more wins than losses.
He reached out to former students and parents for feedback upon receipt of the award.
One former student said, “It’s very obvious you love your job and that shows in how you teach your
students.”
Meanwhile, a parent wrote, “I always thought you took special interest in the kids. … They felt it.
Parents feel it.”
Reinhart grew up in North Dakota and made fun of those who didn’t like the “four days of winter” last
week.
“I’ve got a little complaint form for you to fill out,” he said to laughter.
He attended North Dakota State University and Valley City State University; he taught fifth grade for
four years in North Dakota. He then earned his Master of Science in curriculum instruction and
technology from Iowa State University.
Reinhart said he got tired of teaching graduate students there, so he moved to upstate New York where he
taught sixth grade for two years. He returned to the Midwest in 1998.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around Ohio being the Midwest.”
When he was hired by Conneaut Elementary Principal Ted Eldridge, he taught second-graders two years; he
loves teaching fifth grade because, at 6 feet 3 inches, second-graders were too short to accept a hug.

Reinhart said he tells people he is 5 feet 15 inches and waits for them to do the math.
He told a second-grade student that and watched as he returned to his desk to figure it out.
A colleague asked how tall he was. His response: 5 feet 15 inches.
“Oh, you look taller than that,” she responded.
As a math teacher, he apologized, suggesting they all had that math teacher who says “there’s one way or
the highway.”
Reinhart recalled a high school classmate who would come up with all kinds of ways to solve an equation
“just to tick off the math teacher.”
“The joy of math is there are so many ways to solve a problem. The stinky part about math is there are so
many ways to solve a problem.”
He is always trying to make connections with kids.
While on bus duty, a youngster came in and it became apparent he did not want to be there.
“I kept shutting him down and shutting him down and was told ‘you’re a bad guy teacher.’”
This kid approached him this week, asked to have lunch with him.
“I made a connection with that kid. I did listen to him.”
Reinhart also encouraged the audience to “be as kind as possible.”
You don’t know what difficulties others are going through, he said.
“Kindness and politeness should never go out of style. Please works wonders, thank you is appreciated and
sorry is priceless.”
Kiwanian Maria Simon said two of her children had Reinhart as a teacher.
“He was so energetic and was so available to them and inspired them. It was really great he was able to
get this award.”
Alice Calderonello started this program six years ago for Kiwanis.
“I think it’s been wonderful since we started it. And we made February Kiwanis Education Month.”
“It’s humbling,” Reinhart said of the award. “It’s nice to be recognized for the efforts I’ve made on
behalf of my students, my colleagues and my school district.”