Corinth High School Teacher John Ward Grace Profiled

Corinth High School teacher John Ward Grace wears a lot of hats. He teaches Law and Public Safety, coaches several sports, and even drives a school bus. The Corinth School District featured the Corinth High School teacher in its latest “People of the Crossroads” profile, which highlights staff members who make a difference for students in and out of the classroom.

Corinth High School Teacher Leads Law and Public Safety Program

This is Grace’s fifth year at Corinth High School. He teaches Law and Public Safety in the school’s Career and Technical program. The district calls it one of the largest career pathways at the high school. Before moving to the program, he taught world history.

Law and Public Safety is a two-year program, so Grace gets extra time to mentor the same students. He told the district that the best part of his job is “getting to see students mature and progress” and building relationships that last after graduation.

Grace holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Mississippi and earned his teaching license through the Teach Mississippi Institute. He said he likes combining the two backgrounds to help students decide what field to pursue. Lessons in his class include:

• A law enforcement unit, his favorite to teach, which shows students how important officers and first responders are to the community
• “Drunk goggles” that simulate impairment to teach the dangers of drinking and driving
• CPR training so students can help save a life in an emergency
• Visits with local officers and first responders

Coaching Soccer and Golf at Corinth

Outside the classroom, Grace is head coach for boys soccer and boys and girls golf. He told the district that he teaches players they “can do much more than they think” when they commit to the team. He said that teamwork, doing your job well, and trusting teammates are lessons that carry into life after graduation.

Before Corinth, Grace taught and coached at Lafayette High School, where his first job was coaching boys soccer. He has also worked at Saltillo and Amory and coached with the Tupelo Futbol Club. He graduated from New Albany High School and attended Itawamba Community College before Ole Miss.

Family Inspired a Career in Education

Grace credits his mother, a teacher, with inspiring him to go into education. He remembers her talking about the impact teachers can have on students. He also named his own high school soccer and football coach, Nathan Clayton. Grace said Clayton still sends him a message on the first day of practice every year.

Grace is married to Anne Marie Grace, who teaches sixth-grade math at Corinth Middle School. The couple has three children: Riley, Finn, and Madi. Away from school, he enjoys hunting, snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, and trips to the lake. His bucket list includes hiking the Grand Canyon, skydiving in New Zealand, and running the St. Jude Marathon.

Read more Corinth School District profiles: Corinth Middle School Teacher Kaitlin James Profiled and Corinth Retired Teachers Keep 14-Year Lunch Tradition.

Source: Corinth School District