When asked how he found his way to Odyssey Charter Middle School, social studies teacher Greg Altmeier kept it simple.
“It’s just where life took me,” he said.
The way he says that, however, shows that Altmeier has a lot of passion for teaching at OCS and that he loves where he is at right now.
He obviously wasn’t always at OCS. Altmeier was a substitute teacher at various schools in and around Philadelphia before landing a full-time teaching position at an alternative school.
After his first year at the alternative school, he received a “good opportunity” to teach at Odyssey, which was in its early years.
“I felt like I could really just influence the school from the start,” Altmeier said. “That appealed to me and I’ve been here ever since.”
This past school year was Altmeier’s 10th at OCS, and he was named Odyssey Middle School’s teacher of the year for the 2023-24 school year.
Most students probably were not surprised when Altmeier received the honor.
“He gives you the resources that help you on assignments and he’s just a really good teacher overall,” seventh grader Madelyn Arnold said. “I like how he does interactive activities with us sometimes, like our study guide. He used Easter eggs with answers in them and we would have to find the question that answers it.”
Seventh grader Jasmine Shi has a similar perspective on Altmeir’s teaching methods.
“He’s chill, he’s not very strict, which I like in a teacher,” Shi said. “He does a lot of interactive things, which in my opinion helps me learn. He’ll also give us things that we can move around to do, not just on paper.”
Altmeier was born in Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from West Chester University, where he also minored in American Studies. He earned a Masters in Instructional Technology from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. He is licensed to teach grades 6-12 in Delaware.
Altmeier chose to be a social studies teacher because that subject stuck out to him and he was really good at it too, earning good grades in the subject.
“Social studies was my favorite class,” Altmeier said of his years as a student. “Academically I always did well and found it interesting.”
He also enjoys teaching the subject at the middle school level.
“Every year there is a group of kids that show me something new, either good or bad,” Altmeier said. “Teaching middle school is always a wild ride, and that I enjoy.”
When Altmeier isn’t teaching social studies at OCS, he’s at home being a husband and father. The Altmeiers welcomed a new addition to the family in February with the birth of Lily. They also have a son, 4-year-old Oliver.
Atmeier and his wife had three names in mind when they were thinking of a name for their daughter: Lily, Lila, and Charlotte. Lily was finally chosen, partly because one year Altmeier taught several girls named Lily and they were all great kids.
“They were all very good students and very nice and very sweet,” Altmeier said, “so I only had positive things to think about when it came to Lilys.”
Altmeier is not sure if he wants his kids to attend OCS because they live out of state. He is thinking it might be better if his kids attend a school that is closer to their home.
As for him, he plans on sticking around for a while.
“Life is always changing,” Altmeier said, “but if things are going the way they are, I don’t see a reason for me to leave.”