Math teacher Caleigh Crane, a graduate of Western Carolina University, decided to begin her teaching career at our school after attending as a student.

After Crane graduated high school, she felt connected to our school, and returning seemed like the natural decision.

“I love this school and the community. The area is gorgeous, and the people are great,” Crane said.

Crane recalls how things in the school used to be. She believes that the atmosphere of our school has evolved since she was a student.

“The relationship between the teachers and students has definitely changed. The students definitely feel more open to asking questions and expressing their feelings,” Crane said.

Teaching high school students is an intricate task that Crane chose. However, that wasn’t always her plan.

“I honestly wanted to be a teacher starting in second grade. But then I went through a phase where I thought completely differently and was considering architectural engineering or even forensics,” Crane said. “I came back to thinking about teaching thinking that high school was where I wanted to start, as students are starting to become themselves in high school. I like the idea of being able to help students get ready for the real world, because in the real world, life is a lot harder.”

Working alongside the people that once taught her has made an impact on her teaching style.

“It is fantastic. I think it has helped a lot of the relationships with those teachers that I used to look up to,” Crane said.

As she has expressed, Crane enjoys her job as a teacher, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any challenges.

“The most challenging aspect has been time management. There is so much to do as a teacher, not to mention if there are extra curricular activities involved as well,” Crane said.

Crane also filled in as an instructor for the band this fall.

“I was happy that I was there to keep the band program going. I would have been very sorry to see it fall through even if just for a season. That fact that we did well was icing on the cake,” Crane said. “I would love to continue to work with the band program as the color guard instructor for years to come.”

When it comes to teaching, Crane chose her biggest pro.

“The most rewarding thing is when the light bulb goes off, and the student finally understands something that they have been struggling with,” Crane said.

In her youth, Crane learned valuable skills from her past leaders, and she hopes to continue their legacy.

“The biggest skill for students that I wanted to bring back is that you can do anything that you want to do, but you have to be willing to work for it,” Crane said. “Life doesn’t just happen. You have to make it happen.”