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Macon County teacher grows with NCCAT

Natalie Grant was beginning to think about teaching as a career when as part of her graduate assistantship at Western Carolina University, she worked in Madison Hall with an organization that was just starting - North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT). Both NCCAT and she have continued to impact students in North Carolina.

Grant became a teacher with more than 30 years of service, one in Georgia and 29 in North Carolina. She currently teaches at Nantahala School in Macon County. She recently returned to NCCAT in Cullowhee as a participant in "Writing in the Secondary English Classroom." While things have changed, including NCCAT moving to its own campus across Highway 107, many positive factors of coming to NCCAT have remained consistent.

"I really feel that my teaching practice improves every time I come, and I leave with materials and tips that are easy to implement in the classroom positively," Grant said. "The staff here is always welcoming, and the experience is inspiring."

Grant teaches at Nantahala School, a K-12 school in Topton. She grew up in the area and enjoys working with students she knows.

"There are a lot of advantages, including the one-on-one attention you can give students," she said. "I am from the area, and so it helps a great deal to know the story of each student. It is a great job."

As the only high school English teacher at Nantahala, Grant enjoys networking with others at NCCAT.

"There really is something special about being this type of setting for a professional learning community,' Grant said. "Being here without any outside distractions helps you remember why you became a teacher and focus on where you would like to go in the profession. Each visit to NCCAT is special."