Monongalia County Schools Teacher Crystal Heckman said she became an educator to create a warm, welcoming environment where middle schoolers feel important and influential.
“I firmly believe that school should serve as a safe place for students to express themselves, to learn about who they are, and to develop into active members of our republic. I became a Social Studies teacher because of my love of history and all things related to the Social Studies discipline.”
Mrs. Heckman started teaching in 2002 at Jefferson Township Local Schools in Dayton, Ohio. Since then, she has taught at Hilton Head Island Middle School from 2004-2008 (Hilton Head Island, SC), St. James Middle School from 2009-2014 (Myrtle Beach, SC), and for Monongalia County Schools from 2014 to the present. She said all of her teaching experience has been in middle school social studies. She currently serves as the seventh-grade ancient world history teacher at Suncrest Middle School in Morgantown.
When asked about her favorite aspect of being an educator, Mrs. Heckman said, hands down, it’s got to be the students.
“I love these kids! Teaching middle school is rewarding and every day is so different,” Heckman said. “West Virginia’s education system demonstrates success through the state’s kind, generous, and caring citizens.”
Mrs. Heckman recently achieved her National Board Certification and joins the ranks of thousands of high-achieving educators across the state who work hard to advance their skills in the classroom.
When Mrs. Heckman isn’t busy teaching, she enjoys running, reading, crafting, upcycling items purchased from Goodwill, decorating for every holiday and season, and traveling with her husband and son.