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Posted on: 12/16/24
Shannon Lane knew that she always wanted to be a teacher and that she wanted to teach in Charlotte. Growing up in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, she attended Sharon Elementary from first through sixth grade, Alexander Graham Middle and Myers Park High schools.
She was also very active in school. Her favorite subject was physical education. She played softball for her church all through high school at Myers Park. P.E. class was where she learned some foundational skills for sports. School didn’t always come easy to Lane, but she remembers a lot of teachers who helped support her along the way.
“They gave me the extra help I needed — especially in elementary school — to prepare for middle and high school,” she said.
After graduating from Myers Park, Lane went to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. But after a year, Lane felt that living near the beach was too much of a distraction and wanted to move back to Charlotte. She transferred to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she was able to do some clinical work at University Meadows Elementary School. Her love for elementary grades blossomed while working with the third graders.
When she graduated from UNCC in 1999, her first teaching position was back at the same elementary school she attended herself. Lane has been at Sharon Elementary for 26 years.
“At the time, it seemed so small,” said Lane thinking back to walking through the doors back in 1999. “But the cafeteria is the same, the media center and the front office. There are some really good memories.”
In those 20-plus years at the school, Lane has seen herself grow
into an educator who values community and communication with her students and their families. As a new teacher, Lane said she felt supported by her colleagues, mentor and the district. She’s worked with several grades from kindergarten through third, but second grade is where she’s spent the last 17 years teaching.
Her long tenure at Sharon can also be attributed to the community feel of the school. Over the years, she’s been able to work with several students and their siblings and build meaningful and individual relationships with each of them.
“When our students get into high school or college, they’ll come back to visit,” said Lane. “In May, our seniors that are graduating high school come back with their caps and gowns and walk the hallway. You see them and it’s like ‘oh my gosh, you’ve changed so much!’ It’s fun to see them again.”
Lane said she can’t see herself working anywhere else.
“I love the relationships I’ve built and the community my school is in,” she said. “I’ve taught here for so long, and this is where I want to finish out my career when I do.”
