Few people in the Upper School(US) community appreciate language as much as Latin and English Teacher Althea Cranston. She served as the Head of the English Department prior to pursuing her position as a teacher of both Latin and English. After 35 years in the US, Ms. Cranston announced her plan to retire at the end of the school year.
Through her many experiences at the school, students remain the center of her teaching experience, Ms. Cranston said.
“Students are the core: engaged, hardworking, and funny. I love my interactions with them. Getting to know my students in different ways is the best part of the day. It’s all the interactions in the classroom.”
Ms. Cranston’s main objective as a teacher was to push her students to learn and succeed while still having fun, she said.
“I had a student once come up to me after teaching them and say: ‘You proved that you can work hard and have fun at the same time, that they are not two separate items.’”
Over her 35 years in the US, Ms. Cranston has formed bonds with many of her colleagues. US English Teacher Beth McNamara is a colleague and friend of Ms. Cranston. Ms. Mac admires Ms. Cranston’s teaching abilities, she said.
“I always appreciate that she has had a business-like but fun class. Books are open, kids are talking, everyone knows they need to speak up. They’re listening to each other, and yet her classes always have inside jokes or class cultures that make people fond of Ms. Cranston and ready to learn.”
Ms. Mac has learned many things from Ms. Cranston, but what stands out most is the legacy she will leave behind in the US, she said.
“She has helped set policy as well as a strong example, and she will have a sea of fond students that will know her from both Latin and English,” she said.
“We will miss her desperately.”
Haley Hicks ’25, a current student in Ms. Cranston’s Latin 3 honors class, has felt supported and challenged by Ms. Cranston, she said.
“She values hard work, but by pushing you through with a wholehearted belief that you can do it.”
Haley described Ms. Cranston’s teaching abilities and constant empathy toward her students as exceptional.
“She just listens. She shares her adventures and experiences like seeing bears, and I cherish these memories because she was a teacher who would listen. She brings with her this air of confidence that she knows what to do. For any situation, she knows how to read the class, teasing us if we are tired, shifting the class for what the class needs. It’s this unnoticeable thing that makes her class enjoyable and special.”
Andrew Johnson ’27, a student of Ms. Cranston, said his learning was aided by Ms. Cranston’s teaching style.
“She plays games with us, makes us laugh, and the concepts she teaches everyone understands and sticks to in the future.”
She could make every class hilarious, he said.
“Whether it was her jokes about her students’ translation abilities, playing interactive games, or simply putting their feet on the furniture, she made them laugh every time. These simple anecdotes and actions made Ms. Cranston’s time and legacy at BB&N unique and memorable.”
For Ingrid Schrag ’26, Ms. Cranston has made Latin worth learning, she said. “She is the only reason I am still doing it. She has made Latin not torture.”
Ingrid went on the Latin trip to Sicily with Ms. Cranston during spring break, a memorable and exciting experience that she was grateful to share with Ms. Cranston, she said.
“We created lasting memories and connections with her.”
Lexi Mack ’26, one of Ms. Cranston’s advisees, elaborated on Ms. Cranston’s ability to be both a teacher and an advisor.
“Ms. Cranston takes off the teacher’s hat and puts on her advisor’s hat, allowing us to get different perspectives of her, where you can really talk to her in a safe manner,” she said. “She helps solve problems and issues while being transparent and hilarious.”
Lexi, along with the rest of the US community, will miss Ms. Cranston come this fall, she said. “Ms. Cranston, you will be incredibly missed, and we hope you enjoy your retirement!”
