TeachHouse Stories

Story Series: What is Empowerment?

Empowering teachers is the primary mission of Duke TeachHouse. We recently asked a few of our fellows what the word "empowerment" means for them, both inside and outside of the classroom, for themselves and for their students. Check out their responses below! 

Michele Saunders: "Empowerment is having a seat at the table."

Duke TeachHouse fellow Michele Saunders shares her thoughts on the importance of empowerment for early career teachers. Michele joined Duke TeachHouse in 2019 while studying Secondary English Education in the Duke Master of Arts in Teaching program. 

Brianna Tuscani: "Teaching is personal--it involves every part of our personhood."

Duke TeachHouse fellow Brianna Tuscani discusses how empowerment means embracing your own identity. Brianna joined the TeachHouse community in 2018 while studying Secondary English Education in Duke's Master of Arts in Teaching program. She currently teaches English at Jordan High School in Durham. 

Savannah Windham: "I empower my students to be the center of my classroom."

Duke TeachHouse fellow Savannah Windham shares her thoughts on what empowerment means in her classroom. Savannah joined TeachHouse as a Non-Resident Fellow in 2016 and served as a Resident Mentor from 2017 to 2019. She taught for 5 years at Northern High School and is a graduate of Duke's Master of Arts in Teaching Program.