Program in EducationAbout Langley
Community Engagement & Partnership Liason, Duke TeachHouse
TeachHouse allows for educators to sit at tables they've never before been invited to, to be valued as professionals in a new and important ways, and to think proactively about their individual roles in the greater educational system. These opportunities are, unfortunately, rare across the profession, but in TeachHouse they are the norm, pushing teachers to command greater respect, expect more from their school and district leadership, and situate themselves in the middle of advocacy and improvement efforts across education. This in turn yields greater opportunity for students, the ultimate stakeholders, whom every fellow continually returns to when thinking about the larger purpose behind his or her own development and leadership.
A graduate of Duke’s Elementary Teacher Preparation Program, Langley Ellmann has taught in North Carolina public schools for five years. She also worked for two years in London, UK for an educational start-up, The Girls' Network, focused on providing non-academic mentoring and support to young women across the UK. After completing a Masters of Education Policy & Leadership from Harvard University, Langley returned to Durham to support TeachHouse to strategically address key educational issues, position itself to scale and grow, and engage community members and partners to support educators and schools in new and innovative ways.
How has Duke TeachHouse influenced you as an educator?
I've been able to continue teaching while working for Duke TeachHouse, and it's allowed me to view my role in education not just as one person within my own classroom, but also as someone within the larger system and to become a change-maker at the macro level. While I never was a TeachHouse fellow, being a part of this community has made me aware of other teachers around me who do not have the same support. In particular, the mentoring aspect of the program is great. Knowing how draining and isolating teaching can be, TeachHouse combats that by creating a space with immense tangible resources like curriculum and technology, but most importantly the resources of a community where fellows can vent and reflect. This type of community is helpful for every teacher. If you don't have that space, it can put a lot of pressure on friends around you and people who don't understand the unique experience of being an early career teacher.
