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Among the many new teachers Langley welcomed in the 2024 school year is history teacher Heather Brown. Ms, Brown, having grown up in Vienna, Virginia, is a former Langley student and a graduate of the Class of 2012. While the building has changed, some of the faces have not.
“Some of my teachers are still here, like Ms. Jewel [...] and Mr. Whitehead,” Ms. Brown said. After getting a bachelor degree in history from Old Dominion University, Ms. Brown is currently pursuing a masters degree in history at George Washington University. Ms. Brown formerly taught US History at Parkview HS and in a high school on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
“Being back to teaching World History after 5 years of US History is exciting,” Ms. Brown said. While the students at Langley are similar to ones at Ms. Brown's old positions, the student engagement is not. Ms. Brown has found Langley makes a special effort to involve students.
“Unfortunately I was not terribly involved with the school, but I highly recommend getting involved to any student. Langley has lots of great opportunities,” said Ms. Brown.
As technology advances, Ms. Brown believes that history is more important now than ever before, especially for young adults.
“There are so many places that are trying to minimize history and English and focus on STEM,” Ms. Brown said. “But you can’t have anything without first understanding the past.”
Having been a teacher for 5 years, Ms. Brown's favorite part of teaching remains the same. She loves it when a student tells her they've never been good at history before, and they get their first A in her class! She finds it gratifying to see their hard work pay off.
Students tend to stress over the small things, especially in high school while preparing for the future. Ms. Brown hopes to help students and ease their anxiety for what's to come.
“I hope all my students know not to take things too seriously. You're young and you have time. You’re gonna be fine.”
~ By Amina George, Saxon Scope Reporter
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