Mrs. Ellen Langsner

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About The Teacher Label:


About The Teacher
The 2009-2010 school year begins my fifth year as principal at Plainfield Elementary School! I feel so lucky to be here this school is truly centered on the whole child! Teachers here provide a richness of experiences that support student learning in so many areas, including socially and emotionally. I grew up on a small farm in Massachusetts where my parents still earn their living selling fruits and vegetables to the community. My father worked for the Soil Conservation Service and the Environmental Protection Agency. His specialty was non-source point pollution (run-off) so we were always hiking forests, canoeing, and visiting farms. Every vacation was a lesson in rural living. When I drive into work each day, I often feel as if I'm going home, driving past all the farms, fields, and forests. Teaching is in my blood. Both my mother and grandmother were teachers (as is my daughter). I spent hours in my mother's classroom, making bulletin boards and correcting papers for her. I caught fish for her science classes and looked after the chickens that her classes hatched. My earliest teaching experiences were in her classroom through a program in high school. She was the toughest supervising teacher I ever had! When I graduated high school, I was eager to become a teacher. I received my undergraduate degree from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which at the time was a dedicated teachers college. Eventually I did go on to earn advanced degrees. Both my Master of Education and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership are from Plymouth State University. I have had a rich and rewarding 27-year experience as an educator in New Hampshire. I started my career in 1982, teaching language arts to grades 5-8 in Rumney, NH. After our son was born, I worked part-time as a Title I reading and math tutor at Campton Elementary School. We moved to the Upper Valley after my husband got a job at DHMC. I worked a year as a special education and remedial reading teacher in Grantham until our daughter was born. I provided daycare services in our home for one long year before going back to work at Lebanon School District where I spent the bulk of my career. I held several positions while in Lebanon. I spent many years as a special education teacher before returning to the classroom, first, as a fourth grade teacher and then as a sixth grade teacher. My last three years in Lebanon were as the K-8 Language Arts Curriculum Coordinator. This is where I became interested in school administration. I felt like I could make a positive difference in the lives of so many more children as a school principal than I could in any other role. For many educators, teaching can be very isolating. Usually there is one adult with up to 25 young people in a classroom and very limited opportunities to talk to other teachers throughout the school day. One of the things that has distinguished my career has been the many opportunities to see how other teachers teach and to teach as part of a team. These opportunities have made me a better teacher by exposing me to new ideas, creative ways of thinking, and caused me to examine my practice as an educator. One of my personal goals is to create opportunities for other educators to work collaboratively and learn with each other. Together, we truly are better. I am passionate about making learning experiences for children both fun and productive.

Mission Label:


Mission
To improve instruction in all content areas by improving skills in reading and writing.