Teacher Appreciation Week: Beth Langendorf Teaches Kids to Love School

EDWARDSVILLE - Beth Langendorf has always loved school, and now she’s imparting that joy to her students.

Langendorf has spent over 30 years teaching third grade at Worden Elementary School in the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she’s reflecting on her decision to pursue a path in education and her passion for teaching that remains strong after all this time.

“I may be biased because I have taught third grade for 33 years, but I feel this age is the perfect age,” Langendorf said. “Most of them still love school and they want to please their teacher. They are curious and want to learn more. They love to tell me about their families and their hobbies, and I love getting to know each of their individual personalities so that I can better help them not only be successful in third grade, but hopefully a well-rounded, responsible citizen in our community.”

Langendorf decided to become a teacher when she was in third grade herself. She attended Hamel Elementary School in District #7 and looked up to her teacher, who gave her old teachers’ manuals to “play school” with.

As she grew up, she knew she wanted to work with children, and she continued to love school. It was a natural decision to pursue a career in education.

She loves when her students experience “the moment of understanding” when studying a new concept. A lot of her third graders are a little nervous about concepts like multiplication, division and fractions. But after a few lessons, they often “express relief and excitement, saying how simple it has become.” Langendorf is always proud to hear these sentiments.

Because Worden is fairly small, she has also had the pleasure of teaching multiple siblings in one family and watching kids grow up through high school. She enjoys keeping tabs on her former students and cheering them on.

When she’s not in the classroom, Langendorf spends a lot of time with her loved ones, trying new restaurants, biking on nearby trails, and reading. During the summer months, she tries to attend as many shows at the Muny and the Fox Theater as possible, and she spends her days off playing golf.

But she derives a lot of joy from her work at Worden, and she always looks forward to fall and the start of a new school year. She is thankful for the students, teachers and families she encounters.

“I feel that the teachers I have had the pleasure to work with in my career are the most caring, hard-working, passionate people I know,” she added. “We all work together with the parents and the rest of the school community to help each individual student succeed and be the best he/she can be. I'm so proud of what we do. We work tireless hours, but in the end it is all so worth it knowing the difference we are making in these young people's lives.”

Thank you to Beth Langendorf for your work as a teacher!

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