by Jack Eva

As the world of business continues to evolve rapidly, the need for innovative educators to prepare students for the times ahead has never been greater. This year, Pembroke High School welcomes Taryn Lang, whose passion for entrepreneurship and commitment to student success will help Pembroke students on their journey in the realm of business. 

Q: What is your educational background and how has that prepared you for teaching?

A:  “While my background is business, I majored in economics with a minor in education.  I knew in some way I always wanted to teach someday.  I graduated in 2007 which was one of the greatest recessions the country had seen until covid.  After being laid off from my first job out of college due to the economy, I substituted for two years along with some other part time jobs.  I knew this is something I definitely wanted to do at some point as my grandfather was a career changer and started teaching high school business.  I worked in the business world for nine years in several industries including insurance, healthcare, design and recruiting.  I feel my business experience as well as my MBA prepared me to be able to connect students to real world applications of business knowledge and skills.”

Q: What previous teaching or professional experiences have influenced your approach to education?

A:  “In my first year of education I was exposed to the concept of design thinking and project based learning.  My experience as a student was more traditional with tests and lectures.  I was an A+ student and had a great memory.  Reflecting back I always studied for the test and also always wondered how math connected to real world situations as I was originally a math major with education.  I am passionate about design thinking and project based learning as it allows students to explore what they are learning on, develop their own ideas and solutions, learn the value of improving and implementing feedback and most importantly being able to effectively collaborate with their peers.  I don’t believe in homework and want students to be able to walk out of my classroom and apply the skills they are learning to their everyday lives and their futures.” 

Q: How would you describe your teaching philosophy?

A:  “Building off of the last question, I would describe my teaching philosophy to be practice what you preach.  Many of the activities done in class I have had to do as a graduate student as well as professional development; examples include a corporate financial analysis project, digital portfolios, video reflections, empathy protocols to name a few.  Today’s job market is ever changing and it is so important students today understand their career opportunities in preparing for their future.  I have had students in the past who hadn’t been able to take a business class and are majoring in business.  I feel the skills students learn in my class are transferable to any major as they are presenting, communicating and thinking outside the box in providing solutions to problems.”

Q: What role do you believe real world experiences play in teaching business concept?

A:  “Business is transferable to so many aspects of life.  We are all consumers in the economy and make choices each day that can be related to marketing, economics, accounting and management.  This career continues to give me joy when I hear that a previous student is in college taking an accounting course and they felt prepared because it is what we had learned in the high school class.  Most recently, a Pembroke student shared they were able to make a digital design for their boss using Canva.  They were inspired to design because of an activity we did in marketing class using Canva.  In my previous district, I pitched and taught a Business Innovation with Design Thinking class where we explored the relationship between innovation, consumerism and sustainability using the DT process.  It looks at behaviors of current corporations tied to real world environmental issues.  At the end of the day, I feel it truly is all connected in some way, shape or form.  Regardless of one’s career, they will be tasked to communicate with others, possibly present to one another, collaborate, solve problems or tasks given in a real world scenario.  Business concepts can be applied to all of these different things.”

Q: What strategies do you use to create an inclusive classroom environment?

A:  “A big belief of mine is collaboration in any of my classes.  By the end of a term or semester everyone will have worked with one another in some facet.  Everyone learns differently and I like to give options on how work, assignments or projects are completed.  Technology is a big part of any business class, however, I find the value of also taking a hands-on approach to activities with prototyping and materials in promoting a creative mindset.  I think building relationships at the beginning of any class is a game changer in creating a positive and safe learning environment for students.  We always spend the first few days “getting to know one another” and doing group work off the bat.  As in real life, you may not always know who you work with or like the person, but that does not mean you aren’t going to complete your task at hand.  It is important to respect and value one another’s opinions as well as who a person is as an individual.”

Q: What are your goals for professional development over the next few years?

A:   “I would not be the educator I am without professional development opportunities.  Some of my favorites include Design Camp at VIDA in Vista, CA and PBL Camp at High Tech High, San Diego, CA.  Most recently I had the opportunity to attend and present at MassCue at Gillette Stadium this past October.  The two sessions presented were “Digging Deeper through the Lens of SEL” and “Reimagining Modern Day Learning”.  I always enjoy PD as you can get inspired as an educator and always learn something new to take back to the classroom.  A big goal for me would be to attend Deeper Learning Camp in San Diego and continue to have the opportunity to attend and present at local conferences.  I just put in a proposal that was accepted for Medfield DLD Day called “Level Up Learning through All Things SEL and Design Thinking” (in December).  I truly believe part of teaching is being a lifelong learner and having the opportunity to continue to learn is a game changer in building one’s pedagogy.”