More Than Just a Job
Jeoffrey Langill says his career at Forman School launched due to a Facebook message he received from a family friend in 2011. That family friend was Brooke Crossman, an American Sign Language(ASL) Teacher at Forman who was going on maternity leave the coming fall. Brooke knew Jeoff was soon graduating from Central Connecticut State University, and with his experience growing up with a mom as a sign language interpreter, she wanted to see if he would be interested in teaching her classes.
Jeoff studied Business in college but knew that was not the path he wanted to pursue as a career. During the start of his summer break, he substituted at the local public schools, which were still in session.
“I found that I really enjoyed being with the kids and teaching,” he says. “It was more my speed, my personality in a way.”
Jeoff replied to Brooke’s message to learn more about the teaching opportunity and Forman School. Though living nearby in Winsted, he was unfamiliar with the boarding school before interviewing. Jeoff ultimately landed the job to fill in for Brooke, eventually taking on a role as a full-time ASL teacher.
He adds, “Once you’re in here, there are a lot of different opportunities that open up.”
One of those opportunities was teaching Ceramics, a subject that Jeoff became interested in during college when he was looking for courses outside of his major to fill his schedule.
“My [Ceramics] professor was phenomenal, and I was really intrigued by the process,” Jeoff says, adding that he would spend hours in the studio. “[Ceramics offered] that creative outlet that I always needed.”
After three years of teaching at Forman, Jeoff and his wife, Ashli, moved onto campus in Hamilton Dorm with their growing family.
“I always said my son had 20 big brothers,” Jeoff shares. “He would always come out in the common room, and they would have a catch with him or go outside. It was such a unique opportunity for my family.”
Jeoff and Ashli now live in an off-campus faculty home, just across the street, with their son, Brycen, and daughters, Bria and Alaina. Ashli also works at Forman as the Executive Assistant to the Head of School.
Jeoff taught ASL for 11 years before transitioning to his current role as Director of the Promethean Program.
“I loved the aspect of teaching kids a new language. Some [students] came in with some knowledge from seeing videos here and there, but to see them improve and develop into actually having conversations was really rewarding,” Jeoff says. “I really loved teaching ASL, but I knew I wanted a little different direction of my career.”
The Promethean Program, which was called the Ingenuity Program upon its inception in 2015, provides students with strong interests and talents the opportunity to bring their ideas to fruition. Driven by his own interest in technology and being creative, Jeoff was drawn to what the program offered to students.
“I’ve always been fascinated with not only how things are built, but also how things are created,” he says. “ I feel so fortunate that I get to pursue my interests and passion and do what I love every day.”
Jeoff notes that even if he is not an expert on the topic that a student proposes for their project, he is committed to working with them along the way.
“Last year, a student’s project focused on creating a skincare line. While I didn’t know much about the process, I learned alongside them,” he says. “I think the students appreciate that I’m there with them, side by side, guiding them. It’s really great for them to experience that and learn through that process.”
When Jeoff was still primarily teaching ASL, he had the opportunity to co-teach a course in the Promethean Program with its former director, Chris Ford. Jeoff considers Chris as a mentor, who greatly impacted him in the classroom, on the baseball field when they coached together, and even outside of work.
“The way he engaged students and his energy around what he did, I learned so much from him professionally,” Jeoff says. “He helped make me a better coach, a better man, and honestly, a better father from just talking to him and learning [from him]. He’s been really a big part of my time here at Forman.”
