As students file into a classroom, walls are lined with a diverse array of colorful printed paintings and music plays by the band Belle and Sebastian. English teacher Douglas Prouty greets them at the door with a welcoming smile. As the daily walk-in music fades out, he draws their attention to the board for the day’s warm-up. On some days he shows a Ted-Ed riddle; on others, he starts the class with a discussion question. No matter what’s on the agenda, Prouty makes the class entertaining and interesting for students. 

After teaching Honors English 10 and 11 for three years at Whitman, Prouty will retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year. He expressed that the best part of his career was building relationships with students through teaching. His legacy will remain in three dozen of his former students who are now MCPS teachers.

Prouty received his first bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Dartmouth College in 1983. He then got his Master’s degree in the same subject from the University of Maryland in 1988. After earning his second bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in 1995, he began his teaching career at Seneca Valley High School. Prouty wanted to become an English teacher because of his desire to facilitate a classroom within the flexible English curriculum and his interest in literature. 

Before arriving at Whitman in 2021, he taught at several MCPS high schools including Seneca Valley High School, Richard Montgomery High School and his alma mater — Walter Johnson High School.

Outside of teaching in the classroom, Prouty gained leadership roles in the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) and the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA). From 2003 to 2009 he served as vice president of the MCEA before being elected president in 2009, where he served for another six years. 

Later, in 2018, Prouty served for three years as vice president of the MSEA. During his tenure as vice president, he worked on various pieces of legislation including the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future which aims to improve the quality of education for all Maryland students.

After leaving the MSEA, MCPS Human Resources assigned Prouty to teach at Whitman. He was excited by this new placement as he had known Principal Robert Dodd for a long time. At Whitman, Prouty was able to reconnect with his teaching career and rediscover his passion for teaching.

“It reminded me of why I do what I do in the first place, I really like working with kids,” he said. “It’s been a nice way to figure things out and to have a place where I really like the people.”

Prouty enjoys helping students become better writers and thinkers and believes learning how to analyze books helps translate into other parts of students’ lives.

Sophomore Graham Starr appreciates Prouty’s teaching style, as he guides students to think beyond the typical writing boundaries. 

“I think Mr. Prouty has given me a new look on English,” Starr said. “He makes classes really entertaining. Instead of just doing boring assignments on things, we actually take time to discuss what’s going on.”

Prouty fostered a welcoming environment through discussions where he led students to think further and find a deeper understanding of the task at hand.

English teacher Matthew Bruneel admires how Prouty brings books to life through engaging storytelling. He feels privileged to have worked alongside such a passionate teacher.

“I’m very happy that our paths crossed,” Bruneel said. “I remember feeling a little starstruck when he first got here because I’ve been used to seeing his name in leadership emails. It was definitely exciting to have him be in the department.” 

Prouty made it a priority to ensure that students feel prepared in the classroom. He checks in to make students more comfortable approaching him for help during individual work. Starr said Prouty has a special ability to connect with students on a deeper level. 

While making sure that students felt comfortable in the classroom, Prouty also worked to instill his passion for books in students. Bruneel stated that he always worked to motivate students to love English too.

“He really cared about the books that he was teaching his students and worked really hard to get them to care about them too,” he said.

After leaving Whitman, Prouty plans to pursue activism for union rights and continue his work on the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System Board of Trustees. He enjoyed working with students and values the time Whitman gave him to appreciate and reconnect with his teaching career.

“No matter where you work,” he said, “the kids are really fun and they’re what make teaching worthwhile.”