Teaching Taylor

I have a lot of people in my life who have really shaped me to the person I am today. I’ve always heard people say “It takes a village” to raise children or to help your child grow and even though I’m not a parent, as a teacher I feel that. I feel that because it took a village to help me become the educator I am today.

I have some pretty amazing people in my family who have really shaped me to the person I am today, but aside from my family, I have some super awesome people who have been in my life who really have shaped me into the educator I am today. To be honest, if it wasn’t for some of these people I don’t know where I’d be today in the teaching world.

It all goes back to third grade in Miss Berglund’s class. She had a gold spray painted bedazzled stool and would braid our hair during snack time. I had never had so much fun in school until I had her as a teacher. She was young, full of life, and truly cared for her students. If you didn’t understand what she taught, she retaught it and helped you through it. After that year, I’m pretty sure I was convinced I wanted to be a teacher.

When I reached junior high this teacher named Mrs. Strohmeier was on my class schedule. Little did I know that having her as a health teacher and yearbook advisor, would be life changing. As I was going through school, my parents got a divorce. Crazy thing is, my teacher was also going through that with her own parents. I don’t know if I ever told her this, but she truly helped me through that process more than I could have ever imagined. From 7th Grade all the way to senior year, she was my go to. I babysat her two daughters, she helped me with college applications, let me keep snacks in her classroom and helped us plan so many fun events at the school. (Side Note: We both now teach the same subject at the high school level and it’s been the best thing to collaborate about lessons and activities!)

When the time came for me to decide what to do as a career, I knew teaching was the right thing for me. I had no idea what I wanted to teach, but teaching was it for me.

When I started going to school to be a teacher, I was a paraprofessional at a middle school. The middle school teachers there were so welcoming and helpful on my educational journey. Mrs. Reading and I worked together and she allowed me to learn the ropes and dive into all aspects of the teaching world.

Shortly after I landed a student teaching placement at my husband’s hometown elementary school. I was placed with a 5th grade teacher, named Mrs. Tappe, who literally was one of the best teachers I had ever seen in a classroom setting. She kept it real, gave real life examples and had such an amazing approach to handling classroom management.

If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know shortly after student teaching I landed an elementary teaching job teaching with two of my now best friends. I mentioned the whole teaching during a pandemic, but truthfully, teaching 4th grade with those two helped me be a better teacher. Talking to them almost everyday since then, just makes me a better person.

Between the three of us, we talk about literally anything and everything and it truly is just a freeing and comforting friendship that I’m so grateful for.

When I made the change up the high school, it was unexpected. I inquired about the job because I LOVE my school district and didn’t want to leave. I didn’t have the schooling or the licensure, but I figured why not. The principal at the time, Ms. Potvin, believed in me and guided me through the entire process because she saw potential in me. Almost everyday since then, I can’t help but think how lucky I am that she took a chance on me.

Her taking a chance on me, lead to me having another amazing group of teachers to work with and some awesome classes I never thought I would ever be teaching.

If I have learned anything over the years in education, it is that you need to surround yourself with people who challenge you and make you better. I’m thankful to have coworkers who do that. As educators, it’s important that we keep learning and growing. We expect that of our students, so I hold myself to that standard, too. Because I have coworkers who have turned friends, who believe the same, I feel as if I’ll always be growing and challenging myself.

When I reflect back to my time in education and my time as a student myself, I’m grateful. If it wasn’t for the awesome teachers I had as a kid, I wouldn’t be a teacher myself. And if it wasn’t for the awesome educators that I get to work with, I wouldn’t be the teacher that I am today.

I literally cannot wait for school to start again and I’m just ecstatic knowing I get to teach alongside some of the best educators!