| Teaching and leading |
| Wells Fargo Educator of Year honored by Post foundation |
| Published Thursday, August 18, 2011 8:18 am |
Shaunta Taylor wanted to be a lawyer, but during her junior year at Virginia State University, she changed her mind.
“From the time she was a little girl, all she wanted to do was be in charge,” Taylor’s mother Diane Brown said. “She always went toe to toe with me; always thought she was right. I assumed she was going to be lawyer and then midstream in college she said she wasn’t sure.”
After graduating college with a degree in political science, Taylor went to work as an intake specialist for a counseling center with at-risk youth.
“My experience with them shook something inside of me,” said Taylor, a New York native. “They were all performing below grade level and they were already in middle school. I just felt like I could do something.”
Taylor did. She enrolled in graduate school and studied education. Her first job was as a reading teacher in Petersburg, Va., before she went into the classroom. She came to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools four years ago where she has been a fourth-grade teacher at Shamrock Gardens Elementary School ever since.
Taylor was chosen as Teacher of the Year at Shamrock and the Central Learning Zone for the 2010-11 school year.
She is also the Charlotte Post Foundation’s Wells Fargo Educator of the Year for her commitment to student achievement. She will be honored during the Post Best Awards Oct. 1 at Hilton Charlotte Center City.
Former Shamrock principal Duane Wilson, who hired Taylor, wasn’t surprised Taylor earned the accolade.
“I think she’s a very deserving person of recognition and a very positive role model who encourages students to want to do better,” he said. “I was really fortunate that someone of her caliber came to join our team at Shamrock. She’s a genuine and caring person.”
Wilson hired Taylor on the spot during a CMS job fair in 2007. Shamrock was the first and only school she visited during the fair.
“(Taylor) was very influential in helping Shamrock academically and encouraged student growth,” he said. “She’s been a mentor teacher for us. I had several teachers go in her classroom to observe her teaching.”
When Taylor first became interested in teaching, she considered working with older students, but fell in love with elementary school children.
“At this stage they are sweet and still like to please,” Taylor said. “I try to make it an environment where the students can let their guard down. They’re all very smart. You just have to be very genuine with them.”
Parents like Andrew Hawkins appreciate that about Taylor.
“She is so naturally equated with the kids,” said Hawkins, whose daughter Nadiya was in Taylor’s class last year. “She really inspired my daughter to like to go to school and like to learn.”
Hawkins credits Nadiya’s improvement in math to Taylor, as well as Taylor making herself available by cell phone to talk about his concerns.
“Somebody was mistreating my daughter on the bus and I told (Taylor) and she addressed it immediately and the problem was fixed,” Hawkins said. “She was always real personable and polite. It makes me glad that there are teachers like her in the school system. It’s going to be tough for my daughter to go on to a new teacher this year.”
Taylor’s husband, Joe, says she always believed she could make a difference.
“She is really dedicated and takes pride in her kids,” he said. “She’s very concerned about their well being and she loves her school.”
Taylor doesn’t have children of her own, but her classes are full of kids who need love and guidance.
“I don’t have any children and I’ve never had a strong desire to be a mother,” Taylor said. “I’ve been surrounded by children and they fill the void.”
So what’s the key to Taylor’s success as a teacher? She builds relationships with students.
“In my classroom I make my students take ownership from day one,” Taylor said. “At the end of the day we sit down and talk about our day. It’s such a valuable piece of teaching.”
Brown said although her daughter didn’t become a lawyer, she made a more fulfilling career move.
“Every year I see students crying when they have to leave her,” Brown said. “She’s just such a dedicated teacher.”
“From the time she was a little girl, all she wanted to do was be in charge,” Taylor’s mother Diane Brown said. “She always went toe to toe with me; always thought she was right. I assumed she was going to be lawyer and then midstream in college she said she wasn’t sure.”
 |
| Shaunta Taylor |
After graduating college with a degree in political science, Taylor went to work as an intake specialist for a counseling center with at-risk youth.
“My experience with them shook something inside of me,” said Taylor, a New York native. “They were all performing below grade level and they were already in middle school. I just felt like I could do something.”
Taylor did. She enrolled in graduate school and studied education. Her first job was as a reading teacher in Petersburg, Va., before she went into the classroom. She came to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools four years ago where she has been a fourth-grade teacher at Shamrock Gardens Elementary School ever since.
Taylor was chosen as Teacher of the Year at Shamrock and the Central Learning Zone for the 2010-11 school year.
She is also the Charlotte Post Foundation’s Wells Fargo Educator of the Year for her commitment to student achievement. She will be honored during the Post Best Awards Oct. 1 at Hilton Charlotte Center City.
Former Shamrock principal Duane Wilson, who hired Taylor, wasn’t surprised Taylor earned the accolade.
“I think she’s a very deserving person of recognition and a very positive role model who encourages students to want to do better,” he said. “I was really fortunate that someone of her caliber came to join our team at Shamrock. She’s a genuine and caring person.”
Wilson hired Taylor on the spot during a CMS job fair in 2007. Shamrock was the first and only school she visited during the fair.
“(Taylor) was very influential in helping Shamrock academically and encouraged student growth,” he said. “She’s been a mentor teacher for us. I had several teachers go in her classroom to observe her teaching.”
When Taylor first became interested in teaching, she considered working with older students, but fell in love with elementary school children.
“At this stage they are sweet and still like to please,” Taylor said. “I try to make it an environment where the students can let their guard down. They’re all very smart. You just have to be very genuine with them.”
Parents like Andrew Hawkins appreciate that about Taylor.
“She is so naturally equated with the kids,” said Hawkins, whose daughter Nadiya was in Taylor’s class last year. “She really inspired my daughter to like to go to school and like to learn.”
Hawkins credits Nadiya’s improvement in math to Taylor, as well as Taylor making herself available by cell phone to talk about his concerns.
“Somebody was mistreating my daughter on the bus and I told (Taylor) and she addressed it immediately and the problem was fixed,” Hawkins said. “She was always real personable and polite. It makes me glad that there are teachers like her in the school system. It’s going to be tough for my daughter to go on to a new teacher this year.”
Taylor’s husband, Joe, says she always believed she could make a difference.
“She is really dedicated and takes pride in her kids,” he said. “She’s very concerned about their well being and she loves her school.”
Taylor doesn’t have children of her own, but her classes are full of kids who need love and guidance.
“I don’t have any children and I’ve never had a strong desire to be a mother,” Taylor said. “I’ve been surrounded by children and they fill the void.”
So what’s the key to Taylor’s success as a teacher? She builds relationships with students.
“In my classroom I make my students take ownership from day one,” Taylor said. “At the end of the day we sit down and talk about our day. It’s such a valuable piece of teaching.”
Brown said although her daughter didn’t become a lawyer, she made a more fulfilling career move.
“Every year I see students crying when they have to leave her,” Brown said. “She’s just such a dedicated teacher.”
Comments
Send this page to a friend
Leave a Comment