During my first year of teaching, I taught Taylor Ford in English 11. After about the first week, Taylor demanded to be my friend. It was problematic for two reasons. First, she was my student at the time. Second, I don't trust anyone who wants to be friends with me immediately. I've met myself. I recognize that I'm an acquired taste. As the year went on, I grew to love Taylor as a student. One day in class, she decided her classmates weren't reading with enough gusto and decided she would play every part in Macbeth. She read a play set in Scotland with a southern accent. The following book we read was Their Eyes Were Watching God which is actually set in the south. Taylor announced that the southern dialect was impossible to read after reading with a southern accent for the entirety of Macbeth. I honestly still laugh about it. I quickly realized that Taylor is a phenomenal story teller and student; I also realized she hated reading and writing. She was far more into numbers than reading.
As juniors, students had to write a massive research paper, and Taylor went through the process kicking and screaming. One day, Taylor told me I was racist for not giving her an extension for a paper that she literally had six months to write. I told her that it would actually be racist of me to assume that she couldn't keep up with her white peers. It helps that I'm aware I'm not racist, so she definitely got my "are you joking?" face. She let out an audible sigh, and it occurred to me that I probably wasn't the first teacher she used that line on in school; as a female who once attended high school, I know how many male gym teachers I told that I had cramps to get out of yet another game of kickball. I don't get mad at students for testing the waters because I did the same thing. I asked how many teachers she had pulled this stunt on and if it worked. Her response was that it worked great on the racist teachers. This one moment opened up an entire dialogue about race and racism and the biases and stereotypes that still very much exist. To be honest, if I had to rank meaningful and memorable conversations with students, that one on one conversation with Taylor would certainly make the list. For what it's worth, she finished her research paper while I played Temple Run on her phone after school.
Over the past few years, I've watched Taylor work her butt off in the IT world which is decidedly not my world. She started her own business in 2018. She has won more grants and awards than I can name. She goes into schools and communities as a motivational speaker. This summer, Taylor contacted me because she had landed a contract with a public school which predominantly serves black students. Since I've known Taylor, she has been passionate about IT and disrupting systematic racism. While she knows the IT work that needs to be learned, I understand the classroom portion of events. She actually offered me a job which I may take her up on one day. Regardless, I offered to help because I love her and I know she is making a difference in a field and cause that matters to her, and to be fair, she is buying me a printer for my students who don't have access to one. If left to my own devices when it comes to technology, I would probably still be using a word processor. It has been my pleasure this summer to talk to her and her team about how to best implement their plans and offer insight about how to shape classroom dynamics. As a teacher and just a human being, I'm always endlessly proud when people don't just talk about the problem but instead do something to fix it. By going into schools and classrooms, Taylor isn't just teaching a skill set; she is showing every student who has been failed by an adult that they can do something. I hate the word "can't" when it comes to education because "can't" is finite, and it puts limits on what a child can do, which is a terrible practice. Taylor is a role model. Her company, IT's 4 Me, is raising the bar on how businesses should operate.
I'm proud to have taught her and call her a friend. It may have taken her several years to get me to admit we're friends, but it also took me several years to realize I was in love with my husband. I frequently take the scenic route.
Congratulations, Taylor! More than anything, I want to thank you, Taylor. My teacher anxiety has kicked in since summer is coming to a close, and Taylor is a reminder about why I stay in the classroom. Every student deserves to have an adult who believes in them, and if I was that person for Taylor for even one week, that year of teaching was worth it. Taylor, I'm so incredibly proud of you.
A link to her business is below!
https://www.its4me.tech/