In December 2024, CRLS hired Ms. Taylor as the new AP U.S. History (APUSH) teacher after the previous teacher resigned on short notice. Despite her hasty appointment, Taylor has become a respected and valued member of the school community. Last month, she spoke with the Register Forum to discuss her journey as a teacher.
Growing up, Taylor attended a public school in her hometown of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Reflecting on the positive experience and education she received, she shared that she felt an obligation to give others the same opportunity, telling the RF, “I knew that I wanted to do something post-college to give back.” Public education felt like a natural fit, and she already had a subject in mind: “History was always my favorite class,” she told the RF. “I’ve always really loved it, and I knew that was what I wanted to teach.”
She began working for Teach For America, a non-profit organization that provides support to struggling school districts. Her first assignment was teaching in West Philadelphia. While she enjoyed the experience, she eventually moved back to Massachusetts and spent the next 16 years teaching in Boston Public Schools.
After working in Boston’s school system for so many years, Taylor felt it was time for the next phase in her career. “I was looking for a new challenge,” she told the RF. She was pleasantly surprised this past fall, when a friend informed her of an open position at CRLS. She jumped at this opportunity, explaining how she “had always wanted to work at CRLS, and had heard wonderful things.” She applied for the position and was promptly hired. She credits the school’s welcoming environment for making her transition especially smooth. “There is so much enthusiasm for collaboration here,” she told the RF, “and that’s been really amazing and inspiring!”
Teaching can be a difficult job, but Taylor remains focused on her favorite aspect: the students. This part of the job has been particularly enjoyable since she came to CRLS. “The students I’ve had here are incredible,” she said. “They’re so engaged, curious, interested—it’s been a joy to work with them!” While delivering strong lessons is important, she wants to make a longer-term impact on her students’ lives. “When they leave my class,” she noted, “I want my students to feel like they have learned more about their country and their world—and about how they can change that world.”
By helping students understand both the past and present, Taylor hopes she can inspire the young generation to write the next chapter of history. She has always loved teaching, especially history, and she now gets to pursue this passion at CRLS. Though she was hired mid-year, she has seamlessly integrated into the community and become a staple of the school’s history department. Taylor, for one, is very grateful for her position, telling the RF, “I feel very lucky to be here.”
This article also appears in our June 2025 print edition.
