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Page de couverture de Ms. Taylor Moody: From Math Major to Master Teacher—NCS Teacher of the Year on Literacy, Mental Health, and Real-World Learning — Episode 58

Ms. Taylor Moody: From Math Major to Master Teacher—NCS Teacher of the Year on Literacy, Mental Health, and Real-World Learning — Episode 58

Ms. Taylor Moody: From Math Major to Master Teacher—NCS Teacher of the Year on Literacy, Mental Health, and Real-World Learning — Episode 58

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 A Teacher of the Year Who Never Planned to Teach“All right, well, welcome to the Town Square Podcast today. We are joined by the 2024–2025 Newton County Schools Teacher of the Year, Ms. Taylor Moody.” From that first line, it’s clear this conversation was going to be special. Co-hosts Gabriel Stovall and Trey Bailey welcomed a guest whose story has already inspired students, teachers and families across Newton County—and whose influence is now being felt statewide.Ms. Moody holds a rare combination of humility and momentum. In just six years in the classroom, she was named NCS Teacher of the Year and advanced to the Top 10 finalists for Georgia Teacher of the Year. She also serves on district and state advisory groups to help shape the future of ELA standards and teacher voice in Georgia. Yet, as she told us, none of this was part of her original plan.“I’m a first-generation college graduate. I equated success with money, so I started at UGA as a math major and thought I’d be a real estate lawyer.”Then life happened.The Detour That Became a CallingIn college, Taylor experienced a sudden health crisis—fluid building behind her eyes that led to vision loss and migraines. The treatments slowed everything down. Reading and writing felt different. Processing emotions was harder. She needed tutoring, leaned into creative writing, and published poems born out of that season.“I began to see the power of literacy. I wanted to be on the other side of it—helping students who feel the way I felt: unable, stuck, uncertain—discover what reading and writing can do to heal, express, and empower.”She switched majors to English Education and then faced an unthinkable early-career hardship—losing two students to suicide within two weeks.“College prepared me to teach English. It did not prepare me for that. My mom said, ‘You have to decide—this is beyond grading and lesson plans.’ That’s when teaching became my ministry.”From that moment forward, Ms. Moody wasn’t just teaching ELA standards; she was teaching human beings.From Math Brain to ELA Heart—Why That Combo WorksMost people either love math or English. Taylor is fluent in both. That makes her especially effective with STEM-minded students who doubt they’ll ever love literature.“I tell them I started as a math major. It gives me credibility with the STEM kids. But I needed a classroom where 25 different answers could be right if you can support your thinking. I wanted students to experience learning that’s adventurous, expressive, opinionated, and deeply human.”Her math background also brings structure and systems thinking to the way she designs projects. Which leads us to…Project-Based Learning That Solves Real ProblemsTaylor is a champion of project-based learning (PBL) that merges ELA standards with real-world outcomes. Students don’t just analyze texts or write essays—they design solutions with measurable community impact, collaborate with engineering and healthcare pathways, and present their work to real experts.“Quick Save CPR” — Student Innovation Takes the StageIn Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition, one of her student teams designed Quick Save CPR, a guided mat that lays over a patient and prompts the rescuer through correct compressions. It lights up to show hand placement, provides rhythm cues (think “Stayin’ Alive”), and changes color feedback if you’re pushing too hard or not hard enough—solving a common failure point in community CPR response.They connected their innovation to a local problem—ambulance delays and community response anxiety—and worked with engineering instructors to code and prototype the device.“People think they know CPR until the moment they need it. Anxiety spikes, technique fades. The mat coaches you in real time.”The team earned state-level recognition and was named Youth of the Year in Newton County.A Migraine Patch—And a State WinThe next year, her class identified overuse of OTC pain meds as a community issue—especially the risks of ibuprofen/acetaminophen reliance. A new team designed a headache patch concept to stimulate a nerve pathway behind the neck to relieve migraines—like a targeted neuromodulation approach.They earned State Winner honors and invited Piedmont’s Chief Medical Officer to mentor their work. He offered this simple advice: if they can fully realize the mechanism and conduct validation, file a patent.“These are 17-year-olds building solutions with professionals. That’s the promise of public education when it’s done right.”Why PBL Fits ELAMs. Moody weaves reading, writing, rhetoric, research, and communication skills into every stage—proposal writing, literature reviews, technical writing, multimodal presentations, and reflective argumentation. Along the way, students learn feedback cycles, iteration, resilience, and audience ...
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