Taylor Klein

Taylor Klein is an Advanced Math Teacher based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has worked in the education field for over 10 years, including eight years as a middle school Advanced Math Teacher. She has a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and Design and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration.

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Forum Comments (1)

What does it take to be a teacher?
I'll answer your question about enjoying being a teacher first—I love being a teacher… there's something to be said about leaving every single day knowing that you helped somebody learn something new. Even if it's not anything big, just being able to be a part of that moment in their lives and being a continuous moment in their lives, having them come back and visit and talk about how they're using the things that they've learned in class outside of my classroom and in other classrooms and life, those ideas and those concrete concepts stick with them. And then it helps me recognize that the things I'm doing in the classroom do matter and they do stick with the kids. So, it's like little things like that that make it all worth it.

And for your question about being a good teacher—I think that the most important thing in keeping students engaged in the classroom is creating an environment where they feel heard, seen, and safe. So, the social-emotional learning aspect of education is something that I feel some teachers overlook. And I have found that the most engaged students are the ones that feel comfortable in their space. That means creating an environment where the students feel like they are in control of the rules, where they help create the environment, and where it's not just a dictatorship where the teacher tells them how things will go and the students must follow it. It needs to be more democratic. It needs to be more of a peer-to-peer relationship than a teacher who's overseeing their classroom. That being said, of course, the teacher is still always in charge, but I found that when kids have ownership over the rules and the consequences and even what they're learning or how they're learning, then they are much more engaged and better behaved in the classroom.

Co-authored Articles (19)