Taylor Moody, Newton County teacher, says literacy shaped her work after being named Teacher of the Year

Taylor Moody, an English teacher at Newton College and Career Academy in Newton County, said she was named Newton County Schools’ Teacher of the Year and described how literacy shapes her teaching and student engagement.

Moody said she developed a passion for helping students learn to read and write after personal struggles during college, and that she aims to teach skills students will use beyond the classroom. She told the meeting she teaches 11th-grade AP language and composition and 12th-grade multicultural literature and composition and has been in her current position for four years.

Moody said she overcame a medical condition in college that affected her reading and writing and that experience influenced her decision to teach students who struggle. She said, “It has truly been an honor to be recognized as Newton College and Careers teacher of the year.”

She emphasized the practical goals of her instruction, saying the most important lesson in an English language arts classroom is that students develop skills and “their own unique voices,” not necessarily that they become professional writers. Moody said students at the Career Academy want to be there and care about their success, and she called that engagement “just great.”

Moody described the recognition from colleagues and the visible support from students, who asked whether she had advanced to the next round and planned to attend the ceremony. She summarized the meaning of the honor: “That's the real, success here. That's the real win for me.”

The remarks in the transcript focused on Moody's teaching philosophy, her path into education, and the student support surrounding the Teacher of the Year recognition. The transcript did not specify the date of the award ceremony or the entity that granted any additional rounds of recognition beyond Newton County Schools.