Sherman ISD Building Bearcats Magazine March-April 2018 | Page 5

TAYLOR VAN KIRK
RECEIVES AWARD
Every year, Austin College offers the Preservice
Educator of the Year Award to one person who
exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding teacher
intern.
Taylor Van Kirk, Piner Middle School History teacher,
has received this award for showing above average
excellence in her first year of teaching.
“Taylor has shown excellent qualities in her first year
of teaching,” Assistant Professor at Austin College Dr.
Tami Dean said. “She builds classroom community
with her students, her lessons are engaging, and
she’s reflective as a practitioner. She’s doing things
that veterans do as a brand new, first year teacher.”
Van Kirk’s main focus while teaching: her students.
Getting her students to understand her material is a
top priority for Taylor.
“A typical day in my classroom is very high energy,”
Van Kirk said. “I love to have my students work in
cooperative learning groups or partners so that they
are sharing each other’s knowledge, and relating my
History lessons to their own lives.”
That student focus is part of what Dean said qualifies
By Kendra Rainey
her for this award.
“She tries to meet each student on a personal
level and works to figure out how to connect the
material with each child and their lives,” Dean said.
“Her teaching is very student centered, and that is
engaging for everyone.”
Outside of teaching History, Taylor is a basketball and
softball coach for Sherman ISD, and a great friend to
many students.
“She’s very approachable,” Dean said. “Her students
seem very comfortable stopping her in the hallway
and chatting with her. Clearly, she is seen as a very
respected and trustworthy teacher in the community.”
Taylor believes this enthusiasm with her students and
her job - as a teacher and a coach - is what won her
the award.
“I am just really honored to receive this award,” Van
Kirk said. “I’m thankful for the professors at Austin
College for giving me the tools, for my principal
Amy Porter for taking a chance on a young first year
teacher, and my students for always being receptive
to my teaching.”
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