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 Calling
In 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 Works
Most 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 Problems
Taylor 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 Stage
In 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 Win
The 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 ELA
Ms. 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 awareness—all core ELA outcomes with authentic stakes.
It’s one thing to ace a quiz. It’s another to build something a hospital might want on the shelf.
Teaching Through a Pandemic: Black Boxes, Open Hearts
Taylor’s entry into professional teaching intersected with the pandemic. She finished her student teaching on Zoom. Her first year? Half remote, half in person—with black screens, muted mics, and students struggling far beyond academics.
So, she did what great teachers do—she adapted.
Open Zoom “after hours” for unstructured social time
Show-and-tell for high schoolers (yes, you read that right), pets included
Relationship rituals that continue today: fist bumps at the door, celebrations before content
“Mental health became impossible to ignore. The learning mattered, but the relationships mattered most.”
She even got observed by an admin during a show-and-tell. Rather than panic, she leaned in. If anything, it proved what evaluators most hope to see: a teacher building trust so learning can happen.
“You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Powerful.”
That’s the line Ms. Moody carries into every talk and training. As Teacher of the Year, she spoke to new teachers across Newton County, discovering that she loves public speaking and has more to share than she imagined.
“Veteran teachers cried, hugged me, and told me my words mattered. They still text for advice during a tough week. You don’t have to be perfect to be powerful—and we need that truth in education.”
She now serves:
On Newton County’s Teacher Advisory Committee
On the Georgia ELA Advisory Committee (as the state rolls out new ELA standards)
With the Georgia Teacher of the Year cohort, where her Top 10 class still chats and supports each other daily
Her message to teachers and leaders is consistent: teacher voice matters—locally and statewide.
The Power—and Limits—of Public Education
When she advanced to the state Top 10, finalists had to deliver a three-minute elevator pitch on the power of public education. As a proud product of public schools and a first-gen college graduate, Ms. Moody didn’t have to manufacture passion.
She told stories: of students who were dismissed as average or worse, who are now engineers or Naval aviation grads; of a 2021 note that still hangs in her room—“Thank you for believing in me when no one else did.”
“Public education is a launchpad. Not every student has access to the same resources. But school can be where access begins.”
The Challenges We Can’t Ignore
Even so, Taylor doesn’t sugarcoat the obstacles:
Anxiety is everywhere—and often the gateway to deeper mental-health struggles
Social media amplifies pressure, comparison, and distraction
Teacher burnout is real
Equity of access—to pathways, mentors, and industry-aligned courses—remains uneven
Recruiting industry professionals into teaching is difficult when pay can’t compete
She believes the system designed long before smartphones—and even before many modern careers—is overdue for re-imagination. And while teacher pensions remain a powerful long-term benefit, we can’t expect people to endure 30 years in unsustainable conditions.
“We need to rethink the system and fund the people doing the work. We can’t add pathways without the humans to teach them.”
Culture, Care, and Classroom Craft
If you visit Ms. Moody’s room at the Newton College & Career Academy, you’ll notice a few things right away.
Names first, content second. She strives to learn every name by week one.
Belonging is built, not assumed. They start with celebrations and small-group check-ins before diving into ELA.
The work feels bigger than grades. Students tackle projects with community mentors, industry advisors, and real audiences.
Revision is not punishment. Failure is feedback; iteration is a life skill.
Language unlocks power. Whether it’s a poem written through pain or a pitch delivered to a panel, ELA is the engine for every pathway.
“Not everyone will be an English teacher. But everyone will need to read, write, speak, and think in public. That’s our job.”
Advice for Newton’s New Teacher of the Year (and Every Teacher)
Asked what she’d say to Dr. Quinita Morrow, Newton County’s newly named Teacher of the Year, Taylor’s counsel was both warm and weighty:
This title will change your life. Treat it like the responsibility it is.
Use your voice—for teachers, students, and schools.
Tell the stories of Newton County. There’s more good happening than social media suggests.
Lean into confidence. The county and the state chose you for a reason.
And for new teachers, her day-one advice is simple and profound: save every note and remember why you’re here. In her room, one message—“Thank you for believing in me when nobody else did”—still leads the way.
How Parents and the Community Can Help (Right Now)
Taylor’s heart for partnership is on full display. She works across pathways and invites the broader community into her classroom regularly.
Here’s what she says parents and community partners can do today:
Show up. Attend events. Reply to emails. Offer supplies when classrooms need them.
Partner on projects. Bring a real challenge from your business and let students design solutions.
Mentor and guest-speak. Students listen differently when industry and civic leaders share the mic.
Scale the wins. Newton College & Career Academy has vibrant partnerships—let’s expand them across all schools.
If you’re in Newton (or nearby) and want to collaborate on a community-based project, Taylor is all in.
“Invite us in. Let my students see your world. They’ll surprise you with what they build.”
Connect with Ms. Moody:
Facebook: Taylor Moody - https://www.facebook.com/taylor.moody.896371
Instagram (classroom): @mstb_lit
Email (County): brownmoody.kimberly@newton.k12.ga.us (Yes, the address is quirky—copy/paste from here!)
Conversation Highlights (Great for Skimming & Sharing)
From math major to ELA mentor: Health challenges and creative writing changed Taylor’s trajectory—and gave her a mission.
Teaching is a calling: Early heartbreak in student teaching reframed the work as care and ministry.
Pandemic-era empathy: She built connection rituals—from open Zoom rooms to pet show-and-tell—to keep students human in an inhuman time.
Real-world ELA: Students use research, rhetoric, and writing to engineer solutions (CPR mat, migraine patch) and pitch to medical leaders.
Mental health matters: Anxiety is rising; relationship-first classrooms aren’t optional—they’re essential.
Teacher voice, statewide: Taylor serves on local and Georgia advisory groups to help implement the new ELA standards with classroom reality in mind.
Public ed’s promise: Access, opportunity, and belonging. The note that still guides her: “Thanks for believing in me when no one else did.”
A motto for the moment: “You don’t have to be perfect to be powerful.”
Listen, Share, and Support the Show
If you love conversations that live in the messy middle—where Newton County neighbors swap perspectives with humility and hope—this episode is for you. Please:
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Important Links Mentioned
The Town Square Podcast – Website: https://www.thetownsquarepodcast.com
Donate to Support the Show: https://www.thetownsquarepodcast.com/donate
Bizzy Bee Exterminators: https://BizzyBeeExterminators.com
LeAnne Long — RE/MAX Around Atlanta East (Covington): https://leannelong.com
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (competition referenced): (search “Samsung Solve for Tomorrow” to learn more & view student entries)
Newton County School System (NCS): (visit the NCS site to learn about Teacher of the Year and advisory committees)
Connect with Ms. Moody (Teacher of the Year):
Facebook: Taylor Moody - https://www.facebook.com/taylor.moody.896371
Instagram: @ms.tb_lit
Email: brownmoody.kimberly@newton.k12.ga.us
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