Taylor Goodson’s third graders at Coventry Elementary in Yorktown, Virginia, know their teacher respects them and cares deeply about their individual success. Goodson challenges students with higher-order thinking questions and creates lessons that engage and motivate even reluctant learners. She is adept at differentiating for students at different levels, providing assistance to those who need extra instruction, and enrichment activities for students who have mastered content. The modeling and scaffolding Goodson incorporates into each lesson provides an access point for every student, no matter the student’s background or foundational knowledge. She uses formative and summative assessment data to guide her instruction and models the use of questioning techniques using Bloom’s taxonomy. As a result of her efforts, Goodson’s students shine in her classroom.
Goodson leads the third-grade team and its professional learning community. She sits on Coventry’s PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) team and is a Student Council Association sponsor. Goodson helped the district select a new assessment platform, represented Coventry at the division’s Leadership Academy and serves in the division’s teacher leader cohort. She was a fluency instructional trainer for Coventry, responsible for training on professional learning communities and effective implementation of the division’s elementary literacy model. Goodson seeks out professional learning opportunities and explores new research-based strategies to try in her classroom. When she modeled Book Talks for the school, students became so excited about reading the school had to buy more books to satisfy the young learners.
Engaging and inspiring, Goodson is a fierce advocate for the needs of students and teachers alike. She prioritizes social-emotional learning and partnered with the school counselor to incorporate mindfulness activities, movement breaks and brain science into her classroom. Goodson is always willing to mentor colleagues and new teachers, inviting fellow educators in to observe her class. When school closed in March 2020, Coventry did not yet have a one-to-one technology program, so Goodson stepped up to help lead the division’s efforts to create continuity of learning activities for third grade students.
Goodson earned a bachelor of science in 2012 and a master’s in special education in 2014 from Lynchburg College.
Press release: Yorktown Teacher Celebrates this Teacher Appreciation Week with a $25,000 Milken Educator Award
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