Impact on Student Success

This year, my ELA classes combined had the highest percentage of students in the district who showed at least one full grade level of growth on the i-Ready diagnostic. This growth wasn’t limited to one or two high-achieving students, it reflected consistent progress across a diverse group of learners, including English Learners and students with IEPs.

Students took ownership of their progress, tracked their goals, and regularly reflected on what they needed to improve. Many began the year well below grade level, but through targeted instruction, scaffolded supports, and strong relationships, they gained both skills and confidence.

One student said during a self-reflection:

“I used to hate doing these reading tests (i-Ready ELA diagnostic test), but now I feel like I know what I’m doing.”

Their progress—and the class's collective growth—showed me that with the right support and belief, students will rise to meet high expectations.

Diagnostic Growth

"Taylor Clark is an innovative, creative, and dedicated teacher. He meets every student where they are when they first step into his classroom, sets a personalized goal for them, and puts instructional strategies and supports in place so that everyone can meet and even surpass their goals. Taylor teaches his English, History and Coding classes with passion and brings in interdisciplinary projects to engage students at all academic levels. His students loved the history Minecraft project and Battle Bots coding challenge. In the 2025 D3 assessments, Taylor's students had the highest average of growth in English in all of the Springs programs. We applaud Taylor for the tremendous impact he has made at FAPA and are excited to see him grow even more as an educator."

— Katherine Kim (Principal)

"I’m especially impressed with Taylor’s data driven instruction throughout this school year. Taylor has closely monitored diagnostic scores and classroom assignments to stay vigilant about each student’s needs and abilities. He worked closely with our other middle school teacher to offer high quality tier two and tier three interventions during and after school. If Taylor doesn’t have the answers in how to reach a student, he confidently collaborates with other staff members to brainstorm strategies to do so. We are immensely grateful to have Taylor on our team."

— Tiffany Daniels (Vice Principal)

As I began my teaching journey, I knew I wanted to make learning fun and engaging. The majority of my own education was worksheets and tests, but the teachers who stand out most are those who allowed us to get involved, get our hands dirty, so to speak. I knew I wanted to be that same type of teacher.

Hands-On Project-Based Learning

I’ve seen students build real confidence through hands-on, project-based experiences. In our Battle Bots Project, students designed, built, and coded their own LEGO-based vehicles using Sam Studio. For some students who struggled with traditional academics, this was the first time they took the lead, solved problems independently, and felt proud to show off their work.

Two students in particular stood out during the Battle Bots project. It had been extremely challenging to find ways to engage them, even when I tried incorporating their interests. But when we began this project, I saw a different side of them. Their joy in learning finally came through. One of them joked, “If school was like this all the time, I'd be a

good student.” I took that comment as a challenge. These students clearly thrive when building and working with their hands, so I began exploring how to bring that same hands-on engagement into my English and History classes. While I’m still experimenting with how to apply it effectively in English, I was able to adapt my approach in History relatively quickly.

In History, my solution was the Minecraft Civilization Project. Students worked in teams to design governments, create social hierarchies, write functional laws, and build an ancient city-state. They used the unique, natural resources of their assigned biomes to establish trade networks with other groups. This project brought history, civics, and

economics to life, giving students a real sense of ownership over the content. Students who had previously been disengaged were suddenly researching ancient trade systems and actively debating how to manage resource shortages.

These projects helped students realize that school isn’t just about memorizing

facts, it’s about building, creating, experimenting, and thinking critically. When students are given the tools and space to succeed in different ways, their confidence grows, and so does their engagement.