The four best words of the day for many students at Allderdice are Hola Clase, Buenos dias! That’s how Senor Taylor starts his class every single day. Then he begins his lesson plan, either teaching new content or putting together an innovative game to implement his lesson.

Troy Taylor was born on December 10th, 1993. His passion for teaching started when he was a freshman in college at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a tour guide for prospective students. Later in his junior year, he started giving tours at the School of Education at Pitt. This sparked his interest in enrolling in the school’s one-year master’s teaching program. Before he began his fifth year of college, he traveled to Spain, where he was told he was talented in Spanish. This affirmed his choice of learning to teach the language.

He also taught at elementary schools in Austin. There, he taught children how to read Spanish for an Americorp. He later entered the Pitt program and earned a role as a student teacher at Allderdice for Melissa Donnelly. His first classes were Spanish one and two. After teaching the courses for about a month, he began to realize how important of a role teachers have in helping young people learn and grow..

Both students and teachers wonder how Taylor is so energetic all of the time. Taylor says he has “Always been this way” and is “Able to be energetic when I have an audience.” He believes that every interaction with a student is deeply important. Taylor added that being positive is not always easy, but he always tries his best for the students. He says, “I’m not always doing great; I just always seem like I’m doing great.”

Regarding classroom management, Taylor says, “I respect the role of a teacher and don’t want to yell at kids. This is Spanish, you have to want to be here.”

Senor Taylor has a very positive reputation around school, especially since the upperclassmen speak highly of him. Sophomore Will Kuchera had Senor Taylor as a freshman, and his older brother Ian Kuchera told him how great he was. Will says, “He was pretty welcoming, very kind and enthusiastic. I made it clear I didn't take Spanish one even though I was in a Spanish two class, and he helped me very much and made it enjoyable.” Now, Will has Senor Taylor again; when asked how Senor Taylor makes a harder class more enjoyable, he said, “He includes many diverse assignments, we’re never doing the same thing in a row,  he includes lots of games and group work. He brings an impressive amount of enthusiasm and gets everyone more involved.”

One of Senor Taylor’s greatest abilities is keeping kids energetic and excited for his class throughout the day. Junior Zachary Coffey has had Spanish class last period with Senor Taylor for the previous two years. He says, “Senor Taylor always makes the class a fun experience. There are days when I’m looking forward to him, and it keeps me going in all my other classes. His class is usually the best part of the school day.”

Another part of Senor Taylor’s class that students love is the movies he puts on during Dia de los Muertos. He picks between Encanto, The Book of Life, and Coco, which all tie in parts of Hispanic heritage. These class periods are what makes Senor Taylor’s class so unique. It’s the moments where he goes the extra mile to make everyone enjoy class.

Senor Taylor is an incredible teacher who makes his classes the highlight of many students’ day. The way he got into teaching is unique and makes him a special and inspiring teacher. He makes his Spanish class not only enriching but also an environment in which they can be comfortable and confident.