Editor’s note: This article is part of a continuing weekly series profiling local educators.
ANDERSON — Visitors to Highland Middle School frequently hear musical notes and voices amplified by microphones drifting from Myron Taylor’s classroom.
Those sounds convey Taylor’s philosophy on teaching in action.
His desire is that his students know he supports them. He wants to teach the students to support each other “to build community.”
“I know there are teachers who are the same way,” Taylor said. “I guess one of the things I think I do is build those relationships with the kids. I will go to some of our football games or go different things, because I like to see them outside of the class.
“I like for them to see me seeing them so they know I’m actually interested in who they are.”
For his exceptional work as the band director at Highland, Taylor was inducted Saturday into the Anderson Community Schools Hall of Fame.
Principal Ellen Pickett has worked with Taylor for the past five years. Pickett said Taylor’s wide range of talents makes him an important part of the students’ education.
“It’s invaluable,” Pickett said. “I feel it’s a privilege to work with him, to have him a part of our staff. He’s also the vice president of our union, so he brings that level of leadership and expertise in our building as well. I am grateful every day we have staff like Mr. Taylor in our building.”
Pickett said Taylor “creates safe spaces” in his classroom for students, allowing them “to just gravitate to him.”
Taylor said five of his middle school band students performed with the Anderson High School Marching Highlanders in the Indiana State Fair Band Day last summer. That day ended with the band capturing the district’s eighth state championship.
Taylor said having his students participate in Band Day “makes me know that they are getting the skills and everything they need to go to the next level.”
Taylor is not the only band director in his family. His brother, Chris Taylor, is the band director at Pendleton Heights High School. Myron Taylor said even though the family was not raised playing instruments, he, Chris, and their other brother all ended up playing in the Madison Heights High School band.
As the vice president of Anderson Federation of Teachers Local 519, Taylor’s focuses primarily on working through issues at the middle school and high school.
Randy Harrison, the president of AFT Local 519, has known Taylor for 30 years. Harrison said Taylor is a great person to have as vice president of secondary.
“Mr. Taylor is a very intelligent, bright individual,” Harrison said. “He listens extremely well. He’s very thoughtful as he digs through all the information. When he speaks, everybody better listen, because it will be spot on, very profound, and it will assist us in what we do to represent our colleagues, our schools and our community.”
Taylor said he looks forward daily to seeing the excitement in his students as they learn.
“My absolute favorite part is the excitement a kid shows the first time they do something right, or the first time they do something that excites them,” he said.
“That’s why the middle school area is my favorite area to teach in, because you might get a kid who comes in here and maybe they are playing their instrument wrong, and they do it right that first time. … Their eyes just light up.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.