Central Road teacher named Golden Apple finalist

Robert Taylor, a second-grade teacher at Central Road School, has been named one of 32 finalists for the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

Robert has taught in District 15 since 1997. He became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2003, and is currently renewing that certification. He holds bachelor's degrees in elementary education and psychology from Illinois Benedictine University, and master's degrees in curriculum and instruction from North Central College and developmental psychology from Illinois State University.

Robert's bio published by the Golden Apple Foundation reads as follows:

Robert feels that young children are eager to learn. He believes having a plan with clear expectations, and setting the stage for a new concept is crucial. He has a wide variety of students in his second- grade class and cannot count on a shared learning history. He feels activating students' background knowledge and creating a platform for learning is a vital element in connecting new concepts. Many students have preconceived notions that need to be redirected. Artfully doing so keeps the learning experience in Robert's classroom positive.

This year's finalists for the Golden Apple Foundation's prestigious award were chosen from among hundreds of applicants and nominees teaching kindergarten through third grade in the Chicago area.

These finalists will be honored during the Foundation's annual Golden Apple Celebration of Excellence, which will be held Saturday, April 21, at the Hyatt McCormick Place in Chicago. Then, in May, the Foundation will select 10 Golden Apple Award winners (known as Golden Apple Fellows) from among the finalists.

-- Story submitted by Community Consolidated School District 15