Beth Taylor, here. Also known as BBT. There’s a story behind this for you. (nothing is simple!) My full name is Bonnie Elizabeth/ I never really went by Bonnie, except in work situations. I always went by Beth. Everyone at work became confused - was I Bonnie or Beth? So a dear friend started calling me BBT and it has stuck. She said she just couldn’t call me Mrs. Taylor - it was too formal - and I didn’t look like a Bonnie. So, BBT I became to those around me. I always say “Colleagues call me Bonnie - friends call me Beth. Best friends don’t have to ask!”

I am a passionate educator who has finally found her niche - my tribe. Gifted education has been an area of curiosity and passion for me for as long as I can remember. It’s my heart calling so to speak. I hope you enjoy my take on life as a parent of a child who is gifted, wife to a husband who is gifted, teacher of gifted students, trainer and mentor of teachers of gifted and advocate for families and communities who serve students who are gifted. Oh, and did I mention - I am a self proclaimed geek and highly gifted adult myself?!

A little about my personal educational experience:

I have taught students in public and private school settings - working with grades K-8. I even homeschooled my own son for a bit, when the local option was not beneficial to his unique needs. I have educational experience in both low and high socio-economic schools - urban and rural - teaching both as a self contained classroom teacher, gifted resource teacher, and gifted co-teacher. I have trained hundreds of colleagues, conducted parent universities, mentored new teachers, planned summer camps for gifted students, created countless engaging lessons and always walked away learning something new myself. I have designed district and school level curricular experiences for gifted learners, working with teachers on standards based planning and implementation. Three years of experience working with a virtual gifted program, improving and updating processes with gifted teachers and district leadership to provide a quality virtual learning experience for over 100 identified gifted learners turned out to have massive benefits in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic caused schools to close.

Mostly, I have spent the past 20 years learning as much as I can and trying to be a support to those around me, all while working to further the field of gifted education in order to better support our students.

My most recent experience has involved the ground level work with district and school leadership to open and support a brand new elementary magnet school which housed two separate magnet programs - one which provided full time gifted services for over 400 gifted identified students in 1st-5th grades and and a literacy program which supported intensive interventions for about 80 students who showed characteristics of Dyslexia. In the beginning, both magnet centers required extensive support and guidance to get up and running. As part of the team tasked with these endeavors, I found myself learning and growing in ways I had not imagined. Over the past three years, the relationships built and knowledge I have shared allowed me to extend my support to a full time gifted middle school magnet program, as well as other district programs. These experiences have led me here. Looking to share my personal thoughts and gained experiences as I navigate life, education, parenting - as well as find some new inspiration of my own! I am nothing if not a lifelong learner.

Here are some of my current obsessions:

1. Great literature

2. Vintage anything

3. Animals - mostly my English Bulldog, Mac. But pretty much everything else, too..except spiders!

4. Puns

5. Pop culture

6. Working with my students to help them learn more about themselves and the world around them

7. Helping fellow educators develop their own understanding of gifted education and how they can better serve our students

There is clearly much to explore. I am glad you are here with me as I share my thoughts in a quest to spread curiosity, kindness and joy. I strongly believe that what we do in gifted education is beneficial to all learners, and if we want to continue to grow and expand our own knowledge, we must share what we have learned and be open to learning from others. If we want our students to develop their potential and abilities, we must expose them to to all that is.

Feel free to email me or follow me on social media! I would love to connect and grow together!