Educator Spotlight: Knikole Taylor
Sometimes I am so blessed to get to sit down with educators, who most of the time have also become good friends, and just spotlight the great work they have done and continue to do!
One of those friends is Educator, Speaker, Consultant, Author Knikole Taylor! Knikole is in Grad School, a mother of three, wife of 19 years, and even founded The Rethink Learning Summit this past summer! She truly amazes me with her knowledge and leadership in EdTech, ability to bring amazing people together, and willingness to tackle important issues of education reform and equity.
Knikole would never brag on herself, so I will just do it for her!
Knikole Has Boundaries
Even though she seems to be in all the things and do all the stuff, Knikole will say her greatest joy is her family. She is a hard worker, but she puts boundaries in place and sticks with them, and she enjoys time with her family. Whether working at home or in the office, she knows how to stick to office hours. I truly admire her as a mother and educator. She knows what is important and prioritizes accordingly.
Developing a Professional or Personal Learning Network is so important. Another reason I love having Knikole as a friend is she walks the walk personally and professionally. I know that the person I am talking to on the phone is the same person I will eat with at Burger Fi. The longer I live, the more I know that not all people operate like that.
Knikole Helps Teachers
I hope you will follow Knikole and learn from her too, if you aren’t already. She is in the business of helping teachers and regularly shares her reflections and book reviews! She will challenge you! She will pull you in, respectfully, if you need to be reeled in. She’s become someone I can rely on and trust. I truly do appreciate her as a human, wife, mom, educator, and leader.
Finally….Happy Birthday, Knikole! Thank you for ALL you do as a leader in education!
About the Author
Melody McAllister is a wife, mother of five, educator, and author. She and her family relocated to Alaska from the Dallas area in 2019. McAllister is 2017 Garland NAACP Educator of the Year and author of the I’m Sorry Story. She is also the Logistics Manager for EduMatch Publishing and Alice Keeler, LLC. McAllister has spoken at ISTE and ASTE about equity issues in education, and writes about her journey in her blog, HeGaveMeAMelody.com. If you would like to schedule an author read with your class, please contact her on Twitter or email her at melody@mjmcalliwrites.com.
Join Melody’s BookChat every Wednesday at 8pm EST at YouTube.com/melodymcallister