Taylor Wallace is a twin, and that’s a big part of her identity.
But when she was in third grade, a teacher recognized that Taylor had more to offer than just being known as a twin.
“She was the first adult who made me feel like I had my own individual offerings to provide to the world,” she said. “I wanted to go into teaching to help other children recognize what makes them special, and help them realize that they have the individual power to change the world!”
So Taylor attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and graduated with her degree in elementary education in 2015. Her major gave her valuable experience and prepared her to lead her own classroom.
“The elementary education program allowed me to walk into real classrooms as early as my freshman year,” she said. “From the get-go, I was able to observe great teachers and get ideas from their classrooms that still help me today.
“I was also able to teach in front of professors who provided me with very valuable feedback to better myself.”
Now, she teaches fourth grade gifted math and science at Woodvale Elementary School — and partner teaches with her twin sister Morgan Meaux.
“I love that I get to instill new knowledge in an upcoming generation,” she said. “I also appreciate the challenge of trying to make education as fun and engaging as possible, while still following curriculum and expectations. It's my passion to make kids look forward to coming to school!”
Taylor has also partnered with her twin sister in another way: using social media to inspire other educators. With their handle @DoubleDutyTeachers, they’re sharing their teaching journey, teaching tips, lesson plan ideas, and other resources.
“We strive every day to inspire educators to try new ideas in their classrooms,” Taylor said. “We also like making sure the public sees the good in education these days!”