Welcome to 8^th Grade ELA!

My name is Mikala Taylor, and I am so excited to spend my sixth year teaching in the Indian Nation!  I grew up in Starkville, MS and graduated from Mississippi State University. I spend most of my time on the tennis courts, coaching the BHS Tennis team or watching my MSU Bulldogs!   

My intention is to create a classroom environment that invites creativity, curiousity, and compassion. I believe that providing students the skills they need to succeed in 8^th grade provides the foundation they need to succeed in high school and as members of our society.  In my class, we will focus on reading comprehension and critical thinking.  In addition, writing will be explored as a process and as a product; in other words, we will focus on the process of creating effective writing and the product that should be created as a result.  We will read the engaging novel, Ender's Game, and Unbroken, the poignant biography of WW2 and Olympic hero Louie Zamperini. Our work will be challenging, but it will be very rewarding!

I look forward to an amazing year in our beautiful building.  As members of Indian Nation, we will work together to instill pride in ourselves, our school, and our community. I am very involved in our school community, and I encourage my students to do so as well.