Mr. Hollander featured as "Class Favorite" in Richmond Magazine
Check out the feature from our very own Taylor Hollander in Richmond Magazine's Private School Guide by Laura Anders Lee.
When some men turn 40, they buy a motorcycle. Taylor Hollander decided to teach school.
Now 64, Hollander will retire from Orchard House Middle School next year. “It was a long and windy road to becoming a middle school teacher, but it’s a decision I’ve never regretted,” he says. “Teaching is a small contribution to making the world a better place.”
At Orchard House, an all-girls school in the Fan, Hollander found an opportunity to build the history program from the ground up.
While his lessons have been known to incorporate costumes, art, songs and raps, they also include deep discussions that help students connect the past with the present. Hollander often uses the city as a classroom, taking his students to the John Marshall Courts, Shalom Farms and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Hollander has written numerous articles and book reviews, developed national curriculum, and published an award-winning book about the history of Canada, where he was born and raised. He’s currently working on a book about Richmond in the early 1900s.
According to Hollander, one of his favorite things about teaching middle school is seeing the girls cross the bridge from concrete to conceptual thinking — plus, he adds, “It’s never boring.”
Hollander went into education because of the teachers who inspired him from grade school to graduate school. Now, many of his former students credit him for their careers in education — several have even become history teachers. He notes that even more important than creating lessons plans is building trust with students.
“Because we have these positive interactions, they’re more willing to take academic risks, demonstrate courage by trying new things and find their voices — and they’re more willing to make mistakes and realize it’s a valuable part of learning,” Hollander says. “Students aren’t going to remember everything you taught them, but they’ll remember how they felt in the classroom and if they enjoyed learning.”
Orchard House just announced a campaign in Hollander’s honor to help provide tuition assistance for qualifying girls throughout Richmond. While he is touched that his name is on the campaign, he’s quick to give the whole team a nod. “Teachers interact with students in the classroom, but staff keep the school running and provide students with a lot of support,” he says. “No contribution is more important than any other.”
