Since 2011, Elizabeth Taylor has been working as a history teacher at Princeton High School, teaching AP United States History and Accelerated Sociology. She has achieved her childhood dream of becoming a high school history teacher.

Taylor began teaching in 2002 at Westford Academy in Massachusetts after getting her bachelor’s degree. There, she taught both US history and World history, a subject she misses teaching at PHS. In Massachusetts, she gained experience teaching very motivated and high-achieving students.

“Westford [Academy] was very similar to PHS [in that it was] a very competitive school with lots of top-performing students expecting to get into top colleges. The students are all trying to do it all,” said Taylor.

Since then, a lot has changed for teachers like herself in terms of distractions both inside and outside of class. In class, the culprit is cell phones. Taylor believes that cellphones are important in an academic environment but that there is a fine line between it serving as a tool or a distraction.

“Some teachers prefer to put cellphones in cellphone jail, but what I struggle with is there are valid reasons for having cell phones during class such as keeping track of homework assignments, recording when their next test is going to be, or even to look[ing] up important information during class. What seems to work best for me is setting clear expectations, but with flexibility,” Taylor said.

Another challenge she faces is her students' busy schedules. She observes that her students are busy with sports, activities, and other challenging classes. She can relate to having the same challenge with her own children.

“Next weekend, we have eight games, and we also have a Cub Scout campout. They take art classes at the library. They’re just really busy. As a teacher, I see high school students trying to do it all; they want to take five AP classes, be president of this club, and want to play three varsity sports. You can’t do everything, there are not enough hours in the day,” Taylor said.

However, she understands the challenges her students are facing, facing the same challenges with her own children.

“As a parent, I’m struggling to make those same types of decisions because it’s tough to say no when it’s something that they’re passionate about because I want to encourage their passions. But I also don’t want them to burn out. So I definitely have more sympathy for my students as I’m watching my children navigate themselves,” said Taylor.

Her sympathy and teaching experience are shown in what her students have to say. She is described by her students to be “demanding” but also fair and supportive in their academic environment.

“She is a very committed teacher who does a lot for the students that she teaches. She provides a lot of support for her students and really tries to help them succeed, whether in the classroom or for the AP Exam,” said Emma Liu ’26.

Outside of teaching, Taylor is an avid reader, currently reading “The Hunger Games.” Even her pets, a dog and two cats, are named after characters from books that she enjoyed. Additionally, she loves to dance and is currently enrolled in an adult tap dancing class.