SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — WAVY-TV 10 is celebrating excellent educators during May!
Taylor Flick-Saunders is an educator and coach at Florence Bowser Elementary School.
“Walking in is like a family. Anytime you see anyone in the hallway, it’s ‘Good morning!’ We all lift each other up,” Flick-Saunders said. “The students come in happy to be here, smiling, giving hugs. It’s just so warming!”
Dr. Shalise Taylor, Florence Bowser Elementary School Principal, is hopeful the young educator will pursue administration opportunities.
As her Principal, I witness firsthand the tremendous academic and behavioral progress her students make, along with her unwavering dedication to improving our entire school community. Her contributions as the Kindergarten Grade Chair, STEM Lead, Girls on the Run Coach, and member of both the PBIS and Principal Advisory Committees have left an invaluable impact on our students, staff, and school culture.
In her role as the Kindergarten inclusion teacher for several years, Ms. Flick has excelled in creating a supportive environment for all her students, including those facing severe academic and behavioral challenges. Her commitment to ensuring every child reaches their fullest potential has been transformative for our school.
Through her thoughtful implementation of individualized behavior supports and research-based best practices, she has prepared students with disabilities facing significant difficulties to thrive not only in her class but also as they transition to first grade.
One example that stands out occurred during the 2023-2024 school year, when Ms. Flick worked tirelessly with a student diagnosed with severe ADHD and Autism. At the start of the year, this student could not participate in a full day of school due to the difficulties he faced. However, Ms. Flick collected meticulous data, implemented targeted behavior interventions, and gradually built the student’s capacity to be fully engaged in the general education setting. Thanks to her efforts, this student was able to complete a full day of school by December of that year and is now thriving in first grade.
This year, Ms. Flick has shown the same compassion and skill with another student who displayed extreme emotional behaviors. She skillfully reduced his occurrences of behaviors from multiple episodes a day to none within just a few weeks. This student’s remarkable progress is yet another testament to Ms. Flick’s ability to connect with and uplift every child.
In addition to her classroom success, Flick’s leadership extends beyond her students. As Kindergarten Grade Chair and STEM Lead, she consistently supports her colleagues, fostering a collaborative spirit and encouraging innovation.
Her work with Girls on the Run has empowered young girls in our community, instilling confidence, resilience, and teamwork skills. Furthermore, her involvement in the PBIS and Principal Advisory Committees has directly influenced our school’s culture, creating a more inclusive and positive environment for everyone.
— Dr. Shalise Taylor, Principal
Flick-Saunders serves as the kindergarten grade chairperson and STEM lead teacher.
“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching a lot of students with ‘exceptionalities.’ In order to teach them, you first have to get on their level. You have to understand what they’re coming from, what is the reason for said behavior,” she explains.
She shares insight on her day-to-day methods, which include ‘working small ‘ and breaking the day into 12 sections.
“If you judge them by their full day, they will never earn a smiley face or a sticker. It’s terrifying to think of that, because so many educators kind of forget about that sometimes,” said Flick-Saunders.
The Suffolk Public School graduate hopes to inspire her students to overcome challenges.
I did struggle in school. One of my biggest goals is to show students that they can struggle and they can be diagnosed with different things. I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism… but you can be successful in your career. I’m a teacher. I just have such a success story for students to look at and be like, ‘Wow, that could be me. I can do that!’
Flick-Saunders
Flick-Saunders earned rookie teacher of the year in her first year, then 2024-2025 teacher of the year her seventh year.
“I feel very happy and proud just for everything that I’ve been able to accomplish in my seven years. I’m just so excited to see what’s to come. I’m always looking for ‘What’s next?’ I know it’s in education!”
Flick-Saunders concludes, “I’ve been very fortunate to work under phenomenal administrators. So when I first started, [Melodie] Griffin was the principal here. Now works at the school board office. Then Dr. Taylor came in! I’ve just been blessed with faithful, honest women who are here to tell you what you need!