Mathematics
Dr. Ariel J. Taylor is a professor in the Mathematics Department at Austin Community College (ACC). Currently in her 16th year of teaching, Ariel’s career spans the full spectrum of the educational landscape, having served as a high school mathematics teacher, a district-level leader, and a professor for pre-service teachers. She is the author of Party of Four, Please and Dear Educators, You Got This. Ariel is passionate about integrating technology into STEM education, always centering her signature “6th E” framework to make mathematics more accessible for students and more sustainable for educators.
How has your community college teaching experience shaped your character over your career?
Teaching at the community college level has fundamentally reshaped my character by proving that true education begins with authentic human connection. I realized early on that my students are often skeptical and guarded, giving whole new meaning to the phrase, “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Showing genuine support and authenticity isn’t just a personal value, it is the essential foundation that gives students the safety to take intellectual risks. Listening to their hesitation surrounding tools like AI forced me to practice intellectual humility, pushing me to truly consider their needs and serve them as thoughtful citizens. This environment has also deepened my commitment to fostering curiosity through the power of inquiry. I have shifted my entire mission from routine formula-crunching toward helping students find true appreciation and real-world application of mathematics. My students don’t just want to know how; they desperately want to know why, and serving that need has made me a far more attentive, empathetic, and reflective educator.