There are people who hold leadership positions, and then there are people who spend a lifetime building other leaders.

Bob Taylor is one of those people.

In Episode 95, Matt Parris and Paul Sausville sit down with a man whose influence can be found throughout Bradley County education—and for Matt, this one is personal. Bob was his elementary school principal at Michigan Avenue Elementary.

Originally from Maryland, Bob wore many hats throughout his career: teacher, coach, administrator, principal, mentor, and eventually Director of Schools for Bradley County Schools. Along the way, he helped prepare countless educators for leadership, including Tim Riggs, who taught PE under Bob at Michigan Avenue before beginning his own long career as a principal.

One of the most fascinating parts of the conversation centers on reading.

Bob shares that it wasn't until college that he realized he couldn't read as well as some of the students around him. What college gave Bob was something simple but powerful: practice.

Years later, that experience helped shape the way he thought about students and reading.

Alongside legendary Bradley County educator Herbert Lackey, Bob became instrumental in bringing Accelerated Reader to Bradley County Schools. He remembers the impact the program had on their schools, their students, and ultimately their test scores—and explains why he believed giving kids opportunities to simply read, practice, and experience success could be transformational.

But Bob Taylor is much more than his career in education.

We talk tennis, coaching, woodworking, ping pong, leadership, family, mentorship, and the people who shaped him along the way.

And yes, we also discover Bob Taylor's preferred alternatives to actual swear words:

”Great Mother Bear!”

”Judas Priest!”

And when things get REALLY serious…

”Jerkface.”

Bob also speaks openly about being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2023 and how lessons learned through a lifetime of athletics, competition, leadership, discipline, and perseverance are helping him approach this chapter of his life.

Several times during our conversation, Bob becomes emotional.

What's striking is what brings those emotions out.

He gets emotional remembering what people did for his students. He gets emotional talking about people who invested in others. Even one story about losing his temper with a teacher decades ago still clearly matters to him.

That may tell you more about Bob Taylor than any résumé ever could.

This is a conversation about education, leadership, literacy, mentorship, resilience, gratitude—and what can happen when someone spends a lifetime investing in other people.

🎙️ Downright Mindful — Episode 95
Hosted by Matt Parris & Paul Sausville

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