Tayler Bomar is an innovative, heartfelt educator and proud Mitchell County native who currently teaches second grade at Greenlee Primary School in Mitchell County Schools. With seven years of experience in both second and third grade, she brings dedication, creativity, and a deep sense of purpose to everything she does. In 2025, she was honored as the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Northwest Region Teacher of the Year, a reflection of her exceptional teaching and impact within her school and beyond.
What makes Tayler’s journey especially meaningful is that she now teaches in the very same elementary school where she was once a second-grade student herself. She is deeply rooted in her community, and her love for her hometown and her county runs through everything she does. For Tayler, teaching is not just a profession—it’s a calling to give back to the place that shaped her and to uplift the next generation in the very classrooms that once inspired her. She takes great pride in elevating the voices of rural educators and showcasing the incredible work happening every day in Mitchell County.
Tayler is known for creating a classroom environment that feels like a family. She is grounded in the belief that students should be valued not only for what they achieve academically, but for who they are as people. She builds strong, authentic relationships with her students and their families, taking time to understand each child’s background, interests, and unique needs. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in relationships, a sense of community, and equity for all students across North Carolina.
Certified in Orton-Gillingham, LETRS, and Apple Education, Tayler combines research-based literacy instruction with cutting-edge technology to create engaging, student-centered learning experiences. From iPads and Logitech crayons, to airdropping interactive math journals to students, to student-led tech tutorials and animated GIFs of the pumpkin life cycle, her classroom is a place where innovation and curiosity come to life. One of her favorite activities involves a science experiment where students carve pumpkins, seal them in jars, and watch the process of decomposition and regrowth—just one example of her love for hands-on, inquiry-based learning.
Tayler also gives students choice and leadership opportunities, encouraging them to take ownership of their learning and use technology as a tool to teach and inspire others. Her instructional practices support independence, creativity, and confidence in every child she teaches.
Beyond the classroom, Tayler is a leader in her school and district. She serves as School Improvement Team Chair and is a member of the Mitchell County Innovation Team, for technology. She has helped lead numerous community engagement initiatives, such as Friends for lunch, a program that invites guardians and community members to have lunch with the children at school. She has also fostered events where community members read with students or enjoy breakfast together, all part of her commitment to strengthening the bond between schools and the families they serve.
Tayler is passionate about advocating for rural schools in North Carolina and works to shine a light on the strengths and unique challenges faced by small communities like her own. She believes public education should be championed, and that public school teachers should be revered for the vital work they do each day. Her goal is to elevate not only her students, but also her colleagues, her school, and the broader community of Mitchell County.
Tayler Bomar is a servant leader, an innovative thinker, and a deeply compassionate educator. Her work is changing lives—and helping shape a brighter, more equitable future for all students in North Carolina.