When we made the bold decision to build a high school at Horse Creek Academy, I knew we’d need electives—those meaningful, engaging classes that go beyond the basics and ignite curiosity. So, I looked at our schedule, our needs, and my own passions and thought: I’ll teach criminology.
At first, it was simply about filling a slot. I believed in the importance of electives and wanted to model what it looks like to step in and build something. What I didn’t expect was how much it would become one of the most energizing, grounding parts of my day.
Today, I still teach criminology—and the psychology of happiness—every morning during first block. While the rest of my day is filled with decisions, meetings, and the wide-ranging duties of being a school leader, those first 90 minutes are sacred. They remind me why I do this work.
Criminology hooks students instantly. There’s something about exploring true crime, psychology, justice, and real-world systems that speaks to them. We analyze high-profile cases, examine wrongful convictions, unpack ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and dive deep into topics like Gavin’s Law, school shootings, and criminal profiling. We talk about trauma, resilience, morality, media bias, and the complexity of human behavior.
The psychology of happiness class offers a beautiful balance—where we study gratitude, habits, self-worth, mindset, and emotional intelligence. It’s science-based, research-backed, and incredibly human. Students learn how to protect their joy, name their emotions, and build lives of purpose.
These two courses, back-to-back, offer something rare: a full-spectrum lens on the human experience.
And with nearly 400 high school students rotating through these courses, I have the gift of knowing them—not just as a leader who makes announcements or signs off emails, but as their teacher. We laugh, we debate, we get curious together. I learn just as much from them as they do from me.
There is power in choosing to stay in the classroom, even while leading the vision of a school. It keeps me connected. It keeps me humble. It reminds me of the stakes of this work and the hope these students carry.
What started as a scheduling need has become the highlight of my day. First block is where I get to see the spark. It’s where the mission of our school lives out loud—in case studies, in questions about justice, and in conversations about joy.
We built a high school to give our students more. Turns out, it gave me more, too.
—Dr. Ann Marie Taylor
Chief Vision Officer, Lead Learner, and Proud First Block Teacher
Horse Creek Academy