If you're anything like us, you've likely had Taylor Swift's latest highly-anticipated album The Tortured Poets Department, plus the secret double album, on repeat since it dropped last week. While many Swifties have been busy trying to dissect all of the lyrics, a couple of the "Fortnight" singer's elementary school teachers are speaking out on their former student's history of writing poetry even as a young child.
Two of Swift's old teachers spoke to CBS Philadelphia about the success of their former student-turned-superstar. Barbara Kolvek, who was the "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" singer's music teacher in elementary school and even gave Swift "her very first singing solo," said the young Swift knew even when she was in second grade that she wanted to be a singer and would be constantly writing poems, per People.
"She was always writing poetry — always — even in music class, even when she shouldn't," said Kolvek, who also kept in touch with Swift "for a while" and hopes she "gave her a little spark or encouragement to do what she was doing."
It wasn't just Swift's former music teacher that recalls how Swift used to be in school as her third grade teacher, Heather Brown, still remembers Swift for the "special quality" she had when she knew her.
"You always remember every student from the quality they have," Brown said. "Taylor's quality was just being she was one of those students where people just drew to."
Brown, who stated that everything Swift touches "turns to gold, said seeing the success achieved by one of her students, especially the level that Swift has reached, has been unbelievable to witness.
"When she comes out on stage and everyone's screaming 'Taylor,'" she said, "it's like, oh my gosh, like I was her teacher."