Mrs. Johnson has been a lover of fantasy novels since a young age. Now as an English teacher at Wheeling Park, she transpires this love as a tool for connecting with students in order to further their education. 

Even though fantasy novels are fiction, Johnson is able to use them to build a connection with students.

“I mean the best part about fantasy is that it’s supposed to not be the real world, but at the same time there are so many relatable things in it,” Johnson said. 

To Johnson, relating to students is extremely important for education.

“If you can’t connect with a student, you’re not going to be as impactful,” Johnson said.

“If a kid is already one that reads for pleasure then sees a depth in a text or finally understands the analysis. When they feel successful, that moment of ‘they feel successful, I can praise them, and we come together as a unit’ and we discuss the joy of reading, that is just awesome.” 

The connections she makes offer her insight into who her students are, allowing her and the students to improve.

“When you can build that [connection] with reading, yes, absolutely the kid will do better,” Johnson said.

“I think it gives them the courage to take risks…If I know where their head’s at, I know where I need to get them.” 

Johnson’s position gives her the privilege of witnessing the first hand effects her connections produce.

“[For] some students it was very different. I could see it in their writing. So, if I can’t see it in their verbal, sometimes I do see it in their written skills,” Johnson said. 

She sees this outside the classroom as well.

“You would be amazed at the times kids have stopped me and been like ‘remember that time in class when we talked about x, y, or z’ or ‘I remember reading Othello, The Scarlett Letter, etc. in your class and it touched me, it changed me in some way’,” Johnson said. 

Johnson values seeing a student realize their own level of intelligence.

“That moment of the kid realizing they can do it without me, but I’m here to cheerlead them,” Johnson said.

“The ability to think for themselves and not just rehashing what I’ve already said to them. That they have their own ideas and they can bring their own analysis to the table…that’s just awesome.”