Congratulations Mrs. Johnson!
Is it deserving that your hard work and care is wholeheartedly acknowledged by students, peers, administration, and the community!
Ashley Johnson, this year’s Finley School District Crystal Apple Award winner, is a teacher who has had a marked impact on her students and school. Mrs. Johnson’s students know she believes in them, and they talk about how they enjoy being in her class. Parents appreciate her care and devotion toward their children, and her colleagues look to her for her wealth of knowledge. You will often find them consulting her in her room, the hallway, or the staff room.
For her part, Mrs. Johnson says, “winning the Crystal Apple Award feels like winning a Grammy Award for teaching!” She reports feeling amazing and shocked to be nominated for the award by her peers, supervisors, administration, and students. “It makes me feel as though I am truly making a difference in my community and helping students academically as well as through personal obstacles,” Mrs. Johnson declares. When reflecting on her service, she knows she does as much as she possibly can to help support her peers, students, and administration in her building and district.
Indeed, Finley Middle School Principal, Michael Harrington, wrote about how Mrs. Johnson understands that teaching is more than presenting material - it is being prepared with multiple engaging strategies. She thoughtfully takes her training from Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD), i-Ready, and Envision Math Curriculum and incorporates them daily in her lesson plans. Mrs. Johnson mentions that she prides herself on the understanding that every student learns differently, that students all want to learn, and in finding a way to reach them. She also prides herself on always trying a new strategy or tactic to get student involvement in her classroom, an attitude Mr. Harrington likewise recognized in his letter of support. Most telling, however, is how he found that if he asked students for one teacher at the middle school who impacted them, they would say Mrs. Johnson.
Mrs. Johnson recently challenged herself to take on the leadership role of Building Representative, and according to her peers, she performs this role fairly and equitably. In this role, she oversees the math department, having helped make decisions two years ago on curriculum and continuing to work with fellow teachers to build a community of learning in the school. She is also a building representative for the union, and she prides herself in being an open door for staff and students to come to have a conversation and being able to give them advice to help with their situation. Mrs. Johnson’s dedication and passion also radiates deeply in the community. Her community contributions, including teaching summer school, attending board meetings, and putting in extra time around the school, are recognized and appreciated by Finley community members, along with her teaching skills.
Mrs. Johnson was recognized alongside 8 other district award winners at the 25th annual
Crystal Apple Award ceremony at Educational Service District 123 on March 9, 2023.