THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT TEACHER: JOHNNA HUTCHISON Now in her eighth year at Sumner Academy and her 18th year as an educator, Johnna Hutchison teaches science to fifth and sixth graders. In addition to her teaching duties, she has served as the director of the middle school for the past five years. A native of Hendersonville, Johnna graduated from Pioneer Christian Academy, and then went on to earn bachelor’s degrees in biology and education from Lipscomb University. After graduation from Lipscomb, Johnna returned to Pioneer Christian Academy to teach English and science. After a year, she left to work for an insurance company where she reviewed patient medical histories in order to make recommendations for insurance coverage. After just one month on the job, Johnna was promoted to the training department after her skill at teaching others became apparent. “It was there that I realized that teaching was my passion,” she remembers. A year later, Harding Academy tapped her to fill a position and she taught fifth and sixth grade science until her son was born five years later. When she decided to return to full time work three years later, she knew she wanted to return to a middle school job. She was grateful for the opportunity to teach at Sumner Academy where her son, now a fifth grader, is also a student. Though Johnna enjoys teaching high school subjects, she prefers to be in the classroom with middle schoolers. “During the internships I completed in order to get my 7-12 teaching certification, it became very clear that middle school was where I belonged,” remembers Johnna who went on to do graduate work at Vanderbilt University as a Research Fellow with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and eventually earn a master’s degree in education from Cumberland University. “I fell in love with those middle school kids.” How does Johnna make learning exciting? “I’m an edu-tainer,” she laughs, adding that she draws from an impressive arsenal of unconventional techniques to keep and grow her students’ curiosity. Storytelling is one tactic that helps students connect abstract scientific concepts to their lives. “When we study Newton’s first law in fifth grade, I use the example of the mom arm,” says Johnna, referring to the universal tendency mothers have to hold their children in the front seat when hitting the brakes. She is also known for her alter egos, including the Atomic Marvel, a masked character from the planet Neutron who strides into the classroom wearing a cape with atomic symbols on the back and a shirt that says “Stand back, I’m getting ready to do science!” Johnna has also been known to show up in class sporting fairy wings and a tutu on days when the subject matter is a little more intimidating. “I will do whatever it takes to keep them focused,” she says. Johnna’s life on a 27-acre farm also provides plenty of fodder for the classroom. Recently, she created a sensation when she hatched chicks and brought them into class. Students from all over the school came in to hear her talk about chickens and how they develop. “Though this wasn’t an official part of the curriculum, I have the freedom to enhance my lessons with real world examples that most children will never get to see,” she says. “It is gratifying to have parents come to me and say ‘My kid has never seen a baby chick before and he loved it.’ Students are still going on about those chicks.” But it’s the light bulb moments that mean the most. “There’s nothing like going over a new concept and seeing their faces light up because they get it,” says Johnna, who points out that the small class size at Sumner Academy ups the number of light bulb moments she experiences in a day. “I know my students well and I have the freedom to tweak my presentation until I know they get it. I love that Sumner Academy gives me that flexibility. And I think my students love it, too.” Try It This Week: If you know a parent who is frustrated by the new common core standards and who might be interested in a more individualized education for their children, tell them about Sumner Academy. Invite them to accompany you on a campus tour to observe teachers like Johnna Hutchison in action. Or plant seeds for the future by stopping by Sheree’ Zobl’s office to pick up a handful of the school’s brochures. Leave them in the waiting areas of the health care providers and professional service firms you visit during the week. Small gestures like these can play a big role in helping people learn about Sumner Academy’s innovative approach to education.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:12:01 +0000
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