With education degrees in life science and chemistry, both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in chemistry in progress, Anneliese Johnson knows her way around the periodic table and the anatomy of a bullfrog.
She will be a new science teacher this fall.
Johnson was raised in Hallock, Minn., a town of 900 that’s tucked away in the northwest corner of the state, 20 miles south of the Canadian border and a dozen miles from North Dakota. She graduated from Kittson Central High School there.
Teaching is in her DNA.
“I grew up in a family of educators, so I've always been part of this world, but it was actually a tutoring position in college that made me decide to officially become a teacher. I loved being able to connect with individual students and develop strategies that work best for that student.”
Her undergrad degrees—with a psychology minor—are from Minnesota State University, Moorhead while her advanced degree is from Bemidji State University.
Before coming to Cleveland, she taught for four years in Lancaster, Minn., six miles northeast of Hallock. The K-12 enrollment there is 180.
“I grew up attending a small school and have worked the last four years in a small school. This environment is where I fit as a teacher because I do this job for the students. It's important to me that I know who my students are and what they care about. It was obvious to me from the day I interviewed that attitude is present here in Cleveland.”
Her proudest moment so far was watching the students from the very first class she ever taught, her first period on her first day as a teacher, walk across the stage at graduation last spring.
“I really had very little to do with their accomplishments, but it still felt like a significant milestone in my teaching career.”
She likes teaching most science subjects, but her favorite is biology.
“There are so many ways to make it hands-on and interactive.”
She is a huge Minnesota Twins fan and loves baseball in general.
“I have a bucket list trip to get to all the major league stadiums in North America and have been to 10 so far.”