One of our newest teachers, Mr. Nick Johnson started out as a study hall facilitator and now has become a full-fledged teacher for AP World History and College Prep World History classes. Talent as a teacher aside, have you ever thought about what Mr. Johnson is like behind the scenes? Well, Mr. Johnson, like all other humans, has other passions besides teaching.

For one, “I love to golf… [I] love watching basketball NBA and football NFL” One of his interests that was most outstanding was his propensity for music. “Outside I play music; I like really doing any genre,” Johnson said. But a couple of weeks ago, I saw a man walk up on stage during the Christmas Assembly and start singing, and my jaw dropped.

Mr. Johnson, the newest addition to the teaching staff, sings?! Well, ladies and gentleman, it’s true. But how come we students didn’t know about this? Well, I went to ask that very same question and the answer… well, take a look for yourself.

“When I was in my teen years…it was just always really enjoyable for me to sing,” Johnson said. He even involves himself in singing ventures, “I don’t do a whole lot of public stuff but sometimes …my brother [and I] — we’ll do a recording project or I might just do individual stuff.”

This passion of his wasn’t just started by listening to the radio but rather from his grandma. “She loved to sing— she had a great voice and growing up hearing her sing—you know—come to think of it, that was my inspiration. She was an endearing person in my life.” He looked up to a lot of people emotionally and literally.

But there is that question that rises up again: how come this teacher likes so many similar things that we do but doesn’t share about it? Mr. Johnson said, “Try to keep your talent, what you love to do, try to compartmentalize [your] job” and your passions separate for enjoyment in and outside of school.

Showing your passions to your students creates unique relationships. When I talked to Mr. Johnson it seemed as though he had a lot of knowledge of making sure his students had a relationship with him so that he could have the best support system for them to strive and succeed. “I think it’s fun to show the kids there are other things that teachers do that are fun and enjoyable, It builds a connection with the kids, you know.”

“My biggest philosophy to teaching is first treating students as human beings. Treat them with a mind to think you know emotions to feel. Treat them as if they have their own personalities and… it’s through that your able to just naturally teach it and teaching is just a byproduct…so building it off of that is crucial for me,” Mr. Johnson said.