As class commences and the students file into room C123, history teacher Holly Johnston greets each of them. 

“Hi Savannah! How’s your day going?” she says to sophomore Savannah Woodson. 

A smile spreads across Savannah’s face, her mood instantly brightening as she begins to respond. This is the class she looks forward to every day. 

Through enthusiastic greetings and meaningful conversations, Ms. Johnston is a teacher who is intentional about building relationships with her students.

Ms. Johnston’s passion for teaching began in 2000 when she was student teaching in Michigan and the U.S.S. Cole, a U.S. Navy destroyer, was bombed.

“After the U.S.S. Cole was bombed there was a lot of backlash and anti-Muslim backlash, and I had kids sitting in front of me who didn’t know anything about it, and I felt like this is an opportunity for us to have those difficult conversations especially for these students,” she recalled.

From that moment, Ms. Johnston has been committed to creating classroom environments where students can engage in thoughtful dialogue and feel seen and heard by their peers and teachers.

To facilitate this environment, Ms. Johnston has a phones-away policy in her classroom, which allows for her to better engage with her students and learn more about them. 

“It’s important for kids to build relationships with adults that are not their parents and just have conversations where they can feel seen and connected to,” she said. 

In her Modern World Religions class, sophomore Nolan Sharma noticed Ms. Johnston’s routine of greeting her students.

“Every morning she goes around the class when people come early and asks them what’s going on,” Nolan said. 

But the relationships Ms. Johnston builds with her students extend beyond the classroom, too. She takes interest in their hobbies and what’s happening in their lives. 

“They don’t just live on my Early World History island,” Ms. Johnston said, “I wanna know what they love!” 

Junior Adelina Mejia, who had Ms. Johnston for both ninth grade and sophomore year, appreciates how she remembers and cares about her interests. 

“I think she knows more about me than any other teacher,” Adelina said, “The things that I’ll say in passing conversations, she’ll remember. She knows my interests, so if something pops up that sounds interesting she’ll let me know.”

Atticus Richard, another sophomore student in her Modern World Religions class, admires her relatability. 

“I think that’s another part of her teaching style,” Atticus recalled. “For her to actually teach you, she needs to get to know you.”

In addition to the personal conversations she has with her students, Ms. Johnston’s cheerful and enthusiastic demeanor lightens the mood of her classes while teaching.

Adrian Wyers, a sophomore in her Modern World Religions class, said, “I really like her energy. It definitely reflects that she’s very passionate to teach. Often I find that when teachers are more passionate to teach something, usually their class is a lot more engaging and fun to be in. She’s a great example of that.” 

A big part of Ms. Johnston’s teaching philosophy is acknowledgment. In addition to remembering the little details of her students, she makes sure to give “grows and glows” when giving feedback, which acknowledges the things her students did well.

“I feel like all of you are doing things that are right and good. All of you,” Ms Johnston said, “and you need to know that so you keep doing them. But then we all have some room for growth, too.”

Her interactions with not just her students, but anyone in the hallways, is also a habit she values. 

“If we are walking the halls of this building, we are all a part of this community,” Ms. Johnston stressed as she explained the importance of “just picking up your head and saying hi.” 

Sophomore Venice Czarnecki-Lichstein enjoys talking to Ms. Johnston and loves it when she acknowledges them outside of class. 

“When I have a relationship with her that goes a little bit further than the history classroom, it gets me more engaged in the class and excited to see her,” Venice said.  

When class is over and it’s time for her students to leave her classroom, Ms. Johnston calls out a goodbye to all her students.

“Be kind, be good, it’s always worth it,” she says smiling as they walk out the door.