It has been a year since Ms. Emily Johns started teaching, joining UHS after a year of student teaching here. Since she started, she has been praised for her ability to connect with her students by her fellow staff members and her students. 

“That [ability] helps the environment at UHS overall because there’s a population of people who know that there are caring adults they can reach out to if they need to,” English 3 teacher Mrs. Freya Remmer said.

Ms. Johns chose to teach English because she believes it is a subject that can be applied to other classes and beyond school. 

“Developing the ability to read and write allows us to be critical thinkers and better communicators,” Ms. Johns said. “No matter where you go or what you do, these skills will always serve you well.” 

Mrs. Rachel Kynor, an AP English Literature and Composition teacher, complimented Johns for being so positive and enthusiastic. 

“She is constantly willing to go above and beyond in helping her students and contributing to the school,” Mrs. Kynor said. “She truly has a gift for connecting with students, especially those who find it difficult to bond with other teachers on campus.” 

The first year of teaching is generally considered to be the most challenging. 

“She did wonderfully!” Mrs. Kynor said. “I know that she felt overwhelmed at times, as we all do, but she taught her students so much and really helped prepare them for their next year in English and school in general.” 

Mrs. Kynor also joked that through Johns, she learned about pop culture like TikTok. She is thankful that Ms. Johns taught her about the topics students talk about today. 

“Since I’m pretty old, Ms. Johns is more plugged into current pop culture than I am, so she taught me a lot about the references and topics my students talk about regularly,” Mrs. Kynor said. “I’m grateful for that as it helps me not feel quite so old.”

Although Mrs. Remmer has been a UHS teacher for a while, she was still able to learn from Johns. 

“I did learn from her to listen thoughtfully before speaking,” Mrs. Remmer said. “She does that, and I admire people who do that.”

Overall, the first year of teaching can be difficult, but Johns has transitioned well. Ms. Johns herself is grateful for the staff and her students. 

“I am thankful to my colleagues for welcoming me into such a supportive environment,” Ms. Johns said. “I’d also like to give a shoutout to my students for showing up every day, working hard and making the job fun!”