Episode #68: An Educator’s Journey to Spark the Learning in Others with Meredith Johnson

Meredith Johnson has over 40 years as a teacher, principal, administrator, and now connector of book lovers through social media. Meredith seeks out others to work collaboratively within the integration of 21st Century Learning Skills.

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Meredith loves working with adults, guiding them in developing their academic skills, and using technology as a tool to help them achieve their goals. Meredith is an avid user of Twitter as a tool for learning. That’s how I met Meredith and am so excited to have had a conversation with her. Enjoy Meredith’s journey!

About your family

My husband,John, and I have retired to our place in paradise on the Isles of Capri, just across from Marco Island, Florida. I have amazing adult sons; the eldest,Charles, is an attorney in Southern Illinois, the second, Matthew, works in the computer technology field and the youngest, Jonathan has less than 50 days left until he finishes law school in Colorado.

What it was like for you as a student/learner

I had an amazing education from pre-school – 7th grade in Minneapolis, MN. My family then moved to Southern Illinois where I finished high school and earned a joint, bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education. I also achieved a Master’s degree from Southern IL University in educational leadership/special education with an endorsement as a director of special education. I always adored school and especially books. As a child, I would take books from the shelves in our living room, place them on a table with “library cards,†and try to get my three brothers to check them out. My mother was always so upset with me as I would never play with dolls as I was too busy playing “school.†My eldest brother had substantial learning challenges and for most of our childhood, long before P.L. 94 – 142 he attended a private boarding school for children with learning problems.

In the late 1950s, public schools in Minneapolis were not prepared to meet the needs of children with behavior or learning challenges. We’ve come a LONG way from those days. I went into special education with the intent of making a difference for children with learning difficulties. I am also a third generation teacher. My grandmother taught in a one-room schoolhouse in southern MN, and my mother, nursing at the University of Minnesota. I still have the bell my grandmother used to call students into class.

Once, I took it with me in my purse, to a job interview with the intent of sharing with those on the interview committee my tremendous dedication toward education and the long history my family had with it.

About your journey as an educator

I started teaching as a 4th-6th-grade teacher of children with disabilities for 4 years and then another 3 years for 7th and 8th-grade children in another district. Other roles included Curriculum Coordinator, Title I Coordinator, ESEA Coordinator, grant writer, Summer School Coordinator, and After-school Director.

I became Principal at Unity School in Wisconsin, an elementary school with 500+ students, 42 certified teachers, and 14 non-certified personnel. For eight years, I was Principal of Robert Mitchell Elementary School, an elementary school with 400 students, 30 certified teachers, and 18 non-certified personnel. Our at-risk student population consists of 65% Hispanic, 93% low socio-economic and 52% English Language Learners.

For two years, I was Principal of Frances Willard Elementary (Rock Island/Milan District #41) that has been one, of only two, School Improvement Grant (SIG) sites in Illinois. I worked with a fantastic team of educators where we implemented the four goals of the grant to transform student behavior and achievement.

Using technology as a tool to assist with transforming our school has been very helpful. A complete understanding of literacy and mathematics has helped guide the decisions that needed to be made. Using enthusiasm for growth has assisted in being an effective turnaround leader.

I was Intervention Support Specialist at Collier County Public Schools where I participated in annual self-assessment monitoring of student records in compliance with all requirements of IDEA and its regulations; Florida Statutes related to Special programs for Exceptional students; and Exceptional Student Education/Florida Education Finance Program (ESE/FEFP). I assisted district and school-based administrators with F.T.E., student projections, compliance monitoring, and federal, state and local reports.

I was Intervention Support Specialist at Collier County Public Schools where I participated in annual self-assessment monitoring of student records in compliance with all requirements of IDEA and its regulations; Florida Statutes related to Special programs for Exceptional students; and Exceptional Student Education/Florida Education Finance Program (ESE/FEFP). I assisted district and school-based administrators with F.T.E., student projections, compliance monitoring, and federal, state and local reports.

Retiring but not really in Isles of Capri, Florida

How Twitter connected you to educators

Seven years ago, when attending a conference in Dallas, Texas a terrible ice storm hit the city. I was sitting in a hallway, waiting for a session to begin, when a fellow educator asked me if I was connected on Twitter yet. Slowly, I began connecting with other educators. Over the years, I have a marvelously supportive #PLN that has developed. My connections with social media began when AOL first began back in 1993 so I have been using this for over 26 years. Now, I try my best each day to be the spark that ignites the learning in others.

I gain so much by helping and sharing resources I have tucked away from the 40 years I have been in education.

BookCampPD

Once I stopped walking the hallways of schools each day, I knew I wanted to stay connected with other educators and Twitter chats were the perfect way to do this. I spent several months reflecting on what the main topic of the chat would be. I finally decided the best way I could help others would be through helping them with their own professional learning. I saw so many chats about books and realized that only reading a book might not take an educator to fully implementing the ideas they read about. So for a month, one book would be the focus with four different chat topics –

• Book Tasting – Talking about Specific Aspects in the Book,
• Shine the Spotlight – Educators Brag About What Their School/District is Implementing Pertaining to Topic in the Book.
• Front Porch Swing – It is a “throwback†to the past, when on warm summer evenings, neighbors often gathered together on front porches, shared stories, laughed and built friendships that lasted a lifetime.
• Author of the Book – Educators would share strategies and resources that are taking place in their classroom, school, district or local setting from the highlighted book that is the focus and finally having the author of the book join the chat. Over time I found I wanted educators, who joined the chat each week, to have an opportunity to share their voice and choices about the chat so I began using surveys. From their input the chat has evolved to a different day and time, rotating the book every two weeks and having one week with a guest moderator and the following week a guest author. A website was added that extends the learning about each book and chats that occur.

https://bookcamppd.com/learn-specifics-about-website/ Short presentation about bookcamppd.com elements

Meredith Johnson’s Contact Info

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjjohnson1216/
• Twitter: @mjjohnson1216
• Moderator of #BookCampPD
• website www.bookcamppd.com