In her seventh grade English language arts classroom at Pine River Middle School in LeRoy, Michigan, Stephanie Johnson creates a calm, structured, and student-centered environment where learners thrive. Known for her high expectations and engaging instruction, she meets with students individually during lunch to mentor them, set goals, and review progress using data-driven instruction. Her creative lessons, like the Edgar Allan Poe debate and Holocaust book study, blend academic rigor with real-world connections. She dresses as historical figures, uses multimedia to deepen understanding, and proudly displays student work to inspire ownership and engagement.
Johnson’s classroom results speak for themselves: her students consistently exceed growth targets, with 99.47% meeting ELA growth goals. After identifying a gap in informational literacy at her school, she created a class to address it, leading to steady improvement across test scores in sixth and seventh grade.
Her leadership extends beyond the classroom. Johnson serves on the School Improvement Team, School Leadership Team, and District Improvement Team. She is also the seventh grade lead, department chair, and a mentor for new teachers. She secured funding to bring powerful literature into her classroom for her Holocaust teaching, culminating in a field trip to the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills.
Johnson lives in the Pine River community, where her children also attend school. She is deeply invested in building strong family-school connections and regularly communicates with parents to engage them in their child’s learning. A constant presence at school events, she is known for being one of the last to leave and always willing to lend a hand.
A graduate of Saginaw Valley State University, Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts in English education in 2011 and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT): K-12 Literacy Specialist degree in 2021.
Press Release: Michigan Educator Honored with “Oscar of Teaching” for Creativity in the Classroom
