A bearded man wakes up, the air fresh in his lungs.  He gets up, downs eight ounces of cool water, and does ten sit-ups.  Now, he’s ready for the day.  John Johnson likes to start everyday fresh, and get ready to share his knowledge of the English language. Upon arriving at school, he takes a different route than the other teachers, and heads to the mobiles, classroom 303.

Johnson knows the campus well, currently serving his fifth year as a teacher.  He teaches honors freshmen and regular sophomore classes, and is beloved by his students.   Freshman Leo McCabe has Mr. Johnson for honors English 1.

“Mr. Johnson gets us so involved in the class, he’s able to get your attention eve if its fourth period with the lights off,” said McCabe.

Time passes, and its already time for lunch.  It’s a Friday, but there’s no time for rest yet, because its Bocce time.  Mr. Johnson, and admitted bocce ball enthusiast, is the moderator for bocce ball club, a bi-monthly club here at Regis Jesuit.  After lunch though, its back to class where Johnson is able to adapt to anything.  Today, that happens to be silence.

He started October 27th as he would any other day but it would turn out to be a very unusual day. He arrived at 303 for 4W with his sophomores and began class as usual. The class discussed Shakespearean sonnets when the bell rang. Suddenly, the door crashed open and Ms. Cordia asked Mr. Johnson’s class to be quiet.  Her class was taking a quiz in the mobile classroom next door.

Mr. Johnson responded with, “Today I am going to do the impossible, I am going to teach without talking.”

Johnson leaped into action, making gestures and pointing this way and that.  He called students up to the board, wrote down the question, and had them circle the answer, underline the passage, or point to the object.  Somehow, the lecture made sense without any words.  Fifteen minutes after they started, Mr. Johnson broke the silence; “If you guys keep this up for thirty minutes I’ll buy you donuts, like no joke.”

The day epitomized Mr. Johnson’s style of teaching.  He is always ready for anything.  He’s present, he connects with his students, and leaves an impression everyday.