Local teacher receives award
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RONAN — Jessica Johnson, an eighth-grade teacher from Ronan School District, received the Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award honoring the Montana History Teacher of the year for the seventh through 12th grade level.
Born and raised on a family ranch near St. Ignatius, Johnson comes from homesteaders on one side and Native Americans on the other.
These diverse elements of her personal history contribute to her teaching style and enable her to connect to her students and their families.
Johnson graduated from Montana State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Public Administration and returned to MSU and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education. After that, Jessica earned her Masters of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Montana.
During college, Johnson worked as a tutor, which inspired her to become a teacher because it made her feel useful and appreciated.
For the past eight years, Johnson has taught social studies at the middle school level, with an emphasis on Native American Studies and takes her class on an annual trip to visit the state capitol in Helena each year.
On top of her teaching, Johnson is an active part of developing the Indian Education curriculum within Ronan Middle School. Johnson relies on the local community and the many resources that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the state offer to intertwine being a Montana citizen and living on Flathead Indian Reservation.
As her extensive schooling indicates, Johnson has a thirst to continue to grow as an educator and seeks out various trainings around the state that provide more resources to cultivate her students and community.
"You need to pick your battles wisely,” said Johnson. She added that never giving up on the kids was also an important take-away from her years of teaching.
In a letter that nominated Johnson for this award, student Haley McDaniel applauded Johnson on her teaching style.
“Before we went to Helena we studied the branches of government and our rights as citizens,” McDaniel said.
“We wrote bills and tried to pass them in class. Debating everyone’s bills was really fun and interesting. While at the Capitol it was cool to see where they make laws for Montana.”
Johnson, along with her class at the time, will travel to the state capitol on Monday, Nov. 7 to ring the Montana Statehood Centennial bell at the exact minute that Montana because a state 127 years ago. The ceremony will be held one day early due to the statehood day falling on election day this year. She will receive a plaque and $2,750 from the Montana Television Network, the Montana History Foundation, and the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers.
The money may be used for Montana history teaching related expenses.
“I was very shocked at first and very humbled,” said Johnson after receiving the award. Johnson brings a lot of energy and knowledge to her classroom, according Ronan Middle School Principal Mark Johnston. He said his students are fortunate to have a teacher such as Johnson.
A distinguished panel of Montana history advocates made the final selection for this year’s award. Norma Ashby of Great Falls has coordinated the contest since its inception by the Montana Television Network 27 years ago.
(Editor’s note: Valley Journal reporter Mollie Lemm contributed to this press release.)
