Mr. Johnson is Charlottesville High School’s (CHS) very own history teacher. He is a teacher by day, and business owner by night. He was also a double threat back in his day graduating from high school with a GPA of 4.3 as well as having a 40 yard dash time of 4.3.
Mr. Johnson graduated from CHS in 1995 and then returned to his old stomping grounds seventeen years ago when he took a position as a history teacher.
“In between jobs, I got on a substitute list, and I started working with students in Charlottesville City School and Albemarle County. Working those few months, I was making a positive connection with students and making a good impact on the kids. [I] found one of my passions.” Johnson said.
He didn’t always know that he wanted to be a teacher as he had always dreamt of being a videogame designer. With the help of his mom, who taught for 37 years and recommended him to the profession, he found something that had always been inside of him: a love for teaching.
He currently teaches honors African American History, Honors US government, and finally AP Government. Mr. Johnson has no favorites, telling KTR, “I really like teaching both classes.” Mr. Johnson enjoys teaching government as it allows him to show students the important role they play in democracy and see students enjoy making connections with today. He also loves to teach African American History because it shows a new narrative of history and allows students to discover the hidden figures who contributed to our history.
Mr. Johnson is a double threat, not only does he teach but he also founded and runs his business, Bald and Beautyful. Bald and Beautyful was founded a couple of years ago to fill the void of bald skin care such as moisturizers and sunscreen. He later expanded to beard care to fill yet another gap in the market. Mr. Johnson wants students to know, “If you solve a problem for you it solves it for other people as well,” and this can be seen with success in his business.
He uses his business to build connections with his students and show them that anything is a possibility. Mr. Johnson’s story often resonates with kids and encourages them to be lifelong learners who continue to discover new passions.
Having two jobs does not come without challenges but Mr. Johnson has been able to find a balance that has allowed him to excel in both. He has had to focus on organization and staying in the moment to allow him to accomplish tasks in a time-efficient manner. He has also had to prioritize what is important and cut back on things.
Senior, Neveah Harrel, is currently in two of Mr. Johnson’s classes, Honors African American History and Government. Harrel’s favorite part of his classes is “his personality [because it] brings a lot to the class and he makes it a safe place for everyone”. She also described how Mr. Johnson can have fun while also teaching students a lot. She also went on to say, “If you don’t have Mr. Johnson, try to get him next year because he’s a really good teacher.”
Mr. Johnson has so many amazing memories from the past 20-plus years at CHS both being a student and teacher. Mr. Johnson says he loves, “Graduation every year because I’m so excited for my students accomplishing one goal in their lives as they prepare to start the next journey in their lives.”
Mr. Johnson wants to leave students with a message: “There are no shortcuts, you have to put the work in. Whatever you want to focus on, put the work in to be successful. You see the finished product, the musician on the stage, the doctor doing surgery, not the years of work.”
