Redwood alumni goes against all odds to return and pursue teaching English

By Mia Trevino

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some teachers were not able to return back to campus for this school year. Because of this, there have been several new teachers on the Redwood campus this year.

Adam Johnson was in New Jersey before he moved to Visalia when he was thirteen years old in 1984. Due to his father’s career, he moved around.

Johnson, former Redwood alumni, has taken over Mrs. Moore’s position in the English department. Before coming to Redwood, he has had quite an eventful journey.

“My story is a little different than most,” states Johnson. He was a former history teacher at La Sierra Military Academy for two years and before that he was a writing tutor at the University of Channel Islands.

Johnson graduated in 2016. When asked why he wanted to be a teacher, he explains, “I never wanted to be a teacher, it just kind of happened.”

He goes on to explain that after coming back home from Ventura, he began substitute teaching and worked at Charter Alternative which was, “a crazy place to work but [he] loved it.”

After working there, Johnson says, “I realized how many kids needed positive influence in their life.” He was able to relate to a lot of the kids that were affected by outside issues which led him towards his teaching career.

Since Johnson came onto campus after the fall semester had already started, he said, “It was a little difficult because [he] didn’t know the students, in particular with the masks it was hard to get everybody’s name down.”

Johnson goes on to say that Moore made his transition to the Redwood English department very easy. Johnson says, “If I didn’t have [Mrs. Moore] it would have been way crazier, she was amazing and I can’t thank her enough.”

Some of his hobbies outside of the classroom include exercising, writing, bicycling, reading, and playing pickle ball. He not only enjoys doing things involved with literature, but also going outside and being active.

Johnson graduated from Redwood High School in 1989 and is very happy to be back on campus. When asked how he is liking Redwood so far he says, “I love it. It’s the people that I work with that are phenomenal.”

Johnson feels very lucky to work alongside the people at Redwood. His transition has not been chaotic or stressful due to all the help from not only the fellow English teachers, but also from all the staff at Redwood.

Johnson doesn’t just love Redwood for their great staff department, but also loves it because of his students. He says, “The kids are phenomenal, I was so blessed with a great group of students.”

Johnson adds, “The coolest thing about [him] that’s interesting is the fact that [he]… sold everything that [he] owned, when he was forty three years old, packed it all into a Toyota Camry, and lived in the dorms at Channel Islands.” He then studied and got his degree. He soon got a job at the writing center while being a student and he was fortunate enough to be asked to stay working there as a post graduate.

Johnson never thought he was going to be a teacher. He says, “I figured I’d always go into sales.” His university even had an expedited program for teaching, but when he was asked to sign up, he declined since he never thought he would go into teaching. After thinking back, Johnson says, “I wish I would’ve now.”

As Johnson reflects back on his life he says, “I woke up and I knew I could do more and I wanted to do more and English always fascinated me. I love reading and I love writing.”