Hello! My name is Emily Johnson. I am so excited to begin the new school year as a teacher at Cornel’s Shang-An Campus! I am from Mill Creek, a city just north of Seattle in the beautiful state of Washington. I graduated from Gonzaga University in May 2021 with my BA degree in Psychology, with a focus on child psychology. While completing my bachelor’s, I participated in Gonzaga’s teacher education program, where I obtained my WA State Teaching Credential with an endorsement in Elementary Education. In the fall of 2019, I began a study abroad program in Florence, Italy. During my time there, I taught English to students in a local Grade 1 classroom. At this point, I was already passionate about teaching, but there I discovered a new passion for international teaching and travel. During the 2021-2022 school year, my first year as a credentialed teacher, I worked as a Grade 3 teacher for an international school in Myanmar. I look forward to continuing my international teaching journey this year in Taiwan!

My goal as a teacher is to create an equitable, collaborative, and productive classroom environment for my students. Through my experiences working with students in high-poverty areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, and working with students who have experienced trauma, I learned about the importance of SEL (social emotional learning) practices in the classroom. I believe in building a strong community within the classroom where students feel comfortable and understand that making mistakes is a part of learning. I am a lifelong learner, and I’m looking forward to learning and growing alongside my students throughout this new experience at Cornel.

Outside of the classroom, I am typically spending time with friends or family. I enjoy scuba diving, hiking, reading, and watching movies. I love trying new things, so I am looking forward to trying new foods and exploring new places in Taichung and around all of Taiwan in my spare time. I cannot wait to learn more about Taiwanese culture and begin working with the Cornel community!