Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson relies on his 25-plus years as a teacher and principal at both the middle and high school levels, and his experience as personnel director and assistant superintendent for instruction to present practical pathways for teachers, administrators, and district staff to follow in improving student achievement and bringing passion and enthusiasm to classroom teaching. For the past several years, Jim has worked as a school improvement consultant with SREB’s High Schools that Work and Making Middle Grades Work initiatives. His work with schools has included analysis and use of relevant school data, developing, implementing and assessing school improvement strategies, and creating a culture of higher expectations for student and teacher performance.
Jim’s style is engaging and interactive with a focus on “real world” strategies/examples and instructional/organizational tools that can be put into place in the classroom immediately. His presentations and workshops tap into the natural humor that exists in all classrooms and schools. He also likes to demonstrate what the classroom and school look like from the students’ perspective. In completing his Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina, Jim’s research centered upon helping teachers develop strategies to engage all of their students by differentiating instructional practice. His presentations are full of concrete examples and hands-on modeling of successful strategies.