How did Madison Johnson, a fairly new art teacher at Rocky get her start in teaching? She grew up in Lyons, Colorado, about an hour away from Fort Collins. She was very unsure of what she wanted to do, but she knew that she really enjoyed taking art classes in high school. Colorado State University is what brought her to Fort Collins and started her career!
“I loved how Fort Collins felt small, yet very big at the same time,” MJ said. “I really felt like I could find my people, and finally fit in.”
She graduated from CSU with a degree in art education and a bachelor of fine arts. Along with her colleague Erin Loy, she is back at school at University of Northern Colorado Greeley, participating in a graduate program.
“I never really expected to become an art teacher growing up,” MJ stated. “My grandmother was an art teacher, but we weren’t very close.”
It was a job path that she wasn’t super interested in because she didn’t particularly enjoy high school. However, her goal was that she wanted a job where she could help people.
One goal that MJ has for her teaching career is to teach abroad.
“I would love to teach abroad, especially in someplace like Ireland,” MJ said.
Other than a chance to teach abroad, she plans to stay in Fort Collins. MJ’s dream job outside of teaching would be a professional ceramist. She would love to just work in a studio and sell her own art.
Her favorite class throughout college was pottery, of course! She loves to teach 3D design classes, and she is teaching her first pottery class this quarter. She enjoys everything clay!
Something that she is looking forward to in her career is teaching a printmaking class. They are bringing this class to Rocky next year, and MJ is really excited to teach it. She plans to stay teaching at Rocky for a while and expand her horizons in the teaching field by teaching pottery, printmaking, independent pottery classes, and other new classes.
As registraion approaches, consider signing up for one of her art classes–or any of the art classes! You won’t be sorry.
