Grace Johnson is thrilled to be home. The 2018 Rhinebeck High School graduate is a special education teacher at the high school.
“I’m very excited to be back,” she said. “This is my home. This is where I grew up. This is the school that taught me everything I know academically, but also how much I love teaching and sparked that interest.
“I love that some of those teachers are still here. I can learn from them as I learned from them as a student, but now learning this craft and mastering this craft and learning from masters of teaching. That was the biggest selling point for me to come back to this professional community.”
Johnson also shared how much she enjoyed working with her students in her first week.
“They’re great,” she said. “They have amazing personalities. A lot of them are involved outside of school with acting, sports, and I have students who do dirt biking and equestrian. It’s great to see how active they are outside of school, too.”
Johnson worked for three years at Union Vale Middle School prior to her return to Rhinebeck.
“When I was out there, I was on a team,” she said. “I learned an appreciation for that collaboration and professionalism because I worked very closely with my team.”
As a Rhinebeck student, Johnson served on the student council, played field hockey, and performed in school plays, band, chorus and choir.
Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in math and a master’s degree in teaching, both from Marist University. She’s New York State dual-certified in mathematics and special education, grades 7 through 12 for both.
Johnson enjoys music, reading, camping and spending time with family and friends.