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Education

Florence K8 teacher really is family

Posted 8/24/22

With many teachers leaving the field due to a variety of challenges, one educator at Florence K8 has become a positive fixture.

Kelly Johnston has taught every one of a Florence family’s …

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Education

Florence K8 teacher really is family

Posted

With many teachers leaving the field due to a variety of challenges, one educator at Florence K8 has become a positive fixture.

Kelly Johnston has taught every one of a Florence family’s children. And that hasn’t been a small task.

Nicole Neal is a wife and teacher at Florence K8, but more importantly, she and her husband, Florence Town Councilmember Arthur “Snake” Neal, are the parents of 10 children, all of whom have been taught by Johnston.

Johnston is a first-grade teacher at Florence K8 school. She currently is teaching the Neals’ 10th, youngest and last child – Amara.

“One of the joys of teaching in the same school and same grade for 18 years has been being able to teach siblings. I’ve been blessed to have taught several siblings throughout the years,” Johnston said. “The Neal family is extra special because I have taught all 10 of their children. Teaching them is like teaching family. I have known the children since they were born. Each of them has a special place in my heart. It is fun to see how they are similar as well as how they are different.”

She explained how important it is to make meaningful connections with her students’ families because they need to work together to provide the best learning environment for the children. Furthermore, teaching siblings makes it easier to build those strong connections.

Johnston offered her thoughts on the challenges schools are facing in their efforts to hire qualified candidates who are committed for the long haul.

“Teaching can be very challenging. I am sad about the current state of education and the shortage of qualified teachers,” she said. “I understand that there are a lot of factors that make it hard for teachers to stay. I am blessed to have an awesome administration that is supportive of their staff and our students.”

As for teaching all 10 of the Neals’ children, Johnston said she’s honored.

“I grew up in Florence and attended school here at Florence Elementary School, Florence Middle School, then Florence High School. Go Gophers! I went to school with both Snake and Nicole,” Johnston said. “I love teaching at Florence K8 in the same town where I went to school. It is fun to teach the children of my friends and classmates. It makes building connections easier to do.”

Nicole Neal expressed the same sentiments when describing how she and her husband feel about Johnston teaching all their children.

“It is a dream to us that Kelly Johnston taught all our children. We never had to worry about them one bit,” she said. “We know she has the same expectations that we have at home, and she would care for them just like we do. We all grew up together, attending Florence elementary, middle school and high school together. She has known all the kids since birth, so their bonds are strong. Whenever the older kids go to visit her, they always look for their class picture she has hanging up. Florence is family."

Rita Ann Ezzai is the director of public relations for the Florence Unified School District.