Page 40 - Laguna Blanca Magazine Summer 2018

CHRIS JOHNSON CAROL NORDGAARDEN

Years at Laguna: 34 Years at Laguna: 33
Total Years Teaching: 38 Total Years Teaching: 36
Positions held at Laguna: US Art Instructor, Visual Arts Department Positions held at Laguna: English Department Chair, International
Chair, Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair, Director of the Student Coordinator, Writing Center Supervisor, WASC Steering
Physical Plant (1985-2005), US Advisor, Cross Country Coach, Middle Committee Chair (4 times), Admission Assistant
School Boys and Girls Volleyball Coach, Surfing Coac Subjects taught at Laguna: MS English (Grades 7 & 8),
Subjects taught: Black and White Photography, Digital Photography, Sixth Grade Social Studies, Ninth and Tenth Grade English,
MS and US Drawing and Painting, Foundation Arts, MS and US Journalism, MS Journalism, US Creative Writing, SAT Prep Class,
US Ceramics, Glass Art, Gardening, and Oceanography Twelfth Grade Class of College and Life Skills, Seventh Grade
Study Skills, Eighth Grade History, and Modes of Writing

How has Laguna changed since 1984?
The facility has been seismically retrofitted, the fields have been Why did you decide to become an educator?
redone, and the school has made continual improvements; we I value the education of young people and am passionate about
now have a large enough facilities team to maintain the campus developing strong critical readers and thinkers. For me, it was a
at a high standard. natural evolution from student to teacher.

Our students have changed over the years, too. Ever evolving How have your students evolved over the years?
technology has changed the way we teach, and students are Students at Laguna today are more community-minded and
much more aware of the world with instant information on any politically savvy than they were in the past. Many don’t read
topic. But kids are still kids. as much as they used to, but all of them continue to value
education and are willing to work for their advancement.
Why have you chosen to call Laguna home for all of
these years? How has Laguna supported your professional growth?
I believe in private education, although I’m a product of public The school has been supportive in the development of the
schools. Laguna provided me with the opportunity to grow with Writing Center and has offered me many different experiences
the school as a teacher and artist. I am very proud of the visual as a member of the faculty. I especially appreciate how easy
arts program we have created at Laguna—providing students Laguna makes it for teachers to collaborate on projects. I have
with the means to be self-expressive through the arts. enjoyed working on the eighth grade humanities project-based
learning activities and writing projects with the third graders.
What do you think makes a teacher extraordinary?
Patience, sincerity, growth, consistency, the ability to relate to Describe a favorite Laguna memory.
students, compassion, humor, communication, and passion to My favorite memory is my first Senior Prank Day at Laguna
name a few ... certainly not a path to riches, but a very when the seniors turned my classroom into a petting zoo with
LAGUNA BLANCA MAGAZINE Whose class would you like to take, even for a day? chickens, and a big fuzzy rabbit. The Lower School classes came
baby ducks (complete with a plastic pond for them to swim in!),
satisfying profession.
through my classroom to pet the animals before the seniors
came back to clean up the room.
That would have to be Mr. Uyesaka’s printmaking class. Dug
has been a premier printmaker in Santa Barbara for years, and
it’s one of the few art classes/workshops I haven’t taken in
my career.
38

141719_lb_mag_SUMMER18_Cx.indd 38 7/9/18 2:51 PM