WHITE BEAR LAKE — Some locals know Roberta Johnson by her former career teaching language arts and journalism in the Mahtomedi Public Schools. Others know her by her work coordinating the annual “Write Now!” high school writing contest as a board member for the White Bear Center for the Arts.
But Johnson’s past life involved many other unusual experiences, including teaching a student who later became a celebrity and taking the opportunity to study art as she lived in 11 other countries.
“When you visit a country, you go over thinking you'll learn something about the country,” she said. “But you learn about yourself. You take a little bit of yourself and put it into the country.”
Johnson graduated from Michigan State University in 1969 after earning a master’s degree in education. She went on to teach elementary education in the Lansing, Mich. public schools where one of her students was legendary NBA player Earvin (Magic) Johnson Jr. Magic’s mom was her first-grade room mother.
“I always remember that in first grade he had hands larger than mine, even though I was an adult,” Roberta said.
She had no inkling at the time that he would become a famous athlete, but did track his basketball career in college and through the NBA.
After marrying her husband Gary in 1965, the two moved to Maryland so he could become a psychology instructor at the University of Maryland. In 1970 her life took an unexpected turn when Gary was assigned to teach psychology to U.S. military personnel stationed in Asia. The couple lived subsequently in Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand and Korea.
“I basically immersed myself in experiencing the culture of each country we lived in.”
Beginning in 1972, Gary was reassigned to Europe, and the couple lived subsequently in Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium over the next two years. Roberta worked as a substitute teacher at U.S. Department of Defense schools in Germany and Japan.
Living in Europe was a bonus for Johnson, an art lover who said she especially appreciated the beauty of European art.
“European art is fantastic,” she said. “But Japan was the most enriching country.”
While abroad, she also took language classes in German, French and Japanese, learned flower-arranging in Japan and Malaysia, learned cooking in China and learned ink painting in Japan.
The couple stayed in Europe for two years before they decided to return to the United States and start a family. They moved to White Bear Lake in 1974 after driving around the metro area looking for a nice place to make a home.
“We just came back and drove to different communities,” she said, laughing. “We fell in love with White Bear.”
In 1978 twin daughters Jane and Margaret, who were adopted from Korea, became part of the Johnsons’ lives.
Roberta wasted no time in getting back into education, and in 1976 took a job teaching language arts and journalism in Mahtomedi Public Schools. She was the supervisor for both the school newspaper and the school yearbook, serving the school district for nearly 30 years.
Upon retirement, she became vice chair of the board of directors for the White Bear Center for the Arts. She said such organizations are more important than ever now that budget cuts have eliminated arts programs in many schools.
“For people who are very creative, it's a way to give back to the community,” she said. “It's like an extension of a community — it enriches people’s lives and gives them wholeness.”
She now also helps coordinate “WriteNow!”, the center’s annual high school-age writing contest. She pulls together a panel of professional writers and judges who choose the winners from categories including poetry, short stories, essays, and one-act plays.
She’s also still involved in journalism, serving as state editor of the nonprofit state newspaper the North Star News, regularly editing several newsletters about education and serving on the Minnesota News Council, a group that provides online forums in which the public can hold each other accountable for the posting of fair and accurate news. She’s also considering writing her second children’s book.
Johnson said one of the greatest challenges in her life so far has been her diagnosis of multiple myeloma in March of 2006. She has since had a stem cell transplant and has been living without chemotherapy for the past five months.
“Every day is a gift,” she said.
by Cassie Sauber
Staff intern
Press.com
But Johnson’s past life involved many other unusual experiences, including teaching a student who later became a celebrity and taking the opportunity to study art as she lived in 11 other countries.
“When you visit a country, you go over thinking you'll learn something about the country,” she said. “But you learn about yourself. You take a little bit of yourself and put it into the country.”
Johnson graduated from Michigan State University in 1969 after earning a master’s degree in education. She went on to teach elementary education in the Lansing, Mich. public schools where one of her students was legendary NBA player Earvin (Magic) Johnson Jr. Magic’s mom was her first-grade room mother.
“I always remember that in first grade he had hands larger than mine, even though I was an adult,” Roberta said.
She had no inkling at the time that he would become a famous athlete, but did track his basketball career in college and through the NBA.
After marrying her husband Gary in 1965, the two moved to Maryland so he could become a psychology instructor at the University of Maryland. In 1970 her life took an unexpected turn when Gary was assigned to teach psychology to U.S. military personnel stationed in Asia. The couple lived subsequently in Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand and Korea.
“I basically immersed myself in experiencing the culture of each country we lived in.”
Beginning in 1972, Gary was reassigned to Europe, and the couple lived subsequently in Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium over the next two years. Roberta worked as a substitute teacher at U.S. Department of Defense schools in Germany and Japan.
Living in Europe was a bonus for Johnson, an art lover who said she especially appreciated the beauty of European art.
“European art is fantastic,” she said. “But Japan was the most enriching country.”
While abroad, she also took language classes in German, French and Japanese, learned flower-arranging in Japan and Malaysia, learned cooking in China and learned ink painting in Japan.
The couple stayed in Europe for two years before they decided to return to the United States and start a family. They moved to White Bear Lake in 1974 after driving around the metro area looking for a nice place to make a home.
“We just came back and drove to different communities,” she said, laughing. “We fell in love with White Bear.”
In 1978 twin daughters Jane and Margaret, who were adopted from Korea, became part of the Johnsons’ lives.
Roberta wasted no time in getting back into education, and in 1976 took a job teaching language arts and journalism in Mahtomedi Public Schools. She was the supervisor for both the school newspaper and the school yearbook, serving the school district for nearly 30 years.
Upon retirement, she became vice chair of the board of directors for the White Bear Center for the Arts. She said such organizations are more important than ever now that budget cuts have eliminated arts programs in many schools.
“For people who are very creative, it's a way to give back to the community,” she said. “It's like an extension of a community — it enriches people’s lives and gives them wholeness.”
She now also helps coordinate “WriteNow!”, the center’s annual high school-age writing contest. She pulls together a panel of professional writers and judges who choose the winners from categories including poetry, short stories, essays, and one-act plays.
She’s also still involved in journalism, serving as state editor of the nonprofit state newspaper the North Star News, regularly editing several newsletters about education and serving on the Minnesota News Council, a group that provides online forums in which the public can hold each other accountable for the posting of fair and accurate news. She’s also considering writing her second children’s book.
Johnson said one of the greatest challenges in her life so far has been her diagnosis of multiple myeloma in March of 2006. She has since had a stem cell transplant and has been living without chemotherapy for the past five months.
“Every day is a gift,” she said.
by Cassie Sauber
Staff intern
Press.com
