All Episodes

May 16, 2019 80 mins

MTT033| Learning like Finland, a Principal's observation - Nicole Johnson

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Join a Principal's journey in going to Finland to observe their school system.

Nicole Johnson is an Elementary School Principal from Los Angeles, California.  She was selected to join a group of Principals from the Los Angeles area to go to Finland to observe how their school system is run, based on the book, "Teach Like Finland".

Nicole received her Bachelor's in Communication Studies from Cal State Long Beach.  While in school she supported herself by working as a nanny for a special needs child.  Upon graduation she applied for and was hired as the 3rd grade teacher of St. Aloysius School.  Having grown up in a small town, adjusting to life in an inner city was a bit of a struggle for Nicole; however St. Aloysius School eventually worked its way into her heart.  While serving as a teacher, she received her Master's in Education, with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University. She later received a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and a Master's in Education from Loyola Marymount University.  After having served as the 3rd grade teacher for five years, she was asked to step into the position of principal. She reluctantly accepted the position due to her limited experience, and the fact that she had newborn twins at home. However, she has since served as principal of St. Aloysius School for 11 years, during which time she has increased enrollment by nearly 30% and has received over a million dollars in grants and renovations.  She has also restructured the educational system to make the curriculum more student-centered and student-driven, which includes the integration of Blended Learning and STEM pedagogical practices. Nicole is currently completely the ISLA program at Loyola Marymount University, after which she will receive an Administrative Credential and a Masters in Administration. Nicole has three children.

 

Contact: Nicole Johnson

Email: n.johnson@staloysiusla.org

 

Items mentioned in Episode 33:

Kiva

Learning Scoop

 

Teach Like Finland

Killing Lincoln

Killing Kennedy

 

We would love to hear from you!  Let us know if this format is helpful to you!  Is there technology out there that you would like us to cover in one of our episodes?  

 

Email us

Shannon@MyTechToolbelt.com

Brenda@MyTechToolbelt.com

 

If you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend, and SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE TO THE SHOW!  Please share this podcast with someone you think might benefit.

 

What's in your Tech Toolbelt?

www.mytechtoolbelt.com

Twitter: @mytechtoolbelt  

Instagram: My Tech Toolbelt

 

You can listen to our podcast on:

Apple Podcasts

Google Play Music


Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.