By: Erik Pedersen, Content Strategy Director
BALTIMORE – Derek Johnson is one of many students benefiting from grant money provided to Notre Dame of Maryland University’s School of Education by the Maryland Leads Initiative – money which offers free tuition and additional funding to prospective teachers from three county school systems.
Johnson has worked as a paraeducator for Prince George’s County Public Schools since 2018, but given an ongoing educator shortage across the nation, he has been placed as a fifth grade reading and social studies teacher for the past two years. The Maryland Leads Initiative aims to allow paraeducators and other support staff the opportunity to earn the required degrees and certification needed to transition into permanent teaching roles.
Johnson currently holds a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while working towards his bachelor’s degree and certification in special education. His educational journey, however, has hit many roadblocks along the way. Bad habits that were originally formed in middle school led to failing grades and an ultimate decision to drop out of college during Derek’s younger years in New York City.
His attitude towards education evolved over time, and Johnson made several attempts to complete his degree during a 25-year career as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). As a lifelong personal goal finally nears its conclusion, Derek reflects below on his past struggles, his decision to start a new career as an educator, and his experience at NDMU:
Looking back at your teenage years, what was your attitude towards education back then, and how did that attitude impact you in the classroom?
Initially, I started off great. I had a wonderful foundation in elementary school. I was strong in reading and math – I was actually reading at a 12th grade level in the sixth grade. The problem happened once I went into middle school. The structure and the freedom given to switch classes on your own gave me the liberty to cut class with friends that didn’t want to do any work.
I picked up those bad habits and it caused a downward spiral. I had the ability, but I just became unproductive. That went on through high school – I graduated on time, but I was barely above the GPA required to graduate. I attended college, but I had developed so many poor work study habits. I didn’t have a major either – I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. I majored in getting D’s, F’s, withdrawals and incompletes. Eventually, after two and a half years, I just stopped going and joined the workforce.
What professions did you work in after leaving college?
I first worked full-time in sales in a department store, selling clothes and then furniture. After that, I got a job with a utility company as a customer field representative, and then I worked as a driving instructor.
During my time in that role, a friend suggested that I should become an EMT. I went to New York City’s EMS (Emergency Medical Systems) Academy, I passed their test, got hired, and stayed with them for 25 years.
What led you to leave that profession after such a long time period?
I enjoyed working in the healthcare field, because I’m wired to help people. I have a passion for helping people, and being an EMT fulfilled that passion, but it also had its downsides. The work could be difficult – I experienced a lot of death, disease, and drug issues among the people we tried to assist. It made my soul weary over time, and I knew it was time to move on.
When did you first realize that teaching might be the right career path for you?
During my 25 years as an EMT, I would also teach people how to play chess. My sister had taught me how to play when I was younger, and I’d always had a passion for the game. One day, my wife went into the YMCA, and she saw a flyer looking for a chess instructor. She came home and said, ‘Derek, I have the perfect job for you.’
I did that job part time as I was working on the ambulance, and I even got a second job on my own teaching chess at community centers within the housing projects of New York City. Every day, I went to a different community center and taught children how to play chess. I enjoyed it so much – I enjoyed teaching. That was the bridge that allowed me to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.
Had you gone back to school any other times prior to enrolling at NDMU?
I took a number of classes through the CUNY (City University of New York) system while I was an EMT. I had started a career ladder program with thoughts of becoming a registered nurse, and I also took some business courses to complement a home-based business I had on the side. I earned 66 college credits during that time, but they weren’t concentrated in a specific area.
After I started as a paraeducator for Prince George’s County Public Schools, I discovered through my union that I could earn my associate’s degree for free through an affiliation with Eastern Gateway Community College. It took me a few years to enroll – my 66 credits had been earned too long ago and I was going to have to start from scratch – but I eventually joined that program in 2021.
I took online classes full time, and it was completely different compared to my first college experience. I’m a different person now. I was focused, and I had the drive needed to be successful. It took me only 14 months to earn my associate’s degree in teacher education.
When did you first hear about the opportunity to enroll at NDMU through the Maryland Leads Initiative, and what has your experience been like so far?
I learned about the grant right around the time I was finishing my associate’s degree. Me and other support staff members at PGCPS attended an information session last fall. We had to apply to Notre Dame, we had to be interviewed, and that interview determined whether we would be considered for the cohort. With my resume and the credits that I had earned previously, I qualified.
It's been a wonderful experience. The school is supportive, and the professors have been very accommodating. The work is rigorous, but if you need help, it’s always available. The great thing is, I’m able to apply what I’m learning in real time in my classroom. I recently read something over the weekend from an assignment we had, and I was able to take it into the classroom the following week.
How does it feel to be so close to earning your bachelor’s degree and finally completing your educational journey?
It means a lot to me. I’ve always valued education – that’s why I kept going back to college over the years – but I just wasn’t able to get it together until I was fully focused. I had the foundation from the beginning. When I was in middle school, I was given academic advancement opportunities to put me on the right path for high school and beyond, and I blew it. I wasted a lot of time, and that is what has fueled me to do what I’m doing now.
This bachelor’s degree means a lot to me, and I don’t plan on stopping with the bachelor’s – I plan on getting my master’s also. I’m working hard. I graduated summa cum laude for my associate’s, and since I’ve been at NDMU, I have a 4.0 GPA. I’m wired to get A’s now. I can’t settle for anything less after missing out on my previous opportunities.
Do you share your story with your current students?
I do. I work right now with fifth graders who are getting ready to go to middle school. I told them that I was a rock star in elementary school, and then I got to middle school and just goofed off. I didn’t apply myself. I valued being cool and having fun over being scholarly, and I tell them they can’t do that. They’re the future. I need them to be the best versions of themselves so that we can have a strong society in the years to come.
I really enjoy teaching. It’s the best career choice that I have made. I finally have something where I know deep in my heart that this is what I want to do. Everything that happened along the way made me the person who I am for this moment.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
