Tina Johnson-New Board member

Tina Johnson, Davis School District

Paraprofessional Liaison

Tina Johnson is the teacher librarian at Kays Creek Elementary and joins the UELMA board this year as our paraprofessional liaison.
When asked why she wanted to become a librarian, Tina said,

“Books are my life.  I love to read. I love to talk books. I can’t think of anything better than being around books all day and helping kids find great books.  I also really love teaching. I love teaching kids. I love coming up with fun lessons and helping kids learn.” Two librarians she considers mentors are Ann Riding and Selena Campbell, fellow UELMA board members. She considers them “conference buddies,” and says, “They both are amazing people and librarians. They have encouraged me to stretch and try new things.”

A recent favorite fiction book she has read is The Incredible Magic of Being by Kathryn Erskine. The book was actually a suggestion from a student, which she loves. She says,

“I want them to trust my suggestions to them, so I feel like I need to read their suggestions to me as much as possible.” What did she love about the book? It has “a cute quirky character who you can’t help but like, he’s wise and caring and willing to sacrifice for those he loves. He finds Magic in the universe and shares that magic with those around him.”

A favorite non-fiction book she recently read was Boys in the Boat, and Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier is one of her favorite graphic novels.
Tina’s fifth graders use Du Ink for green screen work when making book commercials for the whole school to view, and Adobe Spark is another favorite for allowing students to create their own content. When reading books in class, she uses Flipgrid for a way for students to express their opinions and ideas.

She also loves Twitter as a way to connect with authors, and learn from other librarians. What is the most important quality a librarian can have, in Tina’s opinion?

“I think librarians need to love kids first and then love books.”

When not in the library, she says,

“Spending time with my family takes top priority.  My kids are older and I love when they all come home with their spouses or significant others. My daughters are my best friends.   I love to read in my spare time and to do creative things like bullet journaling, quilting, card making and Macramé.”

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