By: Signal Raptor
Jefferson, GA (January 2025)—HireSmart Cares has awarded Kim Johnson, an educator at Empower College and Career Center, a $700 grant to enhance hands-on teacher training in her “Education as a Profession” pathway classes. This grant provides essential tools that prepare future educators to meet the diverse needs of modern learners.
Inside Johnson’s classroom, students aspiring to become teachers are discovering that traditional methods alone are not enough. Modern education requires connecting with students through visual, auditory, and tactile learning. With the support of the HireSmart grant, Johnson has acquired “manipulatives” — physical teaching tools — that enable her students to understand how to reach learners with varied needs.
“Reading can’t just be ‘here’s a book,'” said Johnson. “We need to ensure our future teachers understand that not every child learns the same way.”
The grant funds manipulatives such as math cubes, language tiles, story-building kits, and sensory items designed to engage students physically and mentally. These tools are integral to Johnson’s teaching philosophy, which centers on differentiated instruction and adapts teaching strategies to individual learning styles.
Johnson’s program, serving 40 students, offers a progressive curriculum across three courses.
The first introduces teaching fundamentals and instructional strategies. The second explores contemporary educational issues and policy. The third provides hands-on experience by placing students in elementary and middle school classrooms.
“My main goal is for students to decide if teaching is the right path for them before they invest in college education courses,” Johnson explained.
The program’s impact extends beyond the classroom. Students who complete it can earn college credit that can be applied to any Georgia institution offering an education program. By exposing students to teaching early, Johnson ensures they are better prepared to navigate the challenges of modern education.
“If you think you can lecture kids nowadays and be successful, you’re going to have to be a master storyteller,” said Johnson. “You’ve got to provide movement, activity, and engagement because you are constantly competing with the media for their attention.”
Beyond teaching methods, Johnson emphasizes building relationships with students.
“You’ve got to know your kids and their backgrounds. Relationships are truly the number one thing. Kids need to know you care before they can learn,” she said.
The HireSmart grant also supports Johnson’s commitment to fostering self-reflection among her students.
“Every day, you reflect on what you did. Can you do it better? What were your successes and failures? The day you think you can’t improve is when you need to retire,” she said.
Through its investment in teacher preparation, HireSmart Cares helps educators like Johnson equip future teachers with the tools and skills needed to create inclusive and effective learning environments. By integrating hands-on practice with real-world experience, the program ensures that future educators are ready to inspire and guide the next generation.
About HireSmart Cares
Founded in 2021 by Mark and Anne Lackey, HireSmart Cares is a nonprofit organization that aims to equip the next generation by providing tools, technology, time, and teaching. The organization supports practical, skills-based education and career development through initiatives such as trade school grants, business coaching, and educational scholarships. HireSmart Cares also invests in local agriculture and global education, aiming to empower young people with opportunities to succeed without the financial burden of traditional college pathways.
For more information, visit www.hiresmartcares.org.
Published by Drake M.
