Gunner Johnson teaches physical education at Lake Superior, Northern Lights and ends his day teaching strength and conditioning at Superior High School.

Johnson had been shadowing district gym teachers before becoming a gym teacher, and is already well known by most students at the high school. In addition to being a teacher, he also coaches football, basketball, and baseball. 

Johnson finds it interesting to teach at different grade levels, and to go from teaching elementary students, where he’s teaching how to over and underhand throw, to teaching high schoolers in the weight room. 

“The district had multiple openings and I thought it would be a good idea to grow experience at different grade levels,” Johnson said. 

Johnson is a Superior High School alumnus and is now colleagues with those who have taught and coached him. One of these colleagues is Northern Lights gym teacher and track coach Kristopher Leopold. 

Leopold hadn’t coached Johnson in a direct sport, but he did coach him in summer BFS in his high school days. 

“He always worked hard and gave 100% because that’s how he was brought up. His dad was a former Spartan standout and Gunner knew he had big shoes to fill,” Leopold said. 

In addition to coaching him in BFS, Leopold has been able to see how Johnson teaches. 

“He is an outstanding teacher and his coaching builds off of that. He is really good at explaining how things are done and the kids know that he is there to make them better,” Leopold said. 

Starting this winter, Johnson has been sitting in as the C team coach for the Spartan girls basketball team, and plans on coaching the Spartan baseball team in the spring as well. He is not sure how long he plans on teaching at multiple schools.

 “I just want to do what will be helpful to the district,” Johnson said.