Hello Pirates!
My name is Rachel Johnson and I am Faculty and Co-Chair of the Child Development and Education Department. I have over 30 years experience in the field of Child Development. I have been a preschool, Kindergarten and TK-teacher, program director and have spent years supporting classrooms and teachers to be the best they absolutely can be throughout Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and across our nation.
Our students are the most important to me because you are going to be one of the most important people to our youngest children in our society and you have the ability to change the world though your work with children. You will be contributing to the foundational formation of a child's life when you support and work with them. Working with children and families is not easy. It is a job of the heart and mind. My job is to give you the foundational skills you will need to be the best and most intentional person you can be for our children and their families because through them, you will have the opportunity to make a difference in this world.
I look forward to getting to know you and supporting you on your journey!
Rachel
Statement of Support:
At this moment in our nation’s history, it is especially important for our field of education and our department to support all of the communities that are affected by acts that are inhumane in nature. Building relationships and understanding the context in which children, families, and teachers live is at the forefront of our program’s pedagogy. The Child Development and Education Department at Ventura College stands fast in the equitable, thoughtful, responsive education and care of children and in the preparation of future teachers. I stand by our diverse communities and will do what I can to support them through the ongoing turmoil of our current climate.
I firmly believe that we must support our LGBTQIA2S+ student population. Love is love and the only way we will develop compassion and empathy as a human race is if we practice empathy and compassion daily. For a person to make the decision to live their life every day being the person they know that they are at the core of who they are needs to be honored and recognized to any extend our community chooses to share with us.
There are many different types of families in our world and we must learn as educators to meet each and every family with compassion and respect. This is foundational as you are developing as a teacher. As an educator supporting preservice teachers, I hope I can model kindness, compassion, meeting you where you are at and also lifting you up all the while challenging and pushing you into your discomfort so that you are able to grow in a supportive environment. Some may consider me WOKE but I challenge you to consider if you are…
Working
On
Kindness
Everyday
My Mission
My mission is to design and advocate for developmentally grounded, relationship-centered learning environments that honor the innate potential of children and future educators alike. Drawing from diverse philosophies and research, I integrate empathy with intellect, play with purpose, and reflection with action. I seek to empower preservice teachers and elevate early education rooted in equity, transparency, and inclusion. Through both scholarship and practice, I commit to creating educational systems where curiosity leads, dignity guides, and every voice is valued.
Ventura College campus is situated on the homelands of the Micqanaqa'n, Chumash and multiple other Indigenous nations, present and past.