Position: School Counselor
School: West Terrace Elementary School
School District: Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation
City, State: Evansville, IN
Music that Describes Johanna
Johanna Druen was nominated anonymously.
Before Ms. Druen became a school counselor, she already knew that attending to students' emotional needs took priority over their academic needs. In her second year of teaching, she had a high school student come to her and ask if it would be OK if they turned in their homework the next day. Their father had been shooting at them the night before, so they didn't get their homework done.
Ms. Druen had told her students at the beginning of the semester to come to her if they needed an extension because "life happens" and she would understand. She didn't know her flexible classroom policy would be needed for such a traumatic event. It really solidified for her that kids have so much more going on at home than just doing homework, and they need someone at school to be a safe place. She has become that safe place for numerous students in her 30 years in education.
That safe place has been needed even more in the past two years with the pandemic causing everyone to feel a heightened sense of alarm and fear. Ms. Druen goes into classrooms and talks about how the brain's response to fear works. She guides students through the process of calming their bodies so that their brains can reset and heal. She teaches her students about the negative effects of not addressing those fears or any of the negative emotions they experience. Ms. Druen desperately wants kids to see that they are empowered to help themselves heal. She has also been participating in a trauma-informed therapy study to provide trauma therapy to her students while also advancing research into how trauma therapy at school can impact students' lives. This is in addition to the many other duties and responsibilities she has as an elementary school counselor in her district. With over 600 students, she stays busy doing her best to support these kids.
In the past several months, students have shared with Ms. Druen exactly how much she has impacted them. For example, one student wrote in a note to her, "I love how you take every kid at WT and make them feel safe and needed. You have made an awesome impact on my family."
Other students have said similar things, and their parents have relayed their relief at having someone to ask questions to and share concerns with who will not make them feel judged or dismissed. Ms. Druen genuinely listens with an open heart so that she can listen and provide assistance, no matter what is causing distress.
Additionally, Ms. Druen goes above and beyond to stay up-to-date on the latest research into strategies to assist students who have ADHD, emotional difficulties, and other life challenges so that they can learn to their highest potential.
"Her passion, compassion, and dedication help the students at West Terrace feel loved and supported," said her nominator.