Author, educator and former U.S. Navy journalist LouAnne Johnson will be the guest speaker at University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Collaborative Teaching of English Language Learners event Thursday, July 31, 8:15 a.m. – noon, in the university’s Student Services and Classroom Building, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston. Johnson wrote “My Posse Don’t Do Homework,” the book that was adapted to film in 1995 as “Dangerous Minds.”

‘Dangerous Minds’ author Johnson featured at educator institute

University of Houston–Clear Lake’s School of Education will sponsor a free professional development opportunity for administrators and secondary educators featuring LouAnne Johnson, author of The New York Times bestseller “Dangerous Minds.” A 1995 film of the same name was adapted from Johnson’s book which was originally titled “My Posse Don’t Do Homework.”

Johnson, who is bilingual, formerly served as a U.S. Navy journalist and holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a master’s degree in teaching English. She divides her time between teaching part-time and writing books. She has written seven books including “Teaching Outside the Box,” and “Queen of Education: Rules for Making Education Work.”

In 1989, Johnson began teaching reading and writing to non-English speakers as an intern at a high school in California. Two years later, she was appointed department chair of a special program for at-risk teens. During the government evaluation of 10 similar pilot programs, Johnson's group was rated first in academic achievement, increased self-esteem, and student retention. This work was the basis for the 1995 film that starred Michelle Pfeiffer.

The July 31 event is sponsored by the UH-Clear Lake Collaborative Teaching of English Language Learners (CTELL) Summer Language Institute, and will include two 45-minute breakout sessions addressing such topics as vocabulary building, increasing interaction, and providing appropriate review and assessment.

Registration and networking will begin at 8:15 a.m. in the university’s Student Services and Classroom Building, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston. Johnson will speak at 9 a.m., with the breakout sessions following her talk and the conference ending at 12:30 p.m. Advanced registration is advised as seating is limited and there is no charge for the institute. For registration information, call School of Education Lecturer Norma Minter, 281-283-3576, or access the registration form by visiting http://soe.uhcl.edu and selecting the CTELL link.