“As an educator, my greatest success was stepping back and creating a space for students to be empowered to make choices. They owned the project and took pride in their work.“

Matt Johnson teaches manufacturing at Snohomish High School in Snohomish, Washington. Growing up working alongside his contractor father and learning to weld as an early teen, Johnson discovered a deep connection to hands-on craftsmanship. Although he originally pursued a degree at Central Washington University to teach English, a tour of the industrial technology education program revealed his true calling to train the next generation of skilled makers. Today, he brings extensive classroom and shop experience to his craft, guiding students with the core philosophy to “fail fast and cheap” so small mistakes transform into immediate learning opportunities.

Inside the shop, Johnson runs an authentic lean manufacturing environment where students master blueprint reading, advanced composites, and aerospace assembly. To mirror industry standards, he implemented process control forms that incorporate transparent quality checks and continuous feedback into every build. Johnson’s students actively give back to their community, building tiny houses for the unhoused, and machining parts for historic streetlamps.  Applying techniques like one-piece flow, Kanban boards, and custom jigs, his classes work in cross-functional teams to tackle complex builds, such as manufacturing modern Adirondack chair sets that earned $9,000 at auction to fund trade scholarships and classroom grants.

 

Notes of Excellence

  • Business & Industry Alignment: Partnering closely with Boeing through the Core Plus Aerospace program, Johnson prepares students for expedited industry hiring pipelines while creating curriculum tools and projects used across Washington State.
  • Key Program Impact: Expanded program enrollment by 275 percent, growing from 96 students to 266 students while substantially increasing female participation.
  • Community Connection: Fabricated adaptive “ButtOn Chairs” for kindergarten classrooms. The students collaborated with retired spinal surgeon Dr. Turner Osler, to promote active seating and create affordable, adaptive technology for kindergarten students. It started as a PTA partnership and grew into a partnership with real life impact.