Ep233. ft. Mike Johnston - Teaching Is a Tattoo: Why Great Educators Must Own Who They Are (Part 1)

The most powerful thing a teacher brings into the classroom is not a textbook, strategy, or qualification—it is who they are. In Episode 233 of the Languages Pedagogy Podcast, educator, author, poet, and speaker Mike Johnston joins Mike Llerena to explore the central message behind his book, Teaching Is a Tattoo : teaching does not simply become part of your résumé. It becomes part of your identity. Mike explains why authenticity is essential in education, how teachers silently model confidence and self-acceptance, and why students immediately recognize when an educator is pretending to be someone they are not. This conversation explores: • Why every educator carries personal stories into the classroom • How authenticity creates trust and psychological safety• Why comparing yourself with other teachers weakens your confidence • How poetry and storytelling can deepen student connection • Why the human side of education will always be more powerful than any system You do not need physical tattoos to understand the metaphor. Every experience, struggle, belief, and relationship leaves its mark—and those marks influence how you teach. Serious educators do not erase their identity to ...