Stuffed giraffes, pigs and other animals greet students upon walking into A109, but then there are the dead animals: pigeons, sharks and frogs.

The latter are just some of the animals dissected in Zoology, which is taught by a student-favorite, Miss Christine Johnson, Science.

“She’s a really great teacher- one of my favorites. She was always really lively and knew how to make us remember things. Her stories were funny, and that class only confirmed that I want to major in zoology,” Leanne Mroz (10) said.

So what makes Miss Johnson so great? After getting a degree in Animal Sciences at Purdue-West Lafayette, she decided to go into teaching and sharing her love for animals with her students.

“My grandpa was a big animal lover. My mom was an animal lover, and it came down to me- I think it’s in my genes as an animal enthusiast,” Miss Johnson said.

While studying at Purdue, Miss Johnson started in Pre-Veterinary studies but did not find it as enjoyable as she thought it would be, so she went into research.

“[Students love when] I tell stories from the pig farm with my research, the creepy things I’ve seen things do and people do to pigs [and] my drives to slaughterhouses to pick up [pig] ovaries,” Miss Johnson said.

Other things Miss Johnson does to keep her students awake and active are going on crazy tangents, projecting lots of energy and dancing.

“I do dances. I make up dance moves for things like how a shark breathes, called the countercurrent gas exchange,” Miss Johnson said.

But all entertainment aside, learning is still what counts in Miss Johnson’s classroom.

“My passion is animals, and I love sharing that knowledge. I’ll make a fool of myself if it means they’re gonna learn. That’s what I’m here for. I’m here to teach,” Miss Johnson said.