Any midÂdle-school teachÂer will tell you that it's difficult to make much of an impression on students during the hormonal years, let alone teach them about geology and the periodic table of elements.
It helped that Johnny Bland, who earned a Ph.D. in botany from the University of Minnesota in 1978, was a born storyteller gifted with humor and charm.
Few inÂstrucÂtors with docÂtorÂates teach at the junior-high level even today, but Bland told felÂlow sciÂence teachÂer Art Payne of St. Paul that teachÂing juniÂor high at Murray in St. Paul was "the best job I ever had."
Bland is listÂed in "Who's Who AÂmong America's TeachÂers" in 1992, 1996 and 2002, and he reÂceived awards from the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
DurÂing a caÂreer in teachÂing that spanned his enÂtire aÂdult life, Bland nevÂer sought out an adÂminÂisÂtraÂtive job for more monÂey.
"He wantÂed to perÂsonÂalÂly afÂfect inÂdiÂviduÂals," said his daughÂter Carla, of Minneapolis. "His own sevÂenth-grade sciÂence teachÂer inÂspired him."
Payne, who reÂtired two years afÂter Bland did in 2005, and Bland put toÂgether a sciÂence magÂnet program at Murray — now Murray Middle School — in the 1980s that was a big draw for stuÂdents throughÂout the Twin Cities.
"The program drew from 25 difÂferÂent elÂeÂmenÂtaÂry schools," Payne said. "When parÂents found out that their kids were so enamored of a sciÂence teachÂer, they beÂcame his staunchÂest supÂportÂers."
JonÂaÂthan SchuÂmachÂer of St. Paul, who had a daughÂter in Bland's class, said Bland was reÂsponÂsible for Murray's repÂuÂtaÂtion as a sciÂence magÂnet. "Murray has alÂways turned out strong sciÂence stuÂdents — many of whom beÂcame sciÂenÂtists," he said.
Bland's sense of huÂmor and grandÂfatherÂly apÂproach kept stuÂdents enÂterÂtained but on task. Students would quote his Bland-isms, which were ofÂten phrases he learnÂed in the South growÂing up, such as "Do you think I just fell off the turÂnip truck?" when a midÂdle-schoolÂer gave a less-than-truthÂful reÂsponse.
He was no less of a jokester with his colÂleagues, inÂcludÂing the times he would walk into Payne's classÂroom durÂing a lecÂture and start singÂing or casÂualÂly reÂmark, "It's so quiet in here you can hear a mouse peeing on cotÂton" — one of Payne's favorites.
On a scholÂarÂly level, Bland was no vicÂtim of grade inÂflaÂtion, deÂspite the love of his stuÂdents. He tweaked the old Smith Barney investment sloÂgan to say: "We make grades the old-fashÂioned way. We earn them."
FormÂer stuÂdent Otto Gockman of St. Paul, himself a botÂaÂnist, deÂscribed Bland as "one of the few teachÂers that I still feel a conÂnecÂtion to. He had a way of givÂing you friendÂly guff to get you back on task."
As a faÂther and a teachÂer, Bland had a knack for seeÂing a perÂson's poÂtenÂtial and backÂing it up with inÂvestÂment.
When Carla first picked up a neeÂdle and thread, Bland wastÂed no time purÂchasÂing a sewÂing maÂchine for her. "He was the first one to try it out, too. He wantÂed to share the exÂperiÂence with me," she said.
LikeÂwise, when her brothÂer, Michael, showed an inÂterÂest in drums, he bought him a drum set, she said. (Michael Bland, of Minneapolis, was a drumÂmer with Prince durÂing the New PowÂer GenÂerÂaÂtion era and is now a sesÂsion muÂsiÂcian.)
Bland himself played orÂgan and piÂanÂo. He had a muÂsic school in Minneapolis called l'Ecole PeÂtit de Musique and worked with more than 10 small churchÂes to start their muÂsic programs.
"He'd help with the choir or play the orÂgan or piÂanÂo," Carla said. "He was noÂtoÂriÂous for helpÂing out."
Born Aug. 30, 1935, in Chunky, MisÂs., he found his first teachÂing job in Bogalusa, La., in 1957, leavÂing for Minneapolis with his wife, Irma, in 1968.
In adÂdiÂtion to his wife, Irma, daughÂter Carla and son Michael, he is surÂvived by two othÂer daughÂters, SanÂdra BuckÂner and SybÂil PickÂford; two broÂthers, Noah and Arcell; and four grandÂchildÂren.
Services have been held.