Many Spanish Fork Junior High resource students see paraeducator Lesley Johnson as a supportive mother or grandma.

She's always there, offering one-on-one help to struggling learners, assisting teachers with behavior management and giving students positive reinforcement.

Johnson has been named Nebo School District's Secondary Resource Paraeducator of the Year after being nominated by the four teachers she works with each day.

Paraeducators have often been called "aides" in the past.

"Then they gave us that fancy title," Johnson said.

The four teachers who benefit from Johnson say their jobs would be nearly impossible without the paraeducator.

"I feel like I can't do my job without her," said Spanish Fork Junior High teacher Katrina Davenport. "She's so dedicated and devoted to helping people."

Johnson said she's had students refer to her as "Mom." She said they've called out, "Hi Mom!" in the hallways.

"That was really fun," the Elk Ridge woman said.

Davenport agrees Johnson has a motherly approach.

"She'll sometimes treat them as if she's their mom," Davenport said. "She'll give them tough love from time to time."

Adds teacher Esther Zacharias: "She almost acts like a grandma to them. I teach reading, and the kids love to read with her. Even when they make a mistake, she helps them become better readers. She's never negative, and they feel comfortable working with her."

Johnson recently battled health problems, but she continued going to work even when it probably wasn't in her best interest.

"Some days, we'd say, 'You have to go home, you're not feeling well,' " Zacharias said. "Her dedication to her job and to her students -- that's the greatest thing about her."

Johnson is feeling much better now. But she said she felt it was her duty to go to work even when she wasn't feeling well.

"It was my job, and I felt I needed to be at my job and not let them down," she said.

In addition to Johnson, Nebo School District honored five other top paraeducators at a recent ceremony, including: Cara Boyer at Westside Elementary in Springville; Debra Dimmick, also at Westside; Diana Farnsworth at Payson High School; Michelle Carter at Mt. Loafer Elementary in Salem; and Patty Bradford at Brockbank Elementary in Spanish Fork.

"Without paraeducators, I don't think resource or specialized classes would run as smoothly as they do," Zacharias said. "A teacher cannot do it without having a good paraeducator in the classroom. They are truly a life-saver."

ndicou@sltrib.com