Kentucky Teacher of Year Built $4 Prosthetic Hand for Student
A Kentucky elementary teacher who taught himself 3D printing created a prosthetic hand for his student born without one, costing just $4 to make. Now he's sharing his lesson on humility with the next generation of educators.
When Scott Johnson learned one of his students was born without a right hand, the elementary teacher did something remarkable: he admitted he didn't know how to help, then taught himself 3D printing at age 41 to build a solution.
The Red Cross Elementary School teacher created a functional prosthetic hand for fourth-grader Jackson Farmer for about $4. Jackson is now using the fifth version of the hand, and the project caught national attention on ABC World News Tonight.
But Johnson's message to future teachers at his alma mater, Lindsey Wilson University, wasn't about the viral moment. The 2025 Kentucky Elementary Teacher of the Year spent an hour with more than three dozen education majors in March, urging them to embrace what they don't know.
"It's cool that you will know things and know how to do things, but it's just as cool to say, 'I don't know. Can you teach me?'" Johnson told the students. "You show a kid that you are able to let them teach you, they will be more than happy to let you teach them."
Johnson has been teaching for more than two decades since graduating from Lindsey Wilson in 2002. He now teaches STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) to preschool through sixth-grade students, viewing all subjects as naturally connected.
Why This Inspires
Johnson's journey proves that the best teachers never stop being students themselves. He picked up 3D printing as a middle-aged educator, driven by the desire to help one child, and ended up creating something that captured national attention.
His philosophy challenges the traditional image of teachers as all-knowing authorities. Instead, he encourages educators to be "the guide on the side" rather than "the sage on the stage."
Johnson's reminder to future teachers carries wisdom earned over two decades in classrooms: "Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic." Sometimes the willingness to try matters more than existing expertise.
The teacher who admits he's still learning is now teaching teachers how to teach. That might be the most valuable lesson of all.
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Based on reporting by Google News - School Innovation
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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