For some, teaching is just a job, but for others, in particular Mrs. Julie Dill, it’s a part of their life. As a teacher who not only is responsible for teaching all levels of French, she also is a part of the English department, teaching AP Literature. Time is of the essence for Dill, and she spends a lot of it planning and trying to improve things for the many classes she teaches. Dill was able to walk through her daily teaching routine, as well as the work she does off campus for her classes.
“I get up every day at 6 A.M. and that gives me time to get myself together. I want to get to school before 7 because that helps me to be ready for everything that I have to do. If it’s a black day I teach AP Lit, AP French, and French 3, so I want to make sure I have everything ready for those classes. And then on green days, I have French 1 and French 2, as well as CREW every day, which is also a little bit more to prepare for. I really need that time in the morning to make sure I have copies of everything and read over my notes because every class is different from each other,” Dill said.
Not only does Dill have a busy day during the actual school day itself, but her schedule is also busy once the school day is over.
“After school I usually have a meeting for something school related. I try to do as much as I can to help the school in various ways. There are many different groups, and meetings; St. Joseph’s Scholars, Mardi Gras, my department. I usually try to stay at school until 4, so again, I can make my copies for the next day, and I’m thinking about what I need to prepare for my next day classes. Then when I go home, I relax for a little bit, watch the news, make sure dinner is ready. Then I usually spend at least two hours grading papers, preparing for the next day. I never want to do the same thing every year; I’m always thinking about how I can improve something,” Dill said.
With all of Dill’s commitments, she faces challenges to her everyday routine that she must work around to continue teaching and helping her students learn.
“It feels like I never have enough time, plus the interruptions of the daily routine. Not bad things, but if a class discussion goes in a different direction, or students need me explaining a concept on a deeper level, stuff I don’t mind at all, but if there’s a schedule change or a scenario where I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing,” Dill said.
“I’m definitely a person of habit. I pack my lunch every day before I go to bed and I always think about what I’m going to wear the next day. I don’t want to waste time with that the next day,” Dill added.
Dill was able to explain a sort of misconception amongst teaching in general outside of schools in the U.S. “It’s a lot of work to have so many different preps. Even if I put together a really great lesson and it only benefits one class, which I’m happy about, but it’s not like I’m set for this other class, so I always have to keep going,” Dill said.
“I just want to seem like I’m prepared and knowledgeable. I don’t want to see my students be in a class where all I do is just talk to them, so I want to make sure there are different activities that keep them engaged and keep things interactive,” Dill added.
Although Dill has a busy schedule, there’s a constant thing every day that makes her job so satisfying to her: the students.
“I really love teaching, I get a lot of energy being around the students and that personal interaction. When I go into a class and I know that I’ve prepared for it and I’m ready for it, I feel fulfilled by that and when I see the students succeed, I get satisfaction from that,” Dill said.
Dill also acknowledged a big part of her success as a teacher has been about her schedule and the way she keeps a routine every day about teaching students. “For me to be organized and prepared helps me to do my job better and I’m a better worker when I have more things to do.
Mrs. Julie Dill only teaches the same class twice; the rest of her classes all stand alone with four levels of French and two AP Lit classes. “I like the people I work with, [and] I like McNick; it’s an awesome place to be,” Dill said.
The McNicholas Milestone 