Love of learning led ICS’s Mary Gile to return to the classroom

For all the hats Mary Gile wears teaching junior high students at Immaculate Conception School, it would be hard to guess that she came to teaching later in life.

“I have an algebra one group of eighth graders, and then I teach seventh grade math, and I also teach seventh and eighth grade science, and eighth grade social studies,” Gile said. “And then I also work closely with (Kim) DesLauriers teaching eighth grade religion.”

It leads to days so busy it’s hard to imagine: One day has Gile handling both a science lab in one room and the students taking the constitution test in another. Throughout April, she helps her students prepare for their confirmation, or coming of age in the Catholic Church, while getting those same students prepared for their eighth grade graduation.

She’s also working on projects like showing the kids how to build a wave machine and putting together a play for the school’s Easter celebration.

“Then as a teacher, I’m like, ‘but I still want to talk about this, and I want to get to this project,’ and all of these other things,” Gile said.

Gile was a stay-at-home mom for 22 years, and she stayed home with her six kids until the youngest reached fourth grade. She said that time was a blessing, but she knew it was time to return to teaching once they were starting to get older.

Teaching was something she always knew she’d return to. She’d started doing a lot of substitute teaching, and long-term substitute teaching for teachers out on maternity leaves.

She said she had many great experiences doing that, and it gave her a taste of what it’s like to stay with the kids and see it through. That time led her to jump back into teaching with both feet.

“I love seeing the lightbulb go on with kids,” Gile said. “That’s very satisfying, and I love keeping the expectations high. Kids are sometimes amazed at what they can do. They don’t know what they’re capable of until they’re pushed, encouraged.”

Gile said she loves having a hand in teaching so many subjects because, like her students, it allows her to branch out into many different subjects. They’re all still at the age where they don’t necessarily know what they want to do and while ICS is a small school, most of the graduating students will be heading to large public high schools next year.

“It gives them a chance to go explore and ask ‘what do I really like?’” Gile said. “There’s so many opportunities in front of them.”

Gile said she didn’t think she could become a teacher when she was growing up. Both of her parents were teachers and she saw them doing what they loved, but she also saw them working extremely hard and putting up long hours to make their careers work. When she saw the effort they had to put in for their jobs, she thought it wasn’t for her.

“I’m so glad I became a teacher,” Gile said. “I want to come to school every day, especially at this age. The kids endlessly humor me. They’re funny, they’re creative, and they frustrate me every day. It’s such a mix.”

With all that in mind, Gile said she’s always entertained, and she hopes her creativity in the classroom has the kids feeling the same way.