Julie Wriston wants to keep things comfortable. In her 27th year of teaching, Julie teaches third grade at Southern Pines Elementary. Originally from Ohio, she came to the school in 2020. A graduate of Marshall University – where she majored in elementary education – Julie also has a master’s in special education.
Located in Huntington, W.Va., Marshall University was founded in 1837.
Before coming to Southern Pines, Julie taught middle school in Scotland County. A dedication to creating the right environment continues to drive her.
“I love making my classroom a place students want to be,” Julie, who enjoys reading, said.
Working at Southern Pines is another source of motivation.
“I love working there,” she said. “We’re all there leaning on each other. We support each other really well.”
Considering the time she’s spent teaching, it’s easy to think being a teacher was always a goal. That’s not exactly how it played out.
“I’ve always loved kids,” Julie said. “But I thought I wanted to go into broadcast journalism.”
Her goals were pretty specific when it came to broadcasting.
“I always wanted to have my own TV show,” Julie admitted.
Although she’s not on a network, Julie has been before a wide range of audiences since she began teaching. In fact, the crowd has changed quite a bit subsequent to her start in the field.
“I’ve taught just about every grade from K-6 at some time,” she said. “I taught second grade for 10 years.”
Whatever the grade, Julie takes a sense of pride when progress is shown.
“When a student finally gets it – it’s just very rewarding,” she said.
Getting to that point, though, isn’t easy. Changes in the dynamics of contemporary homes make a tough task even more challenging.
“In the last 10 years, there doesn’t seem to be as much emphasis on education at home,” Julie said. “You often have two parents working. We’re fighting an uphill battle.”
Given her level of commitment, it’s a battle she’s more than willing to wage.
“I get to work at 6:20. I don’t get home until 5 p.m.,” Julie informed. “I like to get my work done at work.”
Once away from school, there are particular activities that help her unwind.
“I love to travel,” Julie said. “I don’t golf, but I like to go on the golf course with my husband. I ride along.”
As far as traveling, one of her favorite spots is the beach. Over the summer, she got there along with other priority destinations.
“We traveled, visited with family, went to the beach,” Julie said. “I have a daughter who lives in Virginia Beach. I have another daughter who lives in Ohio.”
If you have a teacher you would like to nominate to be showcased in this series, please email [email protected].
Feature photo: Julie Wriston. Contributed photo.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Dave Lukow. Dave has been honored as both a lyricist and screenwriter. Among other publications he’s contributed to are the Buffalo News, JD Journal, Beckett Hockey, Seminole Player’s Life, Poker Pro, Walmart World, and All In.
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