Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Get to Know: Jill Babb
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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Get to Know: Jill Babb

Jennifer Collins | July 1, 2018 | 617 views

Playful, entertaining, and absolutely informative, our Get to Know series allows the personalities of the faculty and staff who make up the Darlington Community shine. 

Jill Babb has been head of Cooper House, the first-year girls’ house, since 2011. She holds a B.S. in Leisure Studies from Southeast Missouri State University and an M.S. in Recreation, Park & Tourism Administration from Western Illinois University. Jill has over 20 years of experience working at sleep-away camp and continues to spend her summers in this residential setting. Her husband, Chris, is a science teacher at the Upper School.

Let’s get to know Jill even better in today’s installment of our Get to Know series!

Where did you grow up? 

I grew up in Cape Girardeau, Mo. My parents met while registering for classes at Peabody College in Nashville. They married and three children later they moved to Cape, my mother's hometown. 

Why did you choose Darlington?
 
My pre-Dar life was with the Girl Scouts. I was a year-round camp director for many years and then moved into managing all the Council camp programs. I found myself spending all my time with adults and not the girls. After my husband was hired at Darlington as a science teacher, the opportunity came available to apply to apply for the Head of House position. I knew it was exactly what I needed! I needed to be back in a residential setting with teenage girls. Living and working in a dorm is very much like camp - just add academics. 

What makes a good Head of House? 
A good Head of House has to wake up each day ready for the unexpected. No two days are the same, just like no two teenagers are the same. If you can embrace the unexpected with a sense of humor then you are on your way to successfully living with teenagers.

Who was your favorite teacher (and why)? 
My favorite teacher was Mrs. Imogene Webb. She was short, had a BIG bouffant hairdo and did not put up with any nonsense in her second grade classroom. Mrs. Webb loved spelling tests and reading contests. She introduced me to a set of history novels and I fell in love with reading. 

What makes a good student? 
After seven years in the dorm with all types of learners, the one outstanding quality that stands out in the successful learners is the ability to ask for help. And keep asking for help until you find the person who can unlock the way you learn the material. 

The best advice I ever received was…
The best advice I ever received was from my Dad. I was doing observations in middle school classrooms during college and I came home one day complaining about the teacher. He listened patiently and then said, "You are observing to discover what to do and what not to do in a classroom. Sometimes learning what NOT to do is more valuable." His advice is alway in my thoughts. If I want to continue to grow and learn, I need to determine who I want to be and who I do not want to be in the world. 

My hobby is…
Knitting

My favorite saying is…
"The words you speak become the house you live in." - Hafiz

What I like most about Darlington is…
Working on a team of dedicated Heads of House who laugh together each and every day.