Mme Miller Says ‘Au Revoir’ After Over 20 Years of Teaching

Dana Miller, known to her students as Madame Miller, has been teaching French at Franklin since 2003. Now, after over 20 years teaching here, she plans to retire after the 2023-24 school year. “Over the years, Franklin has been a true family to me,” Miller says. This warm atmosphere is something Miller herself provides for students and teachers alike, and current Franklin junior, Will Jacob-Kurilo, explains how this allowed her to have “such a great relationship with [graduating seniors].”

Miller’s teaching style is a good mix of fun, strict, and supportive. “[She is] strict on the young ones,” says Jacob-Kurilo, who has taken French with Miller since freshman year. “[But she] won’t hesitate to [take a] break from class to give us a better experience of French [class], or just to make sure we’re having fun.” Miller says that over the years her lessons have “become much more structured [so that students] know exactly what to expect to be successful … it takes the stress out of [our changing schedules].”

Not only does Miller currently teach all four levels of French at Franklin, but before teaching here she taught English overseas in France for many years. “I really wish study abroad programs were required for all students,” says Miller. “[Because they increase] your understanding and tolerance of the world. Experiencing other cultures gives you so many points of reference which, in turn, helps [with] understanding of a larger society.”

Her French travels haven’t ended there. Every two years Miller leads a Franklin trip to Paris, which she describes as “the icing on the cake” of traditions. Along with the biannual trip, every year Miller’s French classes celebrate “la Chandeleur,” or crêpe day. “I’ll never forget,” laughs Miller, “when I had a student out sick for crêpe day and he literally cried!” 

As fun as crêpe day is, Miller says her favorite part of being a teacher is working with teenagers day to day. “You guys are an absolute kick in the pants! I also love the active part of learning and discovering. It’s a beautiful thing to witness,” Miller says. Of all the inspiring student stories Miller has, and according to her there are “too many to count,” the one she singles out is “the hair tie story.”

In her current classroom, M-123, there is a framed piece of ceiling tile with a black hair tie stuck to it attached to the ceiling. While this may go beyond the notice of many, whenever a student inevitably asks, Miller will tell the class the story behind it. 

“Many years ago, I had a student named Brennen Buhl,” begins Miller. “When I first saw him I thought ‘uh oh, here comes trouble.’ But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. He was the kindest, gentlest, most artistic, [and] intelligent kid I had ever met.” One day, in Buhl’s junior year, he was playing with his hair tie, and when he flicked it, it stuck to the ceiling seemingly attached to nothing. This became a running joke, and the hair tie stayed on the ceiling all throughout Buhl’s senior year and graduation. “Now after graduation, he found himself in a difficult emotional situation,” says Miller, “and he took his own life.” 

“For me [the hair tie] was one of those ways I could come in every day and say, ‘hey Brennen,’” continues Miller. “After Brennen passed it became that much more special.” After years of hanging there, including a brief scare where it disappeared for two weeks and then reappeared, the building was going to be remodeled. Miller took down the ceiling tile it was on and Buhl’s mom had it framed with the hair tie. Because Miller’s new room,  M-123, was directly below her old room, she hung it on the ceiling right below where it had hung in her old classroom.

Miller’s impact on Franklin has been tremendous after two decades of teaching here, but she alone isn’t responsible for securing her legacy. “I got Archie in 2007,” Miller says. “And people would just fall over themselves to get to him. He was adorable, and so fluffy, and he just knew when people needed to pet him.” 

Archie, Miller’s dog, was part of a program called Pet Partners, which meant he could come to school every day and offer emotional support to students. “That first day [his popularity] spread like wildfire,” Miller recalls. Students could come in whenever they needed to calm down or get support from Archie. He passed away at the age of 14, just a few years ago, but if you look at the wall in M-123 you will still see pictures in his memory. 

“Being a part of the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next is extremely heartening,” Miller says. That sentiment can really be felt in her classes. Many current juniors are sad to know that after three years, they won’t have Miller for their final year of French. It’s a shame to see her leave, but all at Franklin who have gotten to know Miller continue to wish her a wonderful retirement. And don’t worry; she isn’t going to disappear forever and will “most likely” be back as a substitute!