By: Cole Kell 

     Mrs. Dietsch has been a familiar face in the Eisenhower halls, as she has been the head of the science department, head of our National Honors Society, and as our chemistry teacher. Sadly, all good moments must come to an end, and Mrs. Dietsch has decided to move on, wrapping up her time at our school, and retiring. The Squire got close to Dietsch to find out more about her perspective on her time at our school, what she’s going to miss, and what her plans are after retirement.  

Students often leave Dietsch’s class knowing that they have a teacher who truly understands her subject. She can teach any aspect of chemistry and science, and is able to answer any given question a student may have. Dietsch approaches her subjects by making them relevant and interesting to students, with fun stories to pair with her complex subjects, and exciting labs that include glass bending, popping soda cans, and making elephant toothpaste, all while tying it to her topics perfectly. It is evident to students that, even when chemistry can be a tough subject to digest, they have a teacher who truly cares about them and wants them to succeed. Squire member Alyssa Wismar remembers Chemistry being one of her favorite classes because of Dietsch, as science has never been a subject that she loved. She reflects on her time with Dietsch, as she remembers pausing a lesson once to have Dietsch give the class words of advice for their future years concerning college and such. She appreciates how Dietsch always tried to connect with her students and make the class educational and exciting.  

Cole Kell: What do you like best about teaching? 

Mrs. Dietsch: The kids, watching the light bulb go off and helping them.   

CK: What made you come to teach at Eisenhower? 

Mrs. D: My kids, I didn’t want them to be latchkey kids when I was teaching at Sheffield. They would have come to Eisenhower and then they would come home, and I wouldn’t be there. So, when an opportunity to transfer to Eisenhower opened up, I did it.  

CK: What made you decide to teach chemistry? 

Mrs. D: I love chemistry; I went to college and majored in chemistry. I was going to grad schools working for the department of energy doing acid rain research and realized it wasn’t what I wanted, and I thought what am I going to do now? And so I said “Well, I wanted to be a college professor at some point, so why don’t we back it down to high school and junior college?” So, I did, and I don’t regret my decision.  

CK: How long have you been teaching at Eisenhower? 

Mrs. D: I have been teaching at Eisenhower for 19 and a half years.  

CK: What are your plans after retirement? 

Mrs. D: Well, I can do what I want, when I want. There’s a lot of different things like traveling with my family- some of it is spontaneous, like let’s go to Florida, or let’s go see the girls. And with my parents getting older, I will be helping to care for them.  

CK: What are you going to miss at Eisenhower? 

Mrs. D: I am going to miss seeing the kids, my friends, and my coworkers, and I am going to miss teaching and doing my thing in my room.  

CK: What memories do you have at Eisenhower? 

Mrs. D: Most of the memories I have are very good. I’ve watched kids grow up and make successful lives and careers. That’s been a joy. Also having a variety of wonderful coworkers and administrators; Mr. Martin is awesome, and I’ll miss him. I made some great friendships along the way. I am dearly going to miss Mrs. Joncas, Mrs. Chapman, and Ms. Howe, and it’s going to be hard not seeing them every day.  

To get yet another perspective on Dietsch, The Squire spoke with her colleague, Mrs. Chapman. Chapman is an aid for Eisenhower; she helps students when they need it, and she is a good friend of Mrs. Dietsch. Chapman has often been in her chemistry class, and she has learned so many aspects of chemistry just from being there and listening to Dietsch. Knowing this, it is no surprise to hear that Chapman was more than willing to answer a couple of questions about how long she’s been working with her and how much she is going to miss her.  

CK: How long have you known Mrs. Dietsch? 

Mrs. Chapman: Mrs. Dietsch and I have been working together for about 15 years. We have worked side by side in chemistry for a very long time. 

CK: What are some qualities you admire about Mrs. Dietsch? 

Mrs. C: She is a very good teacher; She always goes out of her way to help any student with understanding anything as far as chemistry, lab, and environmental science. She goes out of her way to help students one-on-one or with the whole class. 

CK: Did you enjoy working with Mrs. Dietsch? If so, what did you enjoy most about working with her? 

Mrs. C: I really enjoyed working in chemistry with her. She has taught me more about chemistry than I ever learned about I when I was in school. She’s just a very good teacher, and I enjoy being there with her as a friend. I am going to miss her a lot.  

Having only around fifty minutes a day to interact with students, it takes a truly special teacher to foster a connection with the students around her, and Dietsch has done this effortlessly throughout the years. From her active style of teaching, her relatable and fun personality, and her passion for both teaching sciences and getting to know her students, Dietsch has implemented herself as a part of Eisenhower’s core, and she will be missed by our school and faculty. The Squire, along with the whole of Eisenhower, wishes the best to Dietsch, as she has always given her best to us.