Julie Paul is an assistant professor of Early Childhood Education and the Grant Coordinator for the Project IMPACT-PD for the English as a Second Language program in our Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

As a two-time alumna of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Education, a former classroom teacher, and growing up in a multicultural family, her passion for teaching bilingual children has always been her driving force.

Paul initially began her teaching career in Madrid, Spain, where she taught English to native Spanish speakers in adult and elementary settings. Eventually, she moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to teach in the Birmingham City School District as an English language and Spanish teacher. During her time within the BCS system, she had the privilege of serving as an instructor of the school's Spanish Club.

Additionally, she was a Teacher Consultant of the National Writing Project affiliate, Red Mountain Writing Project, housed within the UAB School of Education.

Paul earned her master's degree in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL) from UAB in 2014, followed by a Ph. D. in Early Childhood Education in 2019.

Since 2016, she has served as Grant Coordinator for the IMPACT-PD Grant, which helps hundreds of multilingual children and families in the surrounding community through engagement activities. Additionally, the grant work has prepared many teachers to aid multilingual students through coursework and workshops to facilitate multilingual children's success through her leadership.

Her research interests include family engagement practices with emergent bilingual children in the early childhood setting and preparing current and future teachers to support multilingual children.

What advice do you have for students?

JP: Surround yourself with others who energize your teaching. Be consistent and take pride in your work. It never goes unnoticed.

Favorite part of your job?

JP: I would say seeing my students' confidence and abilities grow is what I love most about my job. It is gratifying to hear from my students about their success stories in applying strategies from my courses with their multilingual students.

What do you love most about working in education?

JP: My supportive and motivating colleagues! The UAB community is a great place to be!

Describe life working in education in a few words.
JP: Exciting and essential. You will constantly be presented with exciting experiences, and it'll never be dull. We hold a tremendous responsibility to educate the future generation. Our students need us!

How did you decide to work as an educator or teacher?

JP: Several years ago, I spent time in Guatemala City providing care to children in an orphanage. I quickly recognized the lack of access to education available for many children. This experience inspired me to dedicate my work to ensure all children receive an equitable education.

Fun fact about yourself
JP: I have family on six continents. I'm still waiting for someone to move to Antarctica! When I'm not working with students or on my tenure, I love to experience new cultures, experiment with vegetarian cooking, and enjoy time with family and friends.