Have you ever thought about the power a teacher has to change a child's life? As parents, we typically have an idea of what a teacher should be like. Perhaps some of us care more about one aspect than another. Many of us want structure, some a sweetness, and others curriculum. Whatever our vision is, I would venture to say that we all want teachers that show our children respect and allow them to feel comfortable in class. The profession of teaching has changed so much over the years. What teachers are expected to do has even changed. How parents view teachers has changed. As a teacher myself…

As parents it seems we are constantly asked to donate or raise money for everything under the sun -- school, scouts, athletics, theater, and numerous other activities.  These days it is difficult as a parent to decide what to buy, and from whom.  What do you say when the doorbell keeps ringing and it is another cute child asking you for something. What type of fundraising do parents prefer? What types of things would you be more likely to give to? For most of us the fundraising is a huge help to the bottom line for our children’s extra-curricular activities. I asked several parents how they …

As a parent, teacher, a PTA member and a Glen Ellyn resident I know that I am always talking to people about communication. We want our schools and teachers to tell us what is going on, we want the school board to tell us what it is doing about the issues we worry about. We get upset when the village does not inform us why something has changed or why a fee is raised. These are just a few of the things we all want. I began thinking about how difficult this is to achieve without taking responsibility for ourselves. In my role as a PTA parent, I am constantly working with other parents on …

There are many things you and your kids can do next week when everyone else is gone for spring break.  Some of them are free, some are new, some are old, and some you just forgot about while it was freezing cold all winter. The library, of course, is always a fun place to check out.  During spring break they will have story times for the young kids and some drop-off movie times on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  You can also play computer games and check out movies for just $1. Of course there is Out On A Whim for a fun day of pottery painting.  The studio is open almost every day and there…

It’s time for the annual Glenbard West Father-Daughter dance this Saturday. I was thinking to myself what a fun night it must be, and then I also started to wonder if it is difficult for some kids. Do all the kids go? Do some grades attend more than others? What is the general feeling about the night? I decided to ask a few kids and their families what they thought about it. I contacted several families and the first family told me that their daughter, who is a senior this year, never wanted to attend the dance. The mother had heard the event was really nice, but said her daughter would …

It is that time of year again. Time for the always controversial ISAT. Every year, when testing time comes around, parents discuss their concerns with the way in which schools focus on the state exam. While we have no choice but to take the exam, it seems that the focus on the result is what frustrates some parents. For many schools in d41 testing will begin today or tomorrow. I spoke to several parents about today’s test and got some interesting thoughts about it. Ellen, who has two kids taking the test, said she finds it frustrating that the staff makes the children feel like it is a test …

Everything is different for our children now that we have Facebook, Myspace and all these social media online sites as well as cell phones with texting and cameras. There really is no such thing as true privacy. I remember when I was in junior high school. We used to write notes in class, fold them really cool and then hand them off to someone for delivery. The biggest risk was that someone might share your note with someone else or read it before it got to its destination. I remember that friends would call each other and have a three-way phone call but the person on the other end thought …

With all this snow we've had, and the fact that we were all somewhat trapped by unplowed streets and huge piles of powder, gave me time to think about something:  What types of stores would it be nice to have in our downtown area?  What types of stores would really be a help to parents if they were right here?  I talked to several parents in the area and they had some very interesting suggestions. I love that I have a 7-11 store right at the end of my block, a Walgreens around the corner and, of course, a Dairy Queen that is a quick walk across St. Charles Road.  I love that these stores are …

This year at Forest Glen School, the PTA parents are focusing on giving to others while they celebrate holiday parties.  In the past, some classes did service projects on their own, if the parents for that room decided to do so. Often schools do grand projects when a world wide event occurs like the Haiti earthquake and the tsunami in Thailand. This year the PTA suggested that every homeroom do at least one service project throughout the year at one of the standard holiday parties it does in the classroom. This would help balance all the wonderful treats the children receive with some focus …

Last week I wrote about the college application process from the perspective of the parents.  This week I decided to look at it from the eyes of the students. This was very interesting to obtain from the kids.  I had a few kids who never responded to my request.  I was not sure what that meant.  For some it was probably just that they were too busy, or not in the mood.  For others, I wondered if it meant they did not want to reveal their true thoughts on the issue for fear of their parents reading it.  It was requested by those who did participate, that I not use their real names. I first …

Brennan Dougherty is only 10 years old, but his resume is getting a big head start!  Brennan is a fourth grade student at Forest Glen School here in Glen Ellyn.  He is very involved in the arts and especially in singing and theater. Brennan is a member of Anima Young Singers of Greater Chicago, which led to an incredible opportunity to perform in A Midsummer Nights Dream at the Chicago Lyric Opera this past fall.  He has also participated in The Rising Stars Show Choir summer camps, the Wheaton Drama Camps, and, of course, Forest Glen’s drama program. Although Brennan spends a lot of time in …

High school seniors are either finishing up their college applications or, for many, receiving their acceptances, or rejections.  I have young kids so this is still a ways away for me, but I began to wonder what the process is like for parents. I decided to get some opinions from a few families who are in the mist of it, or who have been through it several times. I found what they had to say really interesting. The first family I talked with is on their second child going through the process  and their first is graduating this year from the University of Iowa.  I began the conversation asking…

Mike Burke is a stay-at-home Dad who lives in Glen Ellyn.  He has three girls ages six, nine, and 11.  Mike has been home with his kids for the past eight years.  His wife, Jen, works full-time.  I have known Mike for a long time and I have always thought that he seemed to really embrace the experience which I would think could be difficult for many men to do. So, I asked Mike what the experience has been like.  Mike told me the easiest thing about being home with the kids is being with them and getting to do all the fun activities with them.  The hardest part is when it is time to discipline…

I know that if you are a parent and you read this headline, it made your stomach turn. All of us would prefer to do our grocery shopping by ourselves for a variety of reasons. We can do it quicker, have peace and quiet and only buy the things we choose to. These are just a few of the reasons. What if I told you that you could turn the trip into a fun game and learning experience for your kids once in a while? Over vacation I was trying to think of something to do with the kids that was different and also fun. I had to do my grocery shopping and I had to bring the kids, so I decided to head …

I was thinking about New Year's Eve recently, and it dawned on me that throughout our life we go through many "phases" of the big night celebration.  Just before we had our children, we would go to someone's house for an early dinner or appetizers. We usually came home right before the ball dropped or just after. We enjoyed ourselves and knew we did not have to wake up the next morning until we wanted to. It was fun, but quite frankly, usually overrated. When we first had our children we either got a babysitter and continued going to gatherings at friends, or we started having our friends …

Well, it is hard to believe that it is already just a little over a week until Christmas.  The kids are done with school this week and, for many of us, a two week stretch of fun and activities are about to begin.  Some of you may be planning vacations to warm places, or to visit relatives for the holiday.  Those of us who will enjoy the holiday at home may be thinking that it is going to be a long two weeks. There are many things to do in Glen Ellyn over these next two weeks.  Besides shopping for presents and enjoying good food at our local restaurants, there are other things going on. Out …

Well, we finally got our first significant snow of the season last week.  It was fun to see kids all over Glen Ellyn out playing in the snow.  My kids got up at 8 a.m. and went right outside to play.  They were out there a good hour or more having a ball.  Other kids in the neighborhood came over to the school park near my house and they built snow forts and went sledding down little snow piles.   Many of us dread the cold, snowy weather, but there is so much joy if you look for it.  For example, when I drive around during the week and I see a cute snowman in front of someone's house it …

Thanksgiving is a holiday for everyone, no matter what your beliefs may be.  It is a time to think about what you can give someone else as well as for what you can be thankful.  Giving has nothing to do with money or gifts.  Giving means calling someone and asking,  "how are you?"  It means helping someone do something, giving someone a note of encouragement, babysitting someone's kids or just giving love to someone who needs it.  I myself have been the receiver of these ways of giving this year and there is nothing more generous in the world. There are many ways in which people in Glen Ellyn…

Wow, how things have changed over the years.  Not only are we informed of what is going on via email from our teacher, but now we can see our children's grades anytime we choose.  We no longer have to wait for a conference or a report card.  You just log in when report cards are done and look at it.  No more anticipation of the gold envelope. After attending my first Hadley Junior High conferences I could not decide what exactly I liked and disliked.  I like that I can keep track of grades whenever I want.  My son can check what he got on a test sometimes over the weekend without having to …