Published Nov. 20, 2008
60 SECONDS
LOUISE
PERKOWSKI
HAS
TAUGHT ALL PRIMARY GRADES BUT KINDERGARTEN • GREW UP IN
CONNECTICUT • ENJOYS READING HISTORICAL FICTION
WIFE TO DAVE AND MM TO JOHN, 25, AND TWINS
ALEX AND MARK, 22
Louise Perkowski loves
everything about teaching second grade. “I have wanted
to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl,” the
22-year Hinsdale resident said. “I just love working
with the children and seeing the wonderful progress they
make during the course of the year. We just have so much
fun and they’re so enthusiastic about learning.” Perhaps
the second-graders at Walker School catch some of their
enthusiasm from Perkowski. Ask her to name a favorite
unit that she teaches and she can hardly pick one. “We
do an amazing family heritage project,” she said. The
students send out questionnaires asking their relatives
to recall their second-grade experiences. “The students
get this big picture of what life was like when grandma
and grandpa were little.” One student received a letter
from her 100-year-old great-grandmother. “The kids were
fascinated by what her life was like,” Perkowski said.
“The kids were so in awe of this, and I was, too.” She
also enjoys the fairy tale unit, the community unit, the
whale unit and the poetry unit. “I love it all. I love
everything we do in second grade,” she said. Perkowski,
who has taught second grade most of her career, said
this is a particularly good age to teach. “They are
still anxious to please the teacher and I also love how
they work with each other,” she said. “They’re so kind
and encouraging to each other. I love to see that.” She
also appreciates how much they learn during the year.
“They come in already knowing how to read and we just
take it to the next level,” she said. “They go from
reading picture books to chapter books. The growth is
just amazing in second grade. I love to help them
stretch their education.” She also appreciates the
support she gets from parents in the community. “The
students take so much pride in their work and they want
to share that with their parents,” she said. “The
parents are so supportive and so encouraging and they
make every effort to come into the classroom. We work
closely with the parents in educating the children. The
parents are terrific here.” When Perkowski isn’t
teaching, she enjoys spending time outdoors. She and
fellow second-grade teacher Sherri Lee run together
before school. “We run five miles every morning,”
Perkowski said. “We also walk a lot.” She also likes to
bike. “I’m always biking around town or through the
forest preserve. Anything that’s outdoors and involves
exercise, I love to do.” Perkowski said teaching was a
great career to have while raising a family. “We all did
homework around the kitchen table,” she said. “Thanks to
a supportive husband, I was able to continue working
while raising children,” she said. Perkowski, who has
been teaching since she graduated from the University of
Illinois in 1977, said she can’t imagine a day when she
won’t be in the classroom. “I love this too much and I’m
going to teach as long as I can, for as long as I’m
healthy.”
— by
Pamela Lannom