YEARS TEACHING AT O’NEILL 6

EDUCATION She pursued a master’s degree in education and is currently studying for her doctorate in education technology at Northern Illinois University.

Meg Van Dyke tells her students at the beginning of the year that if somebody she taught decided to become a cancer researcher, astronaut or a noble prize winner, her work as an educator is done.

“Even if (students) get to the point of ‘I hate it’ to ‘I like it’ — that’s a huge success for me,” Van Dyke said.

Van Dyke is a seventh-grade teacher at O’Neill Middle School in Downers Grove.

“I really, really like this age group,” Van Dyke said, “And not everyone does. I think in middle school is where you can make a difference in their overall career so I really would like to stay where I’m at.”

Van Dyke was a nursing major in college, but once she graduated she realized the career wasn’t cut out for her. She wanted to become a teacher.

She has won multiple grants in the past, such as the BP Energy Grant, but most recently Van Dyke was awarded $5,000 by Kinder Morgan, a Texas energy company.

“We are purchasing technology for the science department in our efforts for No Child Left Inside (Act),” she said.

Handheld computers, which cost about $400 each, will be bought for students. Probes can be bought for each handheld. Some can measure temperature, PH balance and even soil moisture.

“Students can collect data outside come back upload it to the computer and analyze the data,” Van Dyke said.

The more technology that is introduced to students, the better, Van Dyke said, who wants to get students excited about science and technology.

“Could we just go and get a regular thermometer and stick it in Barth Pond? Yeah, but what fun is that? It’s cooler. It’s much cooler,” Van Dyke said.

Notable
Van Dyke has used the BP Energy grant for ‘energy day’ at the end of the energy unit in class. Children learn about alternative energy and the energy crisis in the Middle East. They even get to drive Go-Karts that run on ethanol and biodiesel.

& quotable
On her recent grant win: “What can I say? I like expensive things.”

Philosophy
Try to get as many children as possible excited about science and to try to get as many as possible to go into science as a career.

Favorites
SUBJECT Chemistry
BOOK “Illusions” by Richard Bach
MUSICIAN Chris Isaak
HOBBIES Golfing, flying and riding her motorcycle