For the typical high school student, the week days at KHS are a way to escape from the family and do your own thing.

Many students roll out of bed around 6:30 a.m., do their hair, brush their teeth, get dressed, and wave goodbye to their parents as they run out the door.

Senior Ben Molter and junior Alec Molter have a bit of a different morning routine though, seeing as their mother is English teacher Kari Shaw.

Ben and Alec live two different lives within the school.

Alec has special needs and is normally on the opposite side of the school with Ms. Annette Orth, his aide, while Ben is your typical senior.

It has been a tradition in Shaw’s family, since her grandfather, that the parent actually has her child in her class. Shaw carried on the tradition after her mother taught her as well, having Ben as a student.

Although she initially worried about how this arrangement would go, Shaw enjoys having him.

“I was nervous about Ben being in my class at first,” Shaw said. “I did not know how good of an idea this was at first, but surprisingly, it is going very good.”

Ben feels a little differently when it comes to attending her class.

“It has its pros and cons,” Ben said. “I like being able to get extra help and know my work well, but, in all honesty, it is really weird. It is just something that took some getting used to.”

Shaw enjoys seeing her sons’ faces around the school periodically.

“I like it that they are both here because I can keep very close tabs on them,” Shaw chuckled. “I mean, not that I really have to because they are such good kids.”

She always has the scoop on her children before they even know it.

“I see teachers all the time in the hallway and it makes it a lot easier to ask if they’re doing OK in the class and see how things are going with them,” Shaw said.

Shaw is blessed with the ability to be acquainted with all the teachers within the school.

“It is nice to actually know my teacher-friends that have my kids,” Shaw said. “I get to pick which teachers they have. It is actually one of my favorite advantages of teaching here. I think, ‘Oh, Ben would get along well with this teacher for this class.’ I know how my kids learn and which teachers would teach to their best benefit.”

Ben’s brother Alec does not have his mother as a teacher but enjoys seeing her during school.

Alec spends his whole school day with Orth.  She is always by his side and knows Alec very well.

According to Orth, Alec loves being able to see his mom at any time in the day.

Alec gets excited whenever he gets to see Shaw.

“Oh, yes, Alec enjoys having her here,” Orth said. “He really enjoys when Kari (Shaw) comes down and chats with him, or on some occasions she will eat lunch with him. It makes him happy.”

Even with his special needs, Alec is more independent from his family than one may think.

He manages to do his own thing at school, only seeing his mom and Ben on occasions.

“I don’t think it would be a problem if she wasn’t here,” Orth said. “When we were at the middle school together, he did more than just fine. It’s just nice to have her around if anything were to come up.”

Shaw has that mutual feeling, appreciating the benefits of being able to help her child if ever needed.

“Alec — because he has special needs — I think he really likes having me here,” Shaw said. “Anytime he is having a bad day he can come down here and get a hug, and I know exactly how to get him to calm down.”

This creates a special bond between Shaw and Alec.

Ben might have a different feeling about seeing his mother in and out of school.

“I think he is OK with it,” Shaw said. “He is not one to really care what people think, but he definitely knows he cannot get away with anything. But it works out because he never tries to get away with anything.”

Ben feels just as you would think a typical teenage boy would.

Sometimes, he wishes he could just have that time away while he is at school.

“I wish I had a break like the rest of the kids,” Ben said. “It would be nice just to get away for at least a minute.”

Besides that, Ben actually likes having his mom teach at KHS.

It is not particularly special treatment but more of having certain advantages.

He can go to Shaw with some questions about school and the majority of the time she can answer them.

“I tend to like having her here. I get more help with my work, so it’s not too bad all around,” Ben said.

Before he could drive, Ben used to be stuck at the school much later than when the rest of the students went home. He, and Alec, would have to wait for his mom to drive them home.

“I always stay after school for at least an hour everyday,” Shaw said. “Alec has always rode home with me, and Ben did before, too. But now Ben drives his truck. So now that he is a senior and cool, he can get out of here a little faster.”

Shaw would not want it any other way than to have her children near her all of the time.

“Having them around, in and out of school, is what makes me happy,” Shaw said.