Mrs. Herbeck is a teacher at IMS. She discusses a little bit more about her life and how she decided to teach here at IMS.

Panther Press: When you were growing up, what did you want to be?

Mrs.Herbeck: I wanted to work at Sea World and train dolphins. 

Panther Press: What inspired you to become a teacher at this school?

Mrs.Herbeck: Mrs. Cilento inspired me to move to middle school to teach. 

Panther Press: Who supported you the most to become a teacher? 

Mrs.Herbeck:My mom supported me the most with becoming a teacher.

Panther Press: When did you start to be a teacher?

 Mrs.Herbeck: I got my first teaching job 18 years ago. 

Panther Press: In your opinion, what is the best way for children to learn?

Mrs.Herbeck: I think it is best for children to be active in learning. Children need to do many different activities since there are so many different kinds of learners. 

Panther Press: What challenges have you had to face in your career?

Mrs.Herbeck: My first challenge was adapting to teaching in the library my first year of teaching and only having a tiny chalkboard to write on. There were no available classrooms so the library got converted into my first classroom. 

Panther Press: How do you assess student progress? 

 Mrs.Herbeck: I assess student progress by giving assignments on paper…no computers!

Panther Press: How do you organize your classes?

Mrs. Herbeck: I am very organized and like to divide my class into teaching grammar, spelling, reading, and writing. We do a little bit of each topic each day to break up the hour long class.

Panther Press: What inspired you to become a teacher and why did you choose this career?

Herbeck: When I was 16 years old, I wanted to work with dolphins at Sea World. My mom told me to pick a realistic career so I picked to be a teacher because I like to work with children. 

Panther Press: What is the most important (non-academic) lesson you have learned from your students?

Herbeck:I learned to have a lot of patience. 

Panther Press: If you weren’t a teacher, what else would you do and why?

Herbeck: I would be an event planner because I am really organized.

Panther Press: How do you think education has changed since you were a student?

Herbeck: We used to have more fun. Now there are too many tests and harder standards to follow. 

Panther Press: What do you think is the most important skill students should develop for the future?

Herbeck: Communication skills. They need to communicate with others correctly. Without communication, many things are lost or misinterpreted.

Panther Press: What is the best advice you have ever been given?

Herbeck: Be kind to everyone because each person is fighting a battle within. 

Panther Press: If you had a superpower, what would it be and why?

Herbeck:To turn into liquid because I can seep through small areas to travel. I used to have dreams that I had this superpower.

Panther Press: What kind of music, books, or movies do you enjoy in your free time?

Herbeck:I love rock music and reading James Patterson books. 

Panther Press: What advice would you give your school self if you could go back in time?

Herbeck:To read more because reading is a world of knowledge.

Panther Press:How would you like your students to remember you when they graduate?

Herbeck:That I am inspirational and I made a positive impact on their lives.