The teaching staff at here at West is a team. Each day, teachers come into school ready to face the task of educating the Wildcat youth. Working together to teach students, staff members talk, plan and attack classroom challenges each day. So who are these team players? Each week, I’ll ask a series of questions to get to know two different staff members, one male and one female. Let’s get to know the teachers and see just who is apart of the wildcat teaching staff.

Nicole Mackinson  

Name in class: Ms. Mack

Height: 5’11

Gender: female

Subject: English

Classes: AP Literature and Composition, English III, Dual Credit Composition I and II, Creative Writing

College education: University of Illinois

Years Teaching: 17

Hobbies: Running, traveling, eating, listening to podcasts

Special skills: Cooking

Achilles heel: Cares too much about students

John Bierbaum  

Name in class: Mr. Bierbaum

Height: 5’10″ (on a good day)

Gender: Male

Subject: Social Studies

Classes: Psychology and AP Psychology

College education: 2 years at Heartland and 2 years at Illinois State University

Years Teaching: 13

Hobbies: Coach son’s hockey team, dogs, plants

Achilles heel: people who are mean to dogs