Social studies teacher Eric West moved to the Francis Howell School District when he was seven years old. He would go on to return as a teacher in 1990. Students find him to be more than just a loyal alumnus:  they see him  as an integral  part of the school. After 34 years, West will retire this  spring after mentoring countless students and teachers. 

Junior Jansen Ikemeier worked with West his sophomore year and said he appreciates West. 

 “He’s a good teacher. I think he’s made a name for himself,” Ikemeier said. “I think he’ll leave a lasting impression on everybody, and I think people will learn from that.”

Ikemeier said he thinks West is a beyond-competent teacher. 

“I think most questions he gets asked are just about him and his life, and not really about social studies, because that’s how well he teaches it. Kids don’t really need to ask questions because they already have the answers from what we were taught,” Ikemeier said. 

Senior Isabelle Davis said she finds West trustworthy.

“I feel like he’s definitely easy to talk to if you needed to talk to him about something. But he’s also a part of the school,” Davis said.

West said he has always had a passion for teaching, but like anyone in a position for more than 30 years, sometimes he has needed  a push in the right direction. 

“ [I´ve seen] different teachers have a big impact on my daughter’s life, and I realized I used to be that kind of impact teacher, and since then, for the last three years, I’ve strived to be that teacher once again,” West said.

West said he has his own views on what makes a good teacher and is continuously learning how to improve, even in his final year.

“I think a good teacher is somebody who can actually remember what they were like when they were 14 to 17 years old and realized they may not have been the perfect student back then,” West said.

Even after solidifying his legacy, West said he also remembers previous staff who made an impact on him. 

 “Probably my first department chair [inspired me]. His name was Bud Renkin. He instilled in me a vision that being a teacher was something very, very special to be,” West said. 

He said hopes he can share with his daughter, an aspiring teacher, his view that a teacher is a special and sacred thing to be, just as Renkin taught him. 

West said he never regretted retiring later than expected. 

“No, in fact, I sometimes now wish I wasn’t retiring,” West said.