Barbara Thompson is the talented and gifted (TAG) teacher at West and North High School, and this is her 5th year of teaching after being in the restaurant and hospitality industry for over 30 years. She previously taught her first two years of teaching between Smart and Williams Intermediate and then her next two years were between Williams and Walcott Intermediate. This year, she splits her time between West and North High School. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and majored in English not in Education. Thompson’s favorite thing about being at West so far is that she really enjoys both the staff and the students here; that everybody has been very friendly, and everyone has been kind of calm. She also has had challenges getting to know the students since she doesn’t regularly see them but she plans on holding some activities to hopefully get to know them better. Outside of West in her free time, she is an avid reader as she enjoys reading a lot of Stephen King’s work and she also enjoys playing pickleball.
Barbara Thompson
A new TAG teacher joins West
September 22, 2025
About the Contributor
Will Earnest, Co-editor
William (Will) Earnest is a senior at West High School. This is his second year on the Beak ‘n’ Eye staff and first year as an editor. He is the creator of Chill Will Media which covers both Chill Will Photography and the Throttle to the Floor Podcast. Outside of school, he likes to lift at the gym and do different outdoor activities such as caving. After high school, Will plans to attend a 4 year college in Georgia with his loving girlfriend Hailey and major in journalism to hopefully work for NASCAR someday.