Much of Hector Ibarra’s teaching style came from his years as a wrestling coach.

“Instead of dealing with athletes, I’m dealing with students who want to be motivated,” the West Branch Middle School science teacher said. “The desire to learn is important.”

For Ibarra, 55, that means helping students compete in state and national academic contests such as the Lego League and the U.S. Army’s eCyberMission contest, in which student teams develop projects to solve problems in their areas. Several of his students in recent years have won the top prize regionally and nationally.

“They have to be hard workers,” Ibarra said. “They have to be able to accept criticism.”

Working with students to develop the projects for the contest as well as regular class assignments led to Ibarra’s winning the Iowa Teacher of the Year award from Wal-Mart in September and Wal-Mart’s National Teacher of the Year award in November.

A native of Clear Lake, he said he developed his work ethic working 40 to 55 hours a week in the fields.

“I grew up working very hard,” he said. “I know what a summer’s hard work is. If people know what work is, they’ll have a different work ethic.”

Ibarra said helping create a competitive drive in his students has helped them achieve.

“Teachers like myself have a competitive drive,” he said. “Having a competitive drive means never being satisfied.”

This means revising his curriculum every year and using real-life objects such as dirty oil filters to teach environmental science.

“(It’s) taking a unit that’s applicable to their lives,” Ibarra said. “Instead of using the book, you bring your own material.”

— Rob Daniel

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