Everything You Need to Know About Our New Teachers

The mediocre teacher tells.

The good teacher explains.

The superior teacher demonstrates.

The great teacher inspires.

– William Arthur Ward

IMSA is known for its many teachers, and the Dr. Torres, the president, is always looking for new teachers that can fully embrace this unique teaching style. Today, I will introduce you all to the two new teachers of the Illinois Math and Science Academy. I interviewed them both and the interview Q&A will be posted below.

1. Dr. Anastasia Perry

Where are you from, and what was your background?

I am from Ukraine and studied at University in Ukraine. Then, I moved to America, specifically New Jersey, and taught at Rutger’s University. I taught Physics at Rutger’s and it was very intense.

What was your experience as a high school student?

I went to high school in Ukraine, and I wasn’t very challenged during my time there. There was no Calculus course in my high school, so I didn’t take Calculus until I went to University.

Why did you come to IMSA?

It was mainly [because of a] recommendation from a friend of mine, [who] is actually an alumni of IMSA. She told me that IMSA is a special school.

What is your favorite class is to teach?

Really, I don’t have a preference between the two classes I teach, as they both challenge the IMSA students. I like SI-Physics, because it requires conceptual thinking, however I like Calc-based EM because it was the class I preferred as a student.

What advice do you give for IMSA students?

ASK QUESTIONS! There are a lot of good staff members that are considered experts in their field of study, so you all should use this to your advantage.

2. Ms. Lingyi Meng

Where are you from, and what was your background?

I taught at Lane for 3 years, and that was my first job after graduating. I taught many math courses, and through this educational process, I found that most teachers and students are really nice. The reason I became a teacher was because I tutored in college and I liked it.

What was your experience as a high school student like?

I really like[d] my high school (OPRF), and I only went there in high school. Before that, I was in China. I liked this school because the teachers were very helpful and I was also able to take many challenging math courses.

Why did you come to IMSA?

I came to IMSA for the same reason as you guys (students), more challenges. Not all IMSA courses are crazy college level courses, because you still need algebra, precalc, etc. But I like the potential of taking and teaching those courses.

What classes do you teach?

I teach Calc BC 1 and Calc BC 2. I like BC 1 because its a new start. BC 2 is challenging because they took one semester of BC so its kind of tricky to figure out what they already know.

What advice would you give to IMSA students?

Study hard, work in groups, but don’t stress yourself.

These new teachers are obviously very aware of IMSA’s difficulty, and understand what the students are going through. With these new, caring teachers, and future ones, I believe that IMSA, as a whole, will be more successful than ever before!