MJHerbert.net - Home of 'The Jackie Story'

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Welcome to the Teacher Page!

This page is dedicated to MJ Herbert, the Teacher, which is divided into four categories: Student Comments, Class Roster, Teaching Methods/Tools, and Career Portfolio.

What better way to celebrate MJ Herbert, the Teacher, then to hear from the students who were in Mr. Herbert's classroom. The Student Comments section contains just a few comments that have been collected over the years, and the Herbert family would like to say a big "THANK YOU" for all of the comments that have been received. We cannot express our gratitude enough!

The Class Roster section includes a scanned PDF file that is an almost complete listing, by year, of students that had Mr. Herbert as their teacher. This list is a mimeographed copy of a hand typed list typed by Mr. Herbert after he retired. The list encompasses both Central School and Allen Elementary School students.

The Teaching Methods/Tools section contains a list, along with a brief description, of most of the unique teaching tools/methods that made Mr. Herbert's classroom special. The items listed were introduced during Mr. Herbert's teaching tenure, but not all were used during a given time period. Some were used and then replaced by another. If you were a student of Mr. Herbert's you will probably see an item or two on this list that you remember!

The last section is the Career Portfolio. This covers the professional teaching assignments during Mr. Herbert's professional teaching career in Hutchinson. After retiring from education Mr. Herbert loved to travel with his wife, Adena, and spend time with friends and family. MJ Herbert passed away on April 15, 2000 at the age of 84, and is interned at the Buhler City Cemetery, in Buhler, Kansas.

Student Comments

May 2018	"I loved Mr. Herbert. I was in the class of 1955. He was the best teacher. I still have the record I recorded in 1955!" - Dale
June 2015	"I just discovered this site and was so excited! I was a student in his class 58-59. It was fun to see the list of students including me. He was the most wonderful teacher. I remember helping to write the letter in May of 59 that led to that first news article. I have so many great memories of that year." - Bonnie
January 2013	"Mr. Herbert was my teacher during the 1965-66 school year. As noted on your home page, if you had Mr. Herbert, you will never forget him. Jackie and Skeeter. Mr. Herbert's radio station. Making our own records for Christmas. Our poetry competition. Where would I be without Mr. Herbert? He gave me a love of learning." - Bob
October 2009	"I was (a) teacher's kid and he made me proud to be one because he was like my dad - a teacher who loved what he did and knew why he did it because he loved us and shared his joy of learning." - Barbara
May 1976	"Dear Mr. Herbert, I think you are the best teacher in the world. And I wish I could have you every year until I graduate form college!" - Unknown Student

Class Roster

The Class Roster section includes a scanned PDF file that is an almost complete listing, by year, of students Mr. Herbert had in his classes. This list is a mimeographed copy of a hand type list typed by Mr. Herbert after he retired. The list encompasses both Central School and Allen Elementary School. If you need a reader to open up the Class Roster file, you can click on the "Get Adobe Reader" link on this page and download Acrobat Reader for free. Any changes or corrections are welcomed and can be submitted on the 'Contacts' page. Just click on the PDF image to the left to open the Class Roster file!

Teaching Methods/Tools

The Jackie Story	"The Jackie Story" was created, written, and narrated by Milton Herbert. The story centers around Jackie Anderson, an orphan, and a cast of characters like Skeeter, Maggie, and Ritzy. Once students returned from lunch, Mr. Herbert would spend 15 minutes telling the day's section of "The Jackie Story". The links for the digital version of "The Jackie Story" can be found on the 'Storyteller' page.
The Puppet Theater	Did you ever want to be a puppeteer after seeing 'Claude the Puppet'? Introduced in the early 1970's was 'The Puppet Theater'. The Puppet Theater was a tri-fold homemade portable theater that had a main middle section that included a three foot wide stage and was furnished with a working curtain, lights, and a stepping system for shorter puppeteers. The two side sections were used for play bills and a working sound system. Students used art time to create puppets using paper Mache and paint for the face, coat hangers for the skeleton and used clothing for fabric brought from home for the clothes. In conjunction with the art project, students were grouped together to work on a script and develop characters during Language Arts. All these individual components were then brought together to create a puppet show. One by one, each troop presented there show to the rest of the class. As time went on, students got so good that they began to perform in the auditorium for the whole student body! A picture of students using 'The Puppet Theater' can be seen on the 'eMedia' page.
The Radio Station	Mr. Herbert's purchase of a reel-to-reel tape recorder was the catalyst for "The Radio Station". Students would be grouped in small groups and use their English time to write a radio script. Students could pick from a list of subjects to produce a timed 'Radio' segment. When ready, the students preformed the segment in private that was recorded on Mr. Herbert's fancy tape record. Once all groups had been recorded, an afternoon of fun and laughs was a sure bet as students got to hear all the performances!
The Poetry Competition	To help inspire and motivate students in Language Arts, Mr. Herbert started "The Poetry Competition". Lesson plans would center on writing poetry with students working individually, or occasionally, in groups. Judging of the poetry written by students during these lessons made poetry fun and enjoyable!
The Magic Machine	The Magic Machine was a homemade contraption that consisted of four tricks that used electricity to preform 'magic'. The first trick was a motorized disk that was mounted on a pole. Half the disk was painted one color, and the other side a different color, like yellow and blue. The motor was turned on and the disk started spinning. Magically as the disk spun faster and faster, the yellow and blue disappeared and only one color was visible, green! Trick two was a wand that could tell if students had the right answer. The wand was a tube with electrical contacts at the tip. As the wand was pointed, liquid in the tube ran to the tip and made a light go on. Mr. Herbert would ask questions, and if a student correctly answered, the wand would be pointed down enough for the liquid to run to the tip and turn on the light. If a student answered incorrectly, the wand would be held horizontal as to not let the liquid run to the end and not turn on the light. That is how the wand knew the right answers! Trick three was the bell trick. Mr. Herbert would touch the side of a plastic box and a bell would go off. He welcomed students to come and try to ring the bell, but no one could. The trick was that Mr. Herbert had a clear ring on his finger with a magnet on it. This magnet was use to close an electrical circuit in the plastic box when Mr. Herbert touched it! The last trick was a shocker. It started by students holding hands and using a battery and transformer to pass a DC voltage around the circle. The Magic Machine was used directly and indirectly to teach students about the wonders and power of electricity. A picture of Mr. Herbert and his 'Magic Machine' can be seen on the 'eMedia' page.
The Classroom Auction	Students earned play money based upon how well they did on math assignments. A prefect paper received 50 cents and a paper with errors received less. As per a real auction, an auction date was scheduled. Students had until that date to earn as much auction money as possible. On auction day, students brought "white elephant" items from home to 'sell' in the auction. The student auction not only helped students with their math skills, but also how to handle and count money!
The Court System	Per Mr. Herbert "It's a way to show students how justice and democracy work. The students learn how to make up rules and how to follow the rules, and they also learn what happens when they break them". Please refer to the article on the 'Articles' page dated April 14, 1975 for additional information.
The Record Maker	Mr. Herbert loved electronics (today we call it technology). The springboard for "The Record Maker" was when Mr. Herbert purchased a used Wilcox-Gay Recordio model 6A10 record cutter in the mid 1950's. This machine was awesome! It came with the original Astatic microphone, blank discs, and a hardcover book titled "How To Make Good Recordings". Students practiced and rehearsed their performances, which could be, but not limited to, voice, music, groups or individual performances. Once perfected, The Record Maker was turn on and students would 'cut' their own record. Once completed, students had a wonderful surprise to take home, and were able to say "I have my own record"!
The Banking System	The 'Banking System' was developed by Mr. Herbert to show students the practical uses of math skills. Students setup and maintained the Banking System on their own which included, but not limited to, depositing money, collecting interest, and making loans. It was an excellent way for students to learn if they borrow money, they must pay it back with interest. If a student didn't pay the loan back, his credit was no good and couldn't borrow any more. Students also learned that the bank takes 10 percent to keep itself in business. Fluctuations in currency and market conditions were also discussed.
Claude, The Puppet	"Claude, The Puppet" was a main staple in Mr. Herbert's classroom. Claude started out in the late 1940's and was just under three feet tall. Claude underwent a makeover in the mid 1950's with new mechanics added to his mouth, longer, more realistic legs, and a new wire skeleton system. This makeover also introduced a new costume which made him look more like a boy scout, and is still the outfit he wears today (YES, Claude is still around!) See the video on the 'eMedia' page for a funny look at Mr. Herbert and his puppet 'Claude'!
Classroom Dancing	Started in the 1970's, students learned the art of square dancing. First introduced in Mr. Herbert's classroom, it soon became popular enough to include other 5th grade classes and be moved to a larger venue - the school's gymnasium! Students applied an interesting mix of skills - math, science, PE and music with the end result being a great time with fellow student!

Career Portfolio

1947-1957	Central School 301 East 5th Avenue Hutchinson, KS 67501 Location intersection: (5th and Walnut - Southeast Corner) Demolished circa 1960
1957-1981	Allen Elementry School 403 West 10th Aveune Hutchinson, KS 67501 Location intersection: (10th and Monroe Street) Renamed: Magnet School at Allen, circa 2006 Magnet Stems: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
Central School Photos
Allen School Photos
Retirement Recogintion