While many teachers opt to cruise to the finish line when their careers wind down, Industrial Arts teacher Mr. Jim Mackereth is spending his last year before retirement determined not to do things differently.
Mr. Mackereth has been teaching for 40 years, 39 of then being at Bellwood-Antis. When he started teaching in 1986, he was the agriculture teacher/FFA Advisor. He graduated from Penn State with degrees in both business and teaching after graduating from Clearfield High School.
After college, he tried working for an agricultural business, but it wasn’t right for him.
“I just wanted to help people, so I gave teaching a try,” he said
Many people influenced him to go in the direction he did, such as his father, who was an agriculture teacher at Clearfield, and his grandfather, who was a middle school math teacher at State College. His first year teaching was in 1931 in a one-room schoolhouse in Oak Hall, which means Mackereth men have been involved in education for 94 years.
Throughout his decades at B-A, Mr. Mackereth has not only taught Industrial Arts but also advised FFA (1988-2007, 2023-2025), coached wrestling (1986-1988, 2001-2003), baseball (1988-1990), and softball (1996-1998), and led a Boy Scouts troop (2005-2024).
Mr. Mackereth’s favorite part of Industrial Arts is an area many teachers dread – when he gathers all of the students projects for grading.
“When I see the quality work done by the students, I am proud of the effort made by them,” he said.
To start getting ready for retirement, Mr. Mackereth has started cleaning out cabinets, drawers, and shelves that have have clutter accumulated over his forty years. Mr. Mackereth says he is going to miss both the students and staff at Bellwood-Antis, but one thing he isn’t going to miss is the computer and paperwork.
Always a planner, he has decided to retire this year so he and his wife, who teaches8th grade science at Altoona, can retire together in the same year.
While Mr. Mackereth will miss B-A, it turns out the students will miss him just as much.
“I feel very sad because he is a very good teacher and really funny,” said freshman Hayden Drost.
“He’s a great teacher, but I wish him best of luck,” sad classmate Kirk Keen.
To stay busy in retirement, Mr. Mackereth plans to maintain five different houses and properties, including his father’s farm.
“I will have plenty to keep me busy,” he said.
