Brian Weaver is a former student at GMC, GMC swimming coach, and now business and technology educator. He went to GMC a couple of years ago, and then to Clemson University where he interned, and later on entered the world of corporate business.
Mr. Weaver is one of two Swim coaches for the GMC swim team. He currently coaches youth swimming from ages 5-18 along with high school swim. He reflects on how swim coaching has helped benefit his teaching skills:
“My past experiences that I’ve drawn the most for teaching at GMC is swim coaching, due to them being the same students in the pool as they are in the classroom (just more clothes).”
Having these previously established relationships with students, he yearns to have students in his room to build connections. He wants them to know that his classroom is everyone’s not just his: “Not just mine, not just theirs, I want them to know that it’s a safe space. I want them to know that they can speak freely, speak to one another, and be themself.”
Originally Mr. Weaver was a long-term sub before becoming a full-time teacher. Ahead of time, he talked to Mr. Armstrong regarding different teaching positions in Greenville. “Long story short, by the time I left GMC that day, I was given a key to start subbing the next day for Mrs. Moore. That experience as a subset me up with the perfect opportunity to test the waters of being on the other side of the classroom at GMC would look like.”
He spoke on his reintroduction to GMC. His time subbing endorsed momentum for him to apply to the full-time teaching position the following year. His love for the staff and students also convinced him to apply: “The people here, the faculty, are incredibly supportive. They were and they have been of me being a new educator, and the students, the students are engaged, and willing to dive into what we’re doing in the classroom, and that makes all the difference.”
From a young age Mr. Weaver thought that his dream job would be a teacher. He drew back on his familial ties with the education system, along with his everyday life: “I was the type of kid who had a lot of dream jobs, depending on my day or depending on the last person I talked to. My dad was a teacher and some of my extended family were educators, so I was always around it, but I didn’t seriously consider it being a full-time career.”
During college he always thought he would teach, but mainly believed he would remain in the corporate business world for a number of years before returning to the classroom.
He was happily surprised that he returned sooner than he anticipated: “So I did always have this idea that I would end up in a classroom again, but it came much sooner than I expected, and I’m glad it did.”
Mr. Weaver loves his area of subject matter and enjoys every passing school day vividly. “The business and technology courses are all about learning how to do things and do new things and do old things better.”
He enjoys learning about and interacting with the new types of technology, software that’s frequently released, and changing. He voices how it excites him to teach it: “That’s a very energizing cause for me. That’s a very energizing adventure in the classroom, sometimes it feels like a big puzzle to solve.”
Mr. Weaver loves his position: “Oh my gosh I love it, it’s a fun day every day for me.”
