by Gloria Cueva | Staff Writer
At first glance Connor Gorman is your everyday physics teacher who simply stands at his board, explaining different equations and procedures. But that all changes on Wednesday night. Once a week Gorman becomes a swing dance instructor for the San Antonio Swing Dance Society.
“I teach swing dance classes, and I run the music occasionally for the social dances,” Gorman said.
Gorman’s interest in swing dancing developed at a young age.
“I started listening to swing music in high school, and I wanted to find out more, like, how people dance to the music,” Gorman said.
Although many may think this commitment would interfere with his teaching, Gorman has found otherwise.
“We’ll it’s my first year of teaching, so there hasn’t been many events yet. The first one I have is in November, so I will see if it interferes with my teaching then,” Gorman said.
Through Gorman’s experience, he has found many differences between Johnson students and the swing dancing crowd.
“It’s different than normal teaching, because I’m not just teaching students -I’m teaching people who are a lot older than me. There is usually a large group of people. They all partner up with somebody, then rotate partners. I mean I guess there is a method to it, but it’s mainly a bunch of me talking,” said Gorman, “And the age range is really big, from 20’s to 70’s. Here it’s just 16 through 17.”
Gorman’s students are surprised to find that the science teacher they know during school hours has such a unique hobby and the time to participate in something other than grading.
“He’s a physics teacher. I didn’t think he’d have the time for something else in his life. I always hear my teachers say they spend their nights grading,” said sophomore Laney Lawson.
Other students appreciate the fact tat Gorman is able to teach more than just physics.
“I think it’s really cool, because I always enjoy watching people swing dance, so I think it’s awesome that he teaches it,” junior Samantha Coulter said, “He’s a fun guy, so it doesn’t surprise me that he does this,” said Coulter. “I find it cool, because swing dancing is not a normal thing that a lot of people do, so I think it’s cool that he can manage that and be a physics teacher at the same time.”
