For today’s Teacher Feature, we talk to Mr. Jim McDermott: Shaler Area alumnus, History teacher, coordinator of Shaler Area Adaptive Aquatics program, and avid guitar player.
Q: What is your favorite student slang?
A: Some kid said “facts” all the time last year, and I wasn’t really familiar with that; I interpreted that as whatever’s being said is true.
Q: Can you use it in a sentence?
A: ” Not enough 9th graders study for tests. Facts.”
Q: What would your last meal be?
A: Mom’s meatloaf, lots of ketchup, Caesar salad and… I’ll say a Dr.Pepper
Q: What is your most irresponsible purchase?
A: It would be a $500 massage chair from Bob’s Discount Furniture — some people didn’t like the purchase, but we use it, so, I thought it was a good purchase — bang for your buck
Q: What is one place you’d like to visit?
A: Germany or Ireland — there are actually talks of Ruins of a McDermott castle in Ireland. So yeah, that’d be pretty cool to visit.
Q: If you’re home alone, no wife or kids, what are your plans?
A: Definitely play electric guitar real loud in the basement and practice some Hendricks solos – no one really wants to listen to that typically (proceeds to riff on the electric guitar)
Q: What was your first car?
A: It was a 1985 burgundy Pontiac 6000 STE — we nicknamed it the “ burgundy beast”. Man, I loved that thing. We would hear it sputtering from a mile away, and it was actually a hand-me-down car.
Q: What is the best concert you’ve been to?
A: Easy, Incubus 2002 at Mellon Arena or Civic Arena, whichever arena it was at the time. That was an amazing experience for sure.
Q: What’s your fattest moment?
A: It would definitely be holidays; probably Christmas parties on my wife’s side because her aunt and cousins make all these pies and cookies; I could just skip dinner and go straight for the dessert; however, my good days eating are behind me — I can still throw down though.
Q: Do you have a favorite place you’ve visited?
A: Galapagos Islands — we were able to go on this trip with my brother and were able to see all these tortoises and were able to swim with penguins, sea turtles, and flightless cormorant — having all these crew members on board was awesome too. It was an amazing trip all around, despite having to stick around for an extra couple days due to my daughter getting COVID.
Q: Could you tell me a little bit about the Adaptive Aquatics program and how you got involved?
A: Shaler Adaptive Aquatics for Health started in 1982 when a local mom was looking for a swim program for her son with special needs. None really existed so she found some parents in her same situation and petitioned the school board and the township to be given a time slot on Sunday mornings at the pools. They have both been so helpful ever since. We are so lucky to live in this community where people care about each other.
