Teacher Spotlight: Gerard Moore, GCHS

Every other week throughout the 2020-21 school year, Granite City Community Unit School District #9 features a teacher who is going above and beyond to better serve our students.

This “Teacher Spotlight” features GCHS special education teacher, boys basketball coach and assistant track & field coach Gerard Moore.

Mr. Moore has worked in the education field for almost 20 years, and is in his 11th year as a special education teacher. He has worked a total of nine years at GCHS.

Originally from Point Fortin, Trinidad, Mr. Moore played college basketball at Southeastern Illinois College (1996-98) and New Mexico State University (1998-2000).

At New Mexico State, he played for legendary head coach Lou Henson. The Aggies were 23-10 in 1998-99 and won the Big West Tournament Championship and played in the NCAA Tournament. As a senior in 1999-2000, New Mexico State was 22-10 and made an NIT appearance.

Mr. Moore was inducted into the SIC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.

Let’s get to know Mr. Moore …

Where were you born?

I was born in the Caribbean on a beautiful island called Trinidad & Tobago.

What’s your educational background?

- Associate of Arts (Southeastern Illinois College)

- Bachelor of Science: Family & Child Consumer (New Mexico State)

- Master of Arts in Education (Missouri Baptist)

- Master of Arts in Administration (Missouri Baptist)

February was Black History month. What does that mean to you and your family?

Black History Month is a continued engagement with history. It is important because it helps give context for the present way of life. Knowledge is power and education is the key to success. Knowing our history is important because we learn from our past. There are so many important black figures that should be highlighted and celebrated because of their contribution to our way of life and society as a whole. Black history month should not only be about racism and slavery, but we should also highlight Black achievement.

Family?
I come from a very large family. I have nine siblings: seven sisters and two brothers. My mother and my siblings all reside in the Caribbean. Because of COVID-19, I have not been able to visit in two years. I tend to miss the warm climate, beautiful beaches and mangos (my favorite fruit). Family is very important to me. My wonderful wife, Crystal, and I have four kids who were all raised right here in Granite City.

Zeke - my oldest, plays professional basketball in Barcelona, Spain.

Addaya - graduated from GCHS in 2017. Addaya attends the University of Cincinnati where she is also a member of the UC Bearcats women’s basketball team.

Zidane - graduated from GCHS in 2019 and attends Lewis And Clark College where he is a member of LLC men’s basketball team.

Azaria - is a junior in high school.

Talk about your experience playing for the Trinidad and Tobago National Team.

I was fortunate enough to have made the Trinidad & Tobago men’s senior national team. It was really cool to travel the world representing your country. Not many basketball players ever get that opportunity.

A little-known fact that I don't share very often is that I am the youngest man to have ever made this team. I am very, very, humble and thankful that I had that opportunity at 18 years old. During one of my last visits home, my hometown, held a ceremony to honor my accomplishment. That is a memory I will treasure for my lifetime.

Basketball has been such a blessing in my life. It has opened doors of opportunity for me to experience various countries and cultures, has given me the honor of success in playing for Hall of Fame coaches, but the greatest gift it has given me is the gift of education. I am very thankful for that blessing and it is one I try to pass on to my student-athletes.

What is your favorite food?

I have so many favorite foods, lol, but I would say Sunday dinner is my favorite. It’s the one dish that brings the family together. This dish is only prepared on Sunday. This is a Caribbean dish that includes:

· Fried rice (Includes; green, yellow and red bell peppers, carrots, corn, raisins and other)

· Macaroni Pie

· Stew meat

· Red Beans or Lentil Peas

· Potato Salad

· Avocado

· Callaloo (This is green, and there are crab legs in it)

My other favorite foods are Bus-up-shot and Shark and Bake THIS IS REALLY GOOD! a must-eat if you ever visit the island!

Who is someone you look up to and why?

My mother and father. They were the most hard-working people I ever knew. They have instilled the importance of hard work and the importance of education in me. They also taught me the value of building good relationships/networking. These are all life lessons that I lived by. My dad will always tell me to try and make people happy. He will often cook and have gatherings for friends and neighbors.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love working with students. I enjoy seeing students set goals, learn and achieve them. I can’t see myself doing anything else.

What do you most enjoy about coaching?

I love working with student-athletes and their families in our community. I enjoy seeing our student-athletes grow, do well, have fun, earn good grades and graduate and move on to college. I also enjoy the competitiveness of the game. Beating teams like Edwardsville and Collinsville does get me excited!

Hobbies?

Playing pool and working on my pond in the backyard. My pond fish give me joy.

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