Former theater director returns to teach again
Steph Stough
– Art & Life Editor –
He could have been found anywhere; from being on active duty during the Vietnam war, to scuba diving off the coast of Venezuela; from golfing in Phoenix, Arizona, to teaching in STLCC-Meramec’s classrooms. His name is Jim Greer and he’s been teaching at Meramec for more than 32 years.
Greer taught for 30 years at Meramec and recently retired two years ago. He returned to teach Oral Communication classes part time. Greer said he returned because he enjoys what he does. Greer likes to make everything a fun experience.
“I like teaching. I like to have fun. Whatever I do, I find some way to have fun doing it. I taught for 30 years because it’s fun,” Greer said.
Since retiring, Greer’s workload within Meramec has slimmed down. He was very involved with Meramec’s theater department and taught exclusively theater courses and oral communications. He also is a registered lobbyist for art funds in Jefferson City and was the former president of Missouri Citizens for the Arts.
“Before, I was chair of the theater department. I was teaching a double overload, directing a show every semester and doing committee and administrative work. Now, I just teach twice a week teaching three classes,” Greer said.
Greer said he didn’t always want to be a teacher though. He was on active duty for seven and a half years in the Air Force which then led him to find his passion in acting.
“My mother once said that no matter what I ended up doing when I grew up that I would find some way to make it a positive experience. I spent five years in a war zone in Vietnam and I made it a positive experience, and that’s tough. When I was based on Cape Canaveral, in Florida, is when I got into theater,” Greer said.
He said that he likes acting because it’s a way people can express their feelings.
“It’s a way of expressing yourself. You can be a lot of people when you really get into it as an actor. I’ve been the president of the United States. I’ve been a murderer. Theater is just a way of losing yourself; expressing yourself. It’s a way of making a living without working. It’s fun,” Greer said.
Greer said he did some local acting and then came back to school at SIU-Edwardsville where he earned degrees in theater and communications and his graduate degree.
“I was in theater for a while, and I decided I didn’t want to be a professional. I wanted to eat regularly so then I decided to start teaching,” Greer said.
Retiring, Greer said, has allowed him to have more free time. He has taken up the hobby of golf and other various activities and bought a second house in Phoenix where his daughter lives.
“I do lots of things. I boat, I fish. I’m an advanced certified scuba diver. I have dived all over the world, all the way from Bonaire off Venezuela to Hawaii. For many years, I belonged to the Dive Club and we did a lot of spear fishing down in Arkansas,” Greer said.
In his free time, he said he likes to spend time with this wife, kids and grandkids and to write. On his days off, he goes to St. Louis Bread Company for a couple of hours to write.
“I’m a writer. I write plays. I don’t like to write in isolation since I write about people so I like to have people around to observe them. Since I have retired, I have had one short play produced and I belong to St. Louis Playwrights. They have had readings of a full-length play I wrote and I’m in the process of getting them produced. I do have time on my hands now,” Greer said.
He said he likes communicating with students.
“[My favorite part of teaching] is interacting with the students. I am old fashioned in the sense that I don’t like internet courses. Only truth can come out through the eyes, and you can’t see that through a computer,” Greer said.
Greer said that he doesn’t have a “typical day” and enjoys getting to know his students.
“Every day is a little different. I don’t know what a typical day is. I never liked the idea of working a nine-five job seven days a week. That’s a nice thing about teaching. I have been teaching the same courses for so long but every course is different,” Greer said.
“I walk in and I know it’s going to be a different experience because the students are different, and that’s the nice thing about communication: you get to know your students.”
