Humans of Archmere: Mr. J.R. Creekmore

As a student at Archmere Academy, Mr. J.R. Creekmore was a vital member of the swim, cross country, and track teams. Now he brings those skills with him to his teaching and coaching career at Archmere. 

Teaching wasn’t always the path that Creekmore thought he would go on. After high school, he went to the University of Tennessee for cross country and track as an engineering major. After being a teacher’s assistant during college, he realised that teaching was the place for him. Although this wasn’t his plan while in high school, Archmere did inspire Creekmore through learning. 

“Archmere definitely inspired a love of learning in me,” Creekmore said.

Creekmore is certain that being an alum has better prepared him to be a teacher at Archmere. Making the decision to come work here was an easy one. He feels comfortable here, which made it more exciting to start working.

“I know what the expectations of the kids and the day are. I know how the schedule works and the culture of the school. It makes it easier to be a teacher,” Creekmore said.

Creekmore graduated from Archmere in 2011. As a student here, he was a three-sport athlete–a member of the cross country, swimming, and track and field teams. Now that he is a teacher and head coach of Archmere’s cross country team, he loves coaching while also teaching because it allows him to see his students in a new light.

“When in the classroom, you are teaching certain subjects. As a coach, you are teaching kids a sport which allows you to see the kids in a different light,” Creekmore said.  “Maybe they don’t enjoy physics, but they enjoy being outside and running. You can see them in different aspects of their life.” 

Swimming wasn’t his favorite sport to participate in and still isn’t his favorite sport to coach. Creekmore enjoys coaching running, whether its cross country or track, the most. 

“In part of highschool I enjoyed swimming, but then I switched my focus to running. I think [swimming] can become kind of boring,” Creekmore said. “I love running myself and being outside. It’s easy to watch other people enjoy it because I also do.”

There are many differences here at Archmere now, compared to when Creekmore was a student. According to Creekmore, hey are good and necessary ones. He enjoys seeing how kids act compared to when he was in school, or at least how he thinks they did. Creekmore remembers the room that he now teaches in as a computer lab. 

“Now that we have laptops we don’t need something like that. The school is still the same in all the important ways” Creekmore said.