| My name is Bryan Wamsley and I teach second grade at Hawken School. I started at Hawken in 2005 - 2006 as an graduate student intern in Barb Dlugosz's second grade classroom (2D). This is my third year teaching.
I grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. I attended Shaker Heights High School. Swimming took up most of my time in high school. My parents would probably say that all I did was swim, study, eat, and sleep in high school (in that order). I was a 5 time All-American High School Swimmer, was the Northeast District Champion in the 200 Free and 500 Free in 1996, and a state finalist in the 500 free in 1996. Over summer breaks I coached the swim team at The Country Club.
After graduating high school, I matriculated to Princeton University. At Princeton, I studied Music Theory and Composition. I have played the piano since I was 6. I was one of two keyboardists in a band called The Great Noon. One of "The Noon's" significant accomplishments was performing Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon in it's entirety on Halloween in 1998 under Princeton's famous Blair Arch. In addition to composing songs for my band, I also composed several short piano pieces, a string quartet, a short piece for orchestra, and some electronic music.
After I graduated, I moved to New York City to pursue a Master's degree in Music Technology at New York University. While taking classes at NYU, I played piano in a piano/voice duo called The GW Lounge in New York City. We played a series of bi-weekly shows at a tiny club called The C-Note (which has since closed) in Alphabet City.
I left New York in May 2004 and returned to Cleveland. I returned to swim coaching and began working with my former USA Club Team, the Shaker Sharks. While coaching with the Sharks, I decided to try out teaching as a substitute teacher in the Shaker Heights School District. After six months of substitute teaching and a full year of swim coaching, I knew I was ready to be a teacher.
In May 2006, thanks to the support of my parents, colleagues, and friends, I completed my Masters of Education through John Carroll University.
In addition to teaching second grade, I continue to coach swimming with the Shaker Sharks. For four years, I coached the youngest and newest swimmers to the team. It was an incredible experience and I am proud of my effort to make swim teams accessible and fun for many young athletes. This year, my role has changed a bit. I am an assistant coach for the Shaker Heights High School swim team as well as a coach in the Sharks' Select Youth program, a program designed for dedicated and talented young swimmers.
Thanks for reading about me! I look forward to hearing from you and learning more about you in the future!
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