Some of the best students and teachers in Louisiana are right here in Gueydan, and we think they deserve some recognition, so this is our chance to get to know them a little better. This is our GHS Staff Spotlight on...me.
What's your name?
Brock Meaux
What do your students call you?
Mr. Brock, Mr. B
How long have you been teaching? How long have you been at Gueydan High?
This is my 13th year at GHS and my 15th year of teaching overall.
What was your favorite subject when you were in school?
Band, obviously! But I also really loved English and Science. The most useful non-band class I ever took was probably keyboarding, though. I grew up watching my parents and teachers peck at keyboards, so it still feels pretty good on the rare occasion when a middle schooler tells me they can type faster than me, so we get on Nitro Type and I show off.
What do you love most about being a Gueydan Bear?
I love the people. Our faculty is supportive, friendly, and caring, and our students are some of my favorite people in the world. I'm lucky to get to know them because I teach them from 4th grade through 12th grade, so on days when I might rather sleep in, being able to see them and teach them and tell them what I had for dinner last night is a thing that gets me out of bed. I love learning about my students as people.
Who or what inspired you to be a teacher?
I was really blessed to have some great teachers growing up. Ms. Perchis Cartwright was my 5th grade band teacher, and she pulled me out of class one day (I wasn't originally in band) and handed me a school baritone because another teacher told her I needed to be in band. That changed the course of my life. Mr. Jerry DeHart was my middle school band director, and he was the first to introduce us to some "fun music." He also LOVES Star Trek, so he was one of the first adults that kind of showed me it was okay to just love what you love. Mr. Herb Dennis and Mr. Brett Darby were my high school band directors, and they really made me love the art of what we were doing with our instruments, and gave me the tools and confidence to become a teacher. Mr. Francis LeBlanc was my choir teacher (he's still at Abbeville High today), and I was really fortunate to be able to see how he built relationships with his students. Sometimes he beat us up, but he did it because he loved us. He also brought sausage biscuits sometimes, so we loved him. Mrs. Christina Menard was my Chemistry teacher, and to this day, from kindergarten through college, she was the most demanding teacher I ever had. Her class was hard. But she was always fair, always kind, and told us exactly what she expected from us as students. They all inspired me and influenced me in different ways to be who I am today.
What's the farthest you've ever been from home?
Cozumel, Mexico
What's your favorite team(s)?
I love my Saints, Cajuns, Pelicans, and Gueydan Bears!
Do you have any collections? If so, of what?
I have an old comic book collection in my closet from when I was a kid, but I haven't added anything to it since high school. I also collect some sports memorabilia. Most recently, I've started collecting Funko Pops.
What's your favorite meal?
Every year, my dad goes on a retreat for one weekend, and on that weekend, my mom makes a steak and mushroom gravy for her and I because we're the only two people in the family that eat it. It's my favorite meal because it's something special for us. I'm never mad at pizza or boiled crawfish, either.
What's something you learned through failure?
Pretty much everything, right? Failure isn't the worst thing in the world, because you can always try again. The worst thing you can do isn't to fail; it's to quit trying. You don't get better unless you make some mistakes along the way.
What does leadership mean to you?
To me, leadership mean doing what's best for the group, even if it means you don't get the spotlight. There are a lot of leaders whose voice you never hear. Always try to lead by example.
If you could go back in time to when you were your students' age and give them advice, what would it be?
Learn to study and practice while it's easy, because it won't always be. Take more pictures. Always tell people how you feel about them. Honesty is always the best policy.
What's one thing people would never guess about you?
I'm very competitive (my dad never let us win, so I'm not about to, either; ask my godchild, Jackson). I also bake really good cheesecakes.
Do you have any favorite memories from your time in school?
Nothing specific, just the time I got to spend with my friends travelling because of band. I got to go to Disney World as a freshman in high school, to New York City with the college marching band to do the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and I got to travel all over the country with the Ragin' Brass basketball band. Every time our basketball team at UL played in a conference tournament or March Madness, we travelled with them, which was really fun when we took a chartered plane (and got a scholarship to do it!)
Could you tell us a little about your family?
My mom, Diane, and dad, Tony, are retired from owning a grocery store in Abbeville. My dad is still a bus driver for Vermilion Parish, and teaches people how to drive buses for the parish. My mom is a substitute teacher at Abbeville High. My sister, Lacey, is also a teacher at Abbeville High. I also have two 12-year old godchildren, Ava and Jackson.
What are a few things you couldn't live without?
My friends and family, music, movies, football, and good food.
What's your favorite quote?
I have two.
1) "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have" by Margaret Mead
2) "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough" by Mae West