Where Are They Now? Brian Butler
10/15/2020 11:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
Men's basketball alumnus is a leader in education
An educator for the past three decades, Brian Butler believes teachers could glean a few valuable pointers from a visit to Smith Center for basketball practice.
"It's actually a classroom," said Butler, who represented the Buff and Blue on the hardwood from 1983-87. "It's a masterclass in giving constant feedback. When everyone's on the same page and working together, you'll see how the coaches are able to give each individual player feedback while also giving the team feedback throughout practice."
Indeed, Butler's experience in the game has informed his view on his profession. He carried those lessons through his career as a physical education teacher, counselor and administrator in Northern Virginia, and for the past three years, he's been sharing his wisdom with the next generation as a consultant helping schools around the globe.
Making stops throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia, Butler's aim is to help teachers understand how they can partner together in teams to best reach their students.
"It seems like it's common sense, but in education, most teachers throughout their careers have worked in isolation," said Butler, whose message is outlined in a new book he co-authored geared toward primary school teachers. "They're used to doing their own thing, so it's about creating conditions and a culture in school where people are pulling together and working truly as teams to share their practices and to really focus on making sure that every single child has a chance to be successful."
A native of the Maryland Eastern Shore, Butler has quite a story to share about the power of education.
Butler's grandparents were sharecroppers who were forced to give up the land they worked when their son made the choice to attend college. Butler's father went on to become a reading teacher and principal whose help proved instrumental in keeping young Brian on track academically.
"Because of the courage that they had, it not only changed my dad's lot in life but it changed generations," Butler said.
Ultimately, Butler's hard work in the classroom paid off. He earned a hoops scholarship to GW under Gerry Gimelstob and secured his degree in Speech Communications in three-and-a-half years.
On the court, there were lessons, too.
An All-State performer at Wicomico High School, Butler adapted to coming off the bench for the Colonials. The 6-foot-4 guard's playing time and scoring improved with each collegiate season, ultimately moving into the starting lineup late in his senior campaign in 1986-87 under John Kuester.
A gifted outside shooter helped by the introduction of the 3-point line into the college game that year, Butler made the most of his opportunity, highlighted by a game-winning triple vs. Penn State and a 28-point effort vs. Duquesne.
"It took me a couple years to really acclimate to the Division I level," remembered Butler, who averaged 8.9 points per contest as a senior. "It was really the first time where I had to check my ego like 'Wow, I'm not as good as I thought I was going to be.' I had to work for it."
Looking back, Butler is thankful he decided to pursue his athletic and academic goals in Foggy Bottom.
He met his wife Kathleen Bragaw, then a member of the women's tennis squad, while she was serving as a tutor to his teammate Darryl Webster, and he made friendships with his teammates that remain strong today, fueled by an active group text chain that includes former Colonials Mike Brown, Steve Frick, Michael O'Reilly, Kenny Barer and more.
"I loved going to GW," Butler said. "I think I got a great education, and there were so many people who were really supportive with any help that you needed.
"For me, it was about the relationships that I had and formed with not just my teammates but other people at the school that really set me on a path to being successful."
Butler fulfilled a dream by playing part of a season of pro ball in England before a knee injury brought him back to the D.C. area to figure out his next move.
He always said he didn't want to follow his father's footsteps into education, but he started working as a substitute teacher and fell in love with the profession.
While working full-time and raising daughters Alison and Emily, he kept building his own education to push his career forward, first within Arlington County Schools and later in Fairfax County.
In 2004, he moved into administration as an elementary vice principal and went on to lead Mount Eagle Elementary (2007-12) and Mason Crest Elementary (2012-17). Along the way, he was honored by Fairfax County Schools with the Nancy F. Sprague Leadership Award as a Principal of the Year finalist.
"It's been over 30 years in education, and I wouldn't change a thing," Butler said. "Because I've met a lot of great people who have helped me along the way."
In 2017, Butler retired and began his own consulting firm.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his schedule, he was on the road more than 200 days per year sharing his team-based approach to instruction.
Once a kid who needed extra help, Butler has a firm belief that the right school culture goes a long way toward unlocking the potential in every student. It's all the better that a few lessons from his hoops past can help deliver that message.
"My goal has always been not to label kids," Butler said. "We look at where they are, and we can make sure that they get better and better and better.
"That's where my passion comes from in terms of creating teams. I know if we create the teams and they work in the right way, we can get any kid across the finish line."
"It's actually a classroom," said Butler, who represented the Buff and Blue on the hardwood from 1983-87. "It's a masterclass in giving constant feedback. When everyone's on the same page and working together, you'll see how the coaches are able to give each individual player feedback while also giving the team feedback throughout practice."
Indeed, Butler's experience in the game has informed his view on his profession. He carried those lessons through his career as a physical education teacher, counselor and administrator in Northern Virginia, and for the past three years, he's been sharing his wisdom with the next generation as a consultant helping schools around the globe.
Making stops throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia, Butler's aim is to help teachers understand how they can partner together in teams to best reach their students.
"It seems like it's common sense, but in education, most teachers throughout their careers have worked in isolation," said Butler, whose message is outlined in a new book he co-authored geared toward primary school teachers. "They're used to doing their own thing, so it's about creating conditions and a culture in school where people are pulling together and working truly as teams to share their practices and to really focus on making sure that every single child has a chance to be successful."
A native of the Maryland Eastern Shore, Butler has quite a story to share about the power of education.
Butler's grandparents were sharecroppers who were forced to give up the land they worked when their son made the choice to attend college. Butler's father went on to become a reading teacher and principal whose help proved instrumental in keeping young Brian on track academically.
"Because of the courage that they had, it not only changed my dad's lot in life but it changed generations," Butler said.
Ultimately, Butler's hard work in the classroom paid off. He earned a hoops scholarship to GW under Gerry Gimelstob and secured his degree in Speech Communications in three-and-a-half years.
On the court, there were lessons, too.
An All-State performer at Wicomico High School, Butler adapted to coming off the bench for the Colonials. The 6-foot-4 guard's playing time and scoring improved with each collegiate season, ultimately moving into the starting lineup late in his senior campaign in 1986-87 under John Kuester.
A gifted outside shooter helped by the introduction of the 3-point line into the college game that year, Butler made the most of his opportunity, highlighted by a game-winning triple vs. Penn State and a 28-point effort vs. Duquesne.
"It took me a couple years to really acclimate to the Division I level," remembered Butler, who averaged 8.9 points per contest as a senior. "It was really the first time where I had to check my ego like 'Wow, I'm not as good as I thought I was going to be.' I had to work for it."
Looking back, Butler is thankful he decided to pursue his athletic and academic goals in Foggy Bottom.
He met his wife Kathleen Bragaw, then a member of the women's tennis squad, while she was serving as a tutor to his teammate Darryl Webster, and he made friendships with his teammates that remain strong today, fueled by an active group text chain that includes former Colonials Mike Brown, Steve Frick, Michael O'Reilly, Kenny Barer and more.
"I loved going to GW," Butler said. "I think I got a great education, and there were so many people who were really supportive with any help that you needed.
"For me, it was about the relationships that I had and formed with not just my teammates but other people at the school that really set me on a path to being successful."
Butler fulfilled a dream by playing part of a season of pro ball in England before a knee injury brought him back to the D.C. area to figure out his next move.
He always said he didn't want to follow his father's footsteps into education, but he started working as a substitute teacher and fell in love with the profession.
While working full-time and raising daughters Alison and Emily, he kept building his own education to push his career forward, first within Arlington County Schools and later in Fairfax County.
In 2004, he moved into administration as an elementary vice principal and went on to lead Mount Eagle Elementary (2007-12) and Mason Crest Elementary (2012-17). Along the way, he was honored by Fairfax County Schools with the Nancy F. Sprague Leadership Award as a Principal of the Year finalist.
"It's been over 30 years in education, and I wouldn't change a thing," Butler said. "Because I've met a lot of great people who have helped me along the way."
In 2017, Butler retired and began his own consulting firm.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his schedule, he was on the road more than 200 days per year sharing his team-based approach to instruction.
Once a kid who needed extra help, Butler has a firm belief that the right school culture goes a long way toward unlocking the potential in every student. It's all the better that a few lessons from his hoops past can help deliver that message.
"My goal has always been not to label kids," Butler said. "We look at where they are, and we can make sure that they get better and better and better.
"That's where my passion comes from in terms of creating teams. I know if we create the teams and they work in the right way, we can get any kid across the finish line."
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