Teacher Spotlight:Coach Dice
This year Dekalb High School’s staff gained a new member. P.E. teacher Matt Dice is both an educator and a new addition to the football coaching team. Because the kids lost a beloved member of the staff last year, Dice had some big shoes to fill. He quickly proved that he could more than fill these shoes.
Beginning a journey at a new school can be a scary thing for a teacher. For Dice, it was both exciting and nerve wracking, because it was a totally different world from his last school. When asked about his first day at DeKalb High School, Dice said, “I was not even close to ready for my first day at all. I got moved into my house a week before school even started.” But since the start of the school year, Dice says he has come to know a few of the kids quite well. He definitely got to know most of the football team because of his coaching abilities. One thing Dice noticed from the beginning is that this school holds a really close knit group of people, and it was important to him that he become part of it.
History teacher Mr. Wardlow was the one to suggest the P.E. job to Coach Dice. He knew of Dice through a mutual friend that they had. Wardlow was happy when Dice got the job and was able to help make his transition much smoother. He had to show Dice the ropes and help him a little when it came to being a new coach. As a coach, Dice has been a lot of help to the team, because he can see things on the field that Coach Wardlow might not see when practicing. Wardlow said, “He is another set of eyes on the football team.”
For senior Wyatt Ashpaugh, getting a new gym teacher was not so great, at first.” In the beginning,” Ashpaugh said, “ I didn’t want to give another person a chance.” This quickly changed as Ashpaugh grew to form a good relationship with Coach Dice. They have grown closer throughout the semester.
Since the beginning of the year, Dice has come to know many of the students, and a lot of the students have grown to form a really good relationships with him. He is a very likable teacher and very great guy to be around. Dice has quickly proven to be an asset to the high school and the kids he interacts with daily.