The Starkville High School Tireless Teacher Award has been given again, and this time it went to physics teacher Dane Peagler.
Peagler has been teaching at SHS for three years, with an additional two years teaching in Rankin County. Prior to falling in love with physics, Peagler was working toward a career in architecture.
He explained what drew him to physics.
“I took physics, and I just fell in love,” Peagler said. “I changed my career plan and went to school a few extra years and became a physics teacher.”
The Tireless Teacher Award consists of a truck tire spray-painted gold and attached to a base. It is awarded every quarter by the SHS administration team to a teacher putting in a great deal of effort.
“I’m really honered to receive the award,” Peagler said. “I’m honored to work here, and I think it’s just a great thing. It’s not that hard to work a lot of extra time when you enjoy your job and respect the people you work with and the kids.”
He said he would display the award in his classroom while it was in his custody, and said he hoped to find some sort of physics-related assignment or activity using it.
“It just amazes me how we can describe the world with numbers,” Peagler said. “I just really want to pass that on to my students, show them all the amazing stuff that we can do.It blows my mind every day that we can do it. It’s something that I’m really passionate about, and I hope that translates to them.”
The award was given to him in his classroom Friday morning with several administrators, colleagues and students on hand. Among the assignments and activities Peagler has given to his students include hosting a Rube Goldberg day, where teams of students compete to design machines in the manner of cartoonist and engineer Rube Goldberg. Goldberg’s machines are designed to accomplish a simple task in the most convoluted, absurd way possible. The students machines are exhibited to the public in the hall on the day of the competition.
Peagler said he had received congratulations from many people for his award.
“It really takes loving the kids and loving the place you work at,” Peagler said. “ That drives you to do the extra work that it takes. “