Matthew Peal, who will teach history at the Upper School this fall, says it was mentors and coaches he had in middle and high school who inspired him to become a teacher.
“I was drawn to teaching because of my football and baseball coaches,” said Peal, who will be an assistant baseball coach at Darlington. “I was able to develop a wonderful relationship with them, and as I grew older I became more aware of the impact their vision and instruction had on me. I try to instill the same values and work ethic in the students and athletes I teach and coach.”
Peal holds a B.A.S. in History from the University of Georgia and an M.A. in Education Leadership from Columbia University Teachers College. He has six years of experience teaching, coaching and working with student leaders.
“I love history because it can be interpreted differently at any given point in time and by many different people,” he said. “It isn’t always black and white. Heroes can be villains and vice versa. Everything else is so finite. What’s the fun in that?”
Most recently, Peal was an Advanced Placement U.S. and World History teacher at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. There, he was also lead adviser to the junior class, adviser of Junior States of America, and assistant baseball and football coach.
“My philosophy is summed up in one word – effort,” he said. “I want students who are willing to work, and I develop a grading rubric that puts a premium on effort. There is no greater lesson to learn than the value of hard work and perseverance, and I try to use the content of history as a vehicle for that lesson. At Darlington, I’m looking forward to establishing a high-expectation, low-stress environment (hopefully) where students discover a passion for history.”
Since 2005, he has also been involved with Exploration Summer Programs in Wellesley, Mass. He was director of programming in 2010 and 2011. As such, he participated in strategic planning, established a mentoring program for faculty and staff, led weekly professional development meetings, and organized campus-wide events and activities.
A Georgia Bulldogs fan tried and true, Peal loves watching Sunday football, playing golf and reading.
“If I get a hold of a good book, all things are put on the back burner,” he said. “I hate to admit it, but I couldn’t put the ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy down.”
He and his wife, Lauren, who will be assisting with Darlington’s crew program, are thrilled to become active members of the Darlington family. They have a son named Aidan, 18 months, and are expecting a baby girl in June.
“We are excited about the sense of community that seems to permeate Darlington,” he said. “People seem to genuinely care about each other and seem interested in helping whoever, whenever. I have this image of leaving the dining hall after dinner, seeing students relaxing/hanging out on the quad area, seeing my own kids play on the playground with other children, and my wife and I conversing with other Darlington families. That’s as close to perfect as I can imagine.”
