February Teacher of the Month


At Alexander Chevrolet Buick GMC, we like to take time out of every month to appreciate some of the local teachers who educate our children each and every day. In honor of these wonderful people, we present the Teacher of the Month Award. Here are the biographies of the teachers you have chosen to receive the award in January:
Della Rye McEwen High School Hi, I'm Della Rye, and I teach English I, Honors English I, and Honors English IV at McEwen High School. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in English from Austin Peay State University. I began my teaching career in the private school sector at United Christian Academy in Dickson, where I taught multiple subjects in grades 6 through 12 for six years. My first public school teaching assignment came in 2007 when I began teaching 8th grade Reading at Houston County Middle School. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching at HCMS for four years, but I could not resist the opportunity to return to my alma mater to teach high school English! It is, after all, my 'dream job!' I have been teaching at MHS for three years. I have been married to Jeff Rye of McEwen for 23 years, and we have two children: Tyler and Kimberly. I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for education with my students. I firmly believe that reading is the cornerstone of all educational and professional endeavors.
Candice Whirley Dickson Middle School I started my teaching career late in life. I attended school to become an accountant, and after a few years in that profession, I embraced my calling to work with children. I am blessed to teach a class in an area for which I have a passion - reading. One of my goals as an educator is to help children find their own appreciation of reading. I want my classroom to be a place that students look forward to coming to every day. I worked all summer to redecorate my classroom into a portrait of what makes me who I am and a place where students see my creativity as well as appreciate my work ethic. I strive to be energetic and compassionate. I like to know about my students' lives in order to better teach to their interests, strengths and weaknesses. I am humbled to be nominated to represent Dickson Middle School and would be honored to have your vote.