Matt DeHart shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Matt, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I am up between 4:30 – 5:00 AM to do a light workout and begin my day. After this I take our dog out and get ready to head to school. I am usually at my school building by 6:30 am and work through emails, social media content, and prepare for the school day ahead.
At 7:30 AM, I go outside and begin welcoming kids. I greet every child and parent as they drop their kid off at the school. I teach my classes for the first half of the day and then do administrative work and have meetings with our admin team about things going on.
I fit lunch with our students in between classes and admin work.
Once school ends, I meet with our staff and get prepared for the next physical day at the school. Then, I go home and try to enjoy some dinner before getting back to it work-wise.
I am in the process of writing my second book while also preparing for our global education launch. Life gets very busy very fast.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Matt DeHart—a young educator with an unapologetic passion for changing what school can look and feel like. From the very start of my career, I knew I wanted to build something bigger than a classroom. Being named Greenville County Schools’ Emerging Teacher of the Year in my second year, receiving the Lt. Governor’s Challenge Medal, and later being honored as the “Face of Teacher Education” and a Top 10 Under 10 alumni at my alma mater gave me momentum—but more importantly, they confirmed that I was on the right path.
Before I even started my third year of teaching, I launched the Teach from DeHart Foundation because I wanted my students to see the world they were learning about. We took life-changing trips across the country, giving kids experiences they’d never had access to before. That work continues today, now reaching students in multiple states.
When I saw a real need for intentional, relationship-driven, revolutionary education in a Pittsburgh-area community, I knew I had to do more. Through my nonprofit, I opened a middle school in Arnold, PA—Teach from DeHart Academy—where we educate not just students (5th–7th grade), but their parents as well through an adult learning program. This whole-family model is currently the only one of its kind in the U.S., and its purpose is simple: empower families and revive the community through education.
I’m on a crash course with the work I believe I was called to do. As one of the youngest educators to start a school, my mission is to bring excitement back to learning and push forward 21st-century methods that truly reach every student—and every teacher. Education can change communities. I’m committed to proving it.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I was in middle school, my parents had saved up for me to go to New York City for the first time. This trip was something I had looked forward to for many months. When we were in the hotel, my dad told me to come with him. He said we were going for a walk. We walked, in our tourist clothes, from Times Square all the way to Tiffany’s jewelry store on 5th Avenue.
When we got there, we walked around for about 10 minutes and left. I was confused about this, but my dad said to trust him, and it would make sense later.
The next day, he told me to put on my Broadway outfit, which was a tie and a button-up. We took the same walk down to Tiffany’s, but this time it was different. When we walked in, we were almost immediately welcomed by two employees. They quickly asked if we needed anything or help finding anything. My dad told them we were just looking, thank you.
We walked around for about 5 more minutes, then left. I asked him why we came back. He shared advice that has never left me. He said, “Did you see the difference between today and yesterday?”
“Yes sir,” I said.
He shared, “Son, perception is reality. No matter how unfair it might seem, if you want to be treated like a CEO, you dress like a CEO. Always dress for the job you want – not just the job you have.”
After this, dressing well became not only a priority but an expectation for me. This transferred its way into my classroom, my first year of teaching. I walked in with a tie on, and people thought it was just for the first day… They realized that it wasn’t, as I wore a tie or suit every day.
Students even started dressing up on Wednesdays with ties and dress clothes and called it DeHart Wednesdays. It changed the way they saw themselves.
This moment shifted my perspective forever, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes – this doesn’t happen often for me, but it has definitely happened. I was painting in our school building when I received an email. The email was from a prospective donor who had agreed to contribute a large sum of money towards pushing the mission forward. The email was a shock to the system as they decided to completely back out of their commitment, putting our team and mission at a standstill.
I felt my chest get tight, and my head began to spin. I ended up getting rushed to the hospital from what seemed to be a heart attack. Come to find out, it was not a heart attack, it was a panic attack.
This moment changed me. For the first time in my pursuit of our academy, I wasn’t sure if I could continue forward. My body had shut down, and mentally I was not prepared to keep going.
Through the love and push of those around me, I gradually regained my physical and mental strength to keep going. I now use this moment as motivation to keep going when things get tough. I tell myself if I survived that moment, there is nothing that will keep me from moving forward.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I believe so, yes. I try to be the same person in my public life that I am in my private life. I try to believe in others, make an impact, and love people for who they are. I hope that anytime I am with someone, whether it is a public appearance or private meeting, they feel loved, listened to, and like they can achieve anything they put their mind to.
My life motto is “Impact always in ALL ways”. It is the most important part of who I am.
This goal doesn’t just happen during my public speaking or teaching. I hope it happens in coffee shop talks, conversations on the couch, and over text messages.
I think the biggest shift from my public life to private life is the display of the weight I feel from the situations I experience each day. But overall, I’d hope people would say I am who I am, no matter who is around.
That I am genuine, always.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
If you had asked me this question when I entered college, I would have laughed and said no way. Being a third-generation educator, I fought against the grain for most of my life. I pursued careers in radio, sports broadcasting, journalism, and everything in between. Every time I would find myself successful in one path, I would always be pulled back into either coaching or teaching in some way.
Eventually, I let the itch to educate take me over, and I haven’t looked back. Being able to see the lightbulb moments with a student, walk them through life’s tough moments, and see their whole being change while they are with you is why I do what I do.
I have no doubt I am doing what I am supposed to do and will be doing this until life takes that ability or desire away from me.
I want to change the world. I want to make an impact. I want to plant trees that I know I will never physically see the fruits of. That is what wakes me up in the morning.
Not money.
Not fame.
Impact.
Impact is what keeps me motivated.
The ones who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones who do. I just want to be one of those people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.teachfromdehart.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachfromdehart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-dehart-4b06b4b2/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCU0zWLBGmXwXR4OiJ5ZPVnw
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