My name is Alison Underdahl and I am thrilled to be at Meany Middle School staff. After graduating from Seattle University with a Masters in Teaching in 2005 I went on to obtain my National Boards in Middle School Mathematics. I have taught 6th and 7th grade math in Seattle, Shoreline and Lake Washington School Districts.
I enjoy working with middle school students. It is a privilege to help students develop confidence and independence on their journey to becoming responsible citizens. Two important components of my teaching are acceptance and relevance. I believe everyone should enjoy their time in school and feel understood by their teachers. I make this possible by getting to know my students as individuals and holding everyone to a clear high standard. Secondly, I always stress the importance of math in our daily lives through projects and student choice. I hope that I can instill a sense of wonder for the world through mathematics.
Outside of teaching my passions include theater, Doctor Who, soccer, riding my bike and drinking coffee. My hair changes color, shape and size often and I always wear Converse.
My name is Michael Parker, and I’m excited to enter my fourth year here at Meany! I'm starting my eighth year of teaching overall and my third year of teaching in the Seattle area. I’m originally from Pittsburgh, PA and started my teaching career in Durham, NC with Durham Public Schools.
My wife - Cory - and I moved to Seattle so Cory could begin doctoral work at the University of Washington. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in US History and Political Science and earned a Masters in Teaching degree from the University of Pittsburgh. I started teaching in Durham, NC and also taught in Renton, WA.
My hobbies include reading, watching basketball and going to the movies. I enjoy reading Haruki Murakami and Zadie Smith, rooting for the Philadelphia 76ers and the North Carolina Tar Heels and watching great movies in my spare time.
Greetings Mountain Lions! I am excited to be joining you at Meany Middle School this fall. I have been teaching middle school social studies for the last three years in Kent and I am looking forward to teaching students who are my neighbors in the area (I live in First Hill).
A little bit about Mr. Simpson: I grew up in Ohio and joined the US Army after graduating from high school. I was in stationed and Joint Base Lewis McCord (near Tacoma) and spent a year in Iraq. After my enlistment ended I decided to stay in the Pacific Northwest and co-founded a veterans’ resource center called Coffee Strong and received my Bachelors of Arts and Masters in Teaching at the Evergreen State College. My emphasis was on history and political economy and I am a huge history nerd. An interesting fact about me is that I am the first in my family to get my Bachelors degree, let alone a Masters degree!
When it comes to teaching history, I believe it is fundamental for students to not only study history for its anthropological lessons but to also view themselves as active and crucial participants in the making and writing of history. Prompted by my own experiences as an Iraq War veteran and later as a social justice activist, I have learned and continue to believe, that history is in the making every day. If the newest generations of students realize how history is relevant to present, students can become the world’s next and most influential leaders.
