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.
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 Ruth Walther. I am a Special Education teacher here at Meany Middle School. I am very excited to build a new school together. I grew up in California and have lived in Oakland and San Francisco for twelve years before moving to Seattle. I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in History. In addition to teaching, my interests include reading political science, exploring Seattle, and playing with the cutest dog on earth.
