Michael Mena
Birmingham,AL
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
12
12
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Social Studies Teacher
Paul W. Bryant High School
Tuscaloosa, AL
08.2023 - Current
- Designed and implemented unit plans for American History, and Psychology courses.
- Designed and administered a variety of assessments, and used student data from these assessments to inform my instruction.
- Administered state and national assessments.
- Led ACT instruction for 11th-grade students to prepare them for state tests.
- Planned and coordinated community events such as the International Festival, the Black Culture Festival, and STREAM Nights.
- Collaborated with school librarians to create interdisciplinary lessons in Social Studies.
- Led AI training for teachers in my school.
- Led Social Studies PLCs for history teachers in my school.
Teaching Intern
Paul W. Bryant High School
01.2023 - 05.2023
- Adapted teaching materials to accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities within the classroom.
- Developed lesson plans following government curriculums and exam syllabi.
- Implemented interactive learning activities, stimulating pupil interest and engagement.
- Assisted in planning and executing lesson plans in collaboration with lead teachers, promoting educational consistency.
Student
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
08.2018 - 05.2023
- Applied knowledge to help other students better understand course material and improve their performance.
- Collaborated with fellow students to draft plans for success in the various courses that I completed.
- Conducted original research with a focus on Antebellum Southern History.
- Maintained a 4.0+ GPA within my Secondary Education Professional Studies courses.
- Maintained a 3.5 GPA within my teaching field of Social Sciences (History).
- Completed in-depth research into course topics to better understand the material.
Clinical Experience Placement
Brookwood Middle School
Brookwood, AL
09.2022 - 12.2022
- Analyzed student data to inform my instructional decisions.
- Planned and implemented lessons using researched instructional practices.
Clinical Experience Placement
Northridge High School
Tuscaloosa, AL
02.2022 - 05.2022
- Observed multiple disciplines within Social Studies, including World History, US History, and Economics.
Education
Spain Park High School
Hoover, AL 08.2014 - 05.2018
Bachelor of Science - Secondary Education
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL 08.2018 - Current
Skills
- Ability to universally design high-quality, meaningful learning experiences for students from a variety of backgrounds
- Vast knowledge of content knowledge, including US History, Government/politics, and current events within the United States
- Able to use constructive criticism from colleagues to drive my decisions
- Experience with conducting original research
- Ability to facilitate meaningful, impromptu discussions surrounding historical concepts
- Monitoring student progression and achievement as a means of informing my instructional practices
- Modeling of citizenship values within the classroom
- Advanced communication skills, which allow for effective and efficient collaboration with colleagues
- Used data analysis to adjust teaching weekly
- Educational technology specialist (Examples: EduAide, Schoology, Notebook LM, Google Expeditions, etc
- Effective and responsive classroom management
- Advanced communication skills, which allow for effective and efficient collaboration with colleagues
- Stress management
Committees and Awards
- 2025-2026 11th Grade Team Leader
- Innovative Approaches to Literacy Team
- 11th Grade Student Sponsor
- 2025-2026 Culture Committee
- 2023-2026 E-Sports Coach
- Teacher Excellency Award from Administrators 2024-2025 and 2025-2026
- 2024-2025 Parent Teacher Leadership Academy participant with The University of Alabama College of Education
- 2023-2026 Tuscaloosa City Schools AI/Tech Influencer
- 2024 PowerSchool Trainer
Timeline
Social Studies Teacher
Paul W. Bryant High School
08.2023 - Current
Teaching Intern
Paul W. Bryant High School
01.2023 - 05.2023
Clinical Experience Placement
Brookwood Middle School
09.2022 - 12.2022
Clinical Experience Placement
Northridge High School
02.2022 - 05.2022
Student
The University of Alabama
08.2018 - 05.2023
Bachelor of Science - Secondary Education
The University of Alabama
08.2018 - Current
Spain Park High School
08.2014 - 05.2018