Alex Massengale

           This is my second year teaching Civics and World History at Woods Charter School. I really enjoyed the chance to work with so many talented, interesting, and engaged students last year and am really excited about year two.  There have been many stops along the way on my path to Woods and in the last ten years I have worked with students whose ages range from pre-kindergarten to college. I am a North Carolina licensed teacher with a Masters in Education from Wake Forest University. My undergraduate degree is from Davidson College and I grew up in Chapel Hill.

            Tremendous Social Studies teachers helped shape me intellectually. While I no longer retain every single piece of information they taught me, I have retained many of the skills I learned in their classes. I believe that my role is to do as they did and use historical content as a vehicle to teach my students the skills that they will need in order to succeed in their future studies and careers. Social Studies courses are particularly well suited to teaching writing, research, analytical, and technological skills, and I design my lessons to help develop these skills in diverse learners.

            My interests outside of class include photography, distance running, and, being a Chapel Hill native, college basketball. Travel is also something that interests me greatly and I have been blessed to be able to go to some interesting places in my life. In particular I am lucky to have had the opportunity to spend extended periods of time in Edinburgh, Scotland where I studied abroad and New Zealand where I spent several months traveling and volunteering. I am blessed to have a wife who shares interest in exploring new places.

            I view education as a collaborative effort between students, teachers, and parents and encourage students and parents to contact me with any questions.