ABOUT ME

Hi, I’m Mike. I am a high school English teacher who is available for freelance writing, editing and tutoring.

In 2007, I graduated the University of Alabama with a BA in Communications and a Minor in History, thinking I was going to work in a newsroom as my career. After college, while waiting for my break in broadcasting, I bounced around a number of jobs, some within my major field of study, but most without (latte, anyone?). Soon, I began substitute teaching, and enjoyed the freedom and flexibility this gave me. I was able to work on days I needed to, while also hunting for a career in a newsroom. I was also surprised during this time to find that I enjoyed being in a classroom. I found it rewarding to work with students who were curious about the world and excited to learn all about it. So, in 2009 I enrolled in graduate school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and in 2013, I emerged with a teaching certificate and a Master’s in Education.

My first job as a professional was not as a teacher, however, but as Education Director for Red Mountain Park, a position I was asked by its board of directors to create. Serving in this role from 2014-2017, I designed a number of educational programs for Park guests in areas of history and science. I also wrote the grants to fund them, earning more than $300K over three years.

In 2017, I was hired out of my position at Red Mountain Park to teach English at a private school, where I am working today. I appreciate my position everyday. To me, writing is the universal language we have to express ourselves and get our voices heard. I enjoy working with my students as they navigate through their turbulent teenage years, and helping them use writing as a tool to tap into their strong, human voices.

In August 2022, I will begin my next adventure: finishing my Master’s degree in English at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where I have been awarded a teaching assistantship that will pay my tuition and allow me to teach composition to college students. This has always been my goal as a teacher, and I am honored to be chosen.

When I am not teaching, I enjoy creative writing and podcasting. My podcast, The Midnight Citizen, which I write, produce, and host, has been going since 2010.