Mike Austin
Professional Experience
|
2004-present |
Middle School Teacher, Independence Charter Middle School, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 8th grade Social Studies, Character Education, Running and Fitness, Academic Bowl.
|
|
2003-2004 |
Year-long sabbatical spent backpacking alone through the jungles and mountains of South and Central America. The rationale for this 'year of living dangerously' is here. Information and photos are here. |
|
1993-2003 |
High School Teacher, Asociación Escuelas Lincoln, Argentina,
grades 9-12,
History/Economics/TOK/International Relations, IB/AP.
|
|
1989-1991 |
Social Studies Teacher, Marian Baker School, Costa Rica, grades 7-12
(Middle and
High Schools), History/Government/Geography, AP.
|
|
1983-1985 |
Swim and Lifesaving Instructor American Red Cross Portland Community College Continuing Education Program |
Education
| 06/06 |
07/01/2006 - 06/30/2011 |
The Oklahoma State Department of Education |
| 07/05 |
Awarded Teaching Certificate US History, Oklahoma History, Government, Economics, World History, Geography. Grades 6-12
|
The Oklahoma State Department of Education
|
| 01/05 |
Awarded Teaching License US History, Oklahoma History, Government, Economics, World History, Geography. Grades 6-12
|
The Oklahoma State Department of Education
|
|
12/02 |
Awarded Provisional Teaching Certification, Secondary, Grades 7-12, History (CC) and Political Science (CD), PV0003252-002290, expires 06/30/08
|
State of Michigan State Board of Education Department of Education |
|
06/02 |
Completed
Requirements for Teaching Certification
|
Michigan
State University |
|
06/98-07/98 |
Completed
nine semester hours working toward a Certification in Education
|
Michigan State University
Valbonne,
France |
|
11/96-9/97 |
Graduate
Studies in Education
|
University
of Maryland |
|
01/92-06/93 |
Post-baccalaureate
studies in Economics, History, Politics and Spanish
|
Portland
State University
|
|
1988 |
BS
Political Science |
Portland
State University
|
|
01/81-06/83 |
Graduate work in History and
Political Science
|
Portland
State University |
|
1980 |
BA History
High Honors |
Portland
State University
|
| 07/08 | Guatemala | General travel throughout the nation. Camping at the Mayan ruins of Tikal. Walking around Lake Atitlán.
|
| 06/07 | Guatemala | Solo backpacking to the Mayan ruins of El Zotz and on to Tikal. |
| 03/04 | Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica
|
Year long sabbatical generally spent solo backpacking and writing. |
| 2000 | France | Completed class work for Maryland Teaching Certification. |
| 93/03 | Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Guatemala, Costa Rica | Living and teaching in Argentina. Traveling and backpacking throughout Latin America. General photos here.
|
| 89/91 | Costa Rica, Guatemala | Living and teaching in Costa Rica.
General travel throughout the region.
|
| 86/87 | Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru | Year long adventure spent solo backpacking throughout Latin America. Eleven days spent walking through the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia. Some photos here. |
| 83/84 |
Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica |
General travel throughout region. Some photos here. |
| 80/81 |
England, Ireland, France, West Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Morocco |
General travel and hitch-hiking. |
Wo
| 02/08 |
Oklahoma Association for the Gifted, Creative and Talented Edmund, Oklahoma
|
|
| 02/07 |
Oklahoma Association for the Gifted, Creative and Talented Edmund, Oklahoma
|
Participated in a workshop exploring the many methods of encouraging and teaching Gifted and Talented students. |
| 10/05 |
Love and Logic Workshop Oklahoma City |
Developed alternate methods of classroom mangement
dependent upon re-evaluated teacher-student roles.
|
| 08/04 |
Faculty Retreat Independence Charter Middle School Tenkiller Lake, Oklahoma
|
Participated in three-day conference and retreat with entire faculty and board of ICMS. |
|
11/02 |
AP Workshop Asociación Escuelas Lincoln
|
Participated in Advanced Placement workshop in US History
|
|
07/98 |
United World Colleges IB Workshop
New
Mexico
|
Attended a week-long course about the
IB Program in Economics
|
|
10/96 |
AASSA
Conference
Buenos
Aires, Argentina
|
Participated in a three-day conference
regarding issues in overseas teaching.
|
|
04/96 |
|
Participated in a two-day workshop concerning
techniques of skillful teaching.
|
|
07/95 |
United
World Colleges IB Workshop
New
Mexico |
Attended a week-long course about the
IB Program in Economics. |
|
04/94 |
|
Participated in a three-day conference concerning
portfolio development and assessment. |
Extracurricular Activities
| 2005-present |
Fitness and Running Coach Independence Charter Middle School |
Organized and coached a running and conditiong class for all middle school grade levels. Prepared select students for Track Team. |
| 2004-present |
Academic Team Independence Charter Middle School |
Organized Academic Team for in-school and local competitions. |
| 2004-2005 |
Advanced Blues Guitar Independence Charter Middle School |
Developed guitar program for advanced students. Lessons include chord progressions, blues rhythms and scales and improvisation. |
|
1998-2002
|
Backpacking
Club Asociación Escuelas Lincoln |
Organized and accompanied selected students for
four-day backpacking trips into the
Andes. |
|
1994-2002 |
Knowledge
Bowl Coach
Asociación
Escuelas Lincoln |
Organized
AASSA Knowledge Bowl competition for nine South American schools. Selected
outstanding students to participate in International Knowledge Bowl
competitions in Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
|
|
1995-2001
|
Music
Ensemble Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Member
of a music group composed of parents, teachers and students who performed
weekly for the local
English-speaking Catholic Church.
|
|
1996-2000 |
Guitarist |
Played in a variety of school performances including the musical Grease. |
|
1993-1994
|
Swim
Team Coach
Asociación
Escuelas Lincoln |
Trained
swim team of twenty members for competition in the Buenos Aires area. |
|
1989-91
|
Backpacking
Club
Marian
Baker School San Jose, Costa Rica
|
Accompanied High School students on several outings into the jungles of
Costa Rica for
three days of hiking, camping and cooking. |
|
1990-91 |
Advanced Placement Tutor
San
Jose, Costa Rica |
Tutored AP European History and AP American Government and Politics. |
Military Service
|
1972-1975 |
United States Air Force |
Medical Corpsman. Attained rank of non-commissioned officer (E-4). |
Professional Membership
|
1986-present |
|
Member of an adventure, travel and educational
organization dealing with a variety of issues concerning Latin America.
Advised on issues concerning the Darien Gap region of South and Central
America. |
Publications
|
October,
1988 |
|
I wrote an article concerning an eleven-day hike without
guides, porters or boats
across Panama into Colombia. |
Interests
|
Solo Backpacking Theology Hi-end Audio Pistol Shooting Computing Jeeps Classical Historians Classical Music |
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