Mr. O’Neal and his wife had some fun at Top Golf.
For the 2024-25 school year, University Academy Upper School welcomed Mr. Shane O’Neal as the new Upper School Algebra I teacher.
This year is Mr. O’Neal’s 16th year as a classroom teacher at UA, and out of 16 years, this is his third year teaching in Upper School. Most recently, before making the switch to Upper School, he taught middle school classes for a number of years.
Mr. O’Neal said he enjoys seeing kids he taught in middle school maturing and growing from eighth graders to juniors and seniors. He is also enjoying getting to know a greater variety of people after his move to the Upper School this year. Since he had previously taught on the middle school floor, the opportunity for him to get to know more students was limited.
Fun fact about Mr. O’Neal: he was the 2016 middle school teacher of the year for the Missouri Charter Public School Association.
McKenzie Davis, a freshman at UA, said she enjoys how Mr. O’Neal teaches and entertains his class, which is a quality that she thinks makes him stand out.
She said, “He brings good energy every day, with the same motive to get some work done and have fun but also help students on what they need help with. He also has a good and unique way of explaining lessons so that we understand and do the work the right way.”
One of Mr. O’Neal’s biggest teaching challenges is finding more than one way to teach concepts so they make sense for everyone. On a more fun note, another one of his challenges is keeping up with the lingo of today’s generation, he said.
Before Mr. O’Neal’s teaching career started, he spent a lot of time focused on football. He was chosen to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl his senior year of high school, and then he went to Coffeyville Community College to play football. He finished his degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and got certified in 5-9 grade math.
Teaching was something he was always interested in, along with being on Saturday Night Live.
He said, “I enjoy being around people and having a job that actually makes me feel like I’m making a difference.”
Outside of teaching, Mr. O’Neal enjoys spending time with his four kids and his wife, watching Kansas City sports, or watching his kids play their sports. He typically spends his breaks from school taking his kids to practices and attending their games.
Overall, Mr. O’Neal has been an integral part of the UA Middle School for many years, and now it seems like he’s fitting right in with the Upper School community.