Welcome to David Alexander Shindeldecker's (Alex) Teacher Web Page!  This is my eleventh year teaching and I am honored to be starting my seventh year working with the compassionate, dynamic, and creative faculty at Dripping Springs Middle School.  In 2019-2020, I will be teaching 6th Grade ELA, 6th Grade Pre-AP ELA, and the Creative Writing Elective for 7th and 8th graders. 

      Previously I taught middle school English and Reading for four years in North East ISD in San Antonio at Driscoll MS and Lopez MS, as well as 7th grade ELA, Texas History, and ESL services at DSMS for the last six years. I grew up primarily in Houston and I graduated in 2000 from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas with a B.A. in English.  I also completed coursework towards an MFA in Creative Writing at Texas State University in 2004-2005. My certifications include ELA/Reading (4-8 and 8-12), Social Studies 4-8, Gifted and Talented, ESL, and Special Education EC-12.  

I live in Wimberley with my amazing wife Ashley. In 2019, our awesome son Maxwell graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio with a degree in History/Education, and is now a 10th Grade History teacher and middle school volleyball, basketball, and track coach.  We have two pets (Kit-Kat, a cat) and a dog (Marcy). A few personal hobbies include golf, fly-fishing, hunting, creative writing, and playing guitar/bass/mandolin. 

     It is exceedingly exciting and a wonderful honor to be a part of the English Language Arts and creative writing development of my students!  We experience and interact with the world through language; the more we know, the more our world opens.  

I am in complete reality about the difficult, sometimes painful nature of reading and writing for some of my students. I believe growth in written expression and language skills is possible, regardless of past difficulties.  With my background in writing, I've stared at a blank page and not known where to start and I know what it is like to "envision" a great grade on an essay as a student, and have that fail to come to fruition. Rejection letters have graced my recycle bin.  I also know what it is like to struggle through the learning of a foreign language and have experienced the highs and lows of conversational success, as well as the “fumbles” that happen from time to time as we learn to become proficient in another language.  In other words, sensitivity to the complexities of the reading and writing process, as well as the bumps in the road to learning a new language, are prominent influences in my teaching.  

     Let's have a great year! 

     Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime at alex.shindeldecker@dsisdtx.us, extension 3480, or come by A-214.