EARCOS Practitioner Presenters’ Biographies

AMANDA ABEL Amanda is a licensed school/community counselor for the state of Indiana. She has worked in private practice in the United States and in Vietnam. She is currently a social/emotional counselor in the middle school at Concordia International School Shanghai. (Fun fact: In her spare time, Amanda enjoys collecting seashells on the beaches of South East Asia.)

DAVID ALLEN Originally from Pensacola Beach, Florida, David earned his bachelor’s degree in music education (K-12) from the University of Southern Mississippi, minoring in psychology and sociology. Soon after, he began his teaching career in central Florida. Subsequently, Mr. Allen earned his master’s degree in education with an emphasis incurriculum & program development administration from the National-Louis University at the National College of Education. In his 26-year career, his concert bands and jazz bands have consistently earned superior ratings at Florida Bandmaster’s Association music festivals and contests. Most recently, his middle school band won the Disney Arts Festival Award in 2014 and 2015. In addition, his middle school band was designated a superior band program by the Florida Department of Education, Florida Schools Music Associationk, and the Florida Bandmaster’s Association. Currently, he is finishing a doctorate degree in higher education leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

KEITH ALLERTON Keith is a performing arts teacher at Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS). He is responsible for teaching music and drama to all students in grades K-5. He is also an avid director and has directed over 75 musicals and plays in his career. Keith is also a member of the EARCOS Teacher Advisory Committee, a position he has held for the past four years.

ROBERT ANDERSON Rob Anderson has been teaching design and technology subjects for 20-plus years; he has a very keen interest in encompassing current industry practices and technology into classroom experiences for students. Rob’s commitment is to daily offer opportunities to students that allow them to not only feel comfortable in interacting with this changing world of school and work, but feel empowered to change it for the better.

ALISON ARMSTRONG Alison has been teaching music in a range of international settings for nine years. She has taught predominantly in IB schools with students between the ages of three and 20. A singer by training, she enjoys teaching students who are new to reading, writing, and performing music. She is currently teaching at Vientiane International School in Laos.

LUCY ATKINSON Lucy is a practicing artist and designer who has taught art and design for 30 years in a variety of settings and lead roles, from secondary school to university. She is currently teaching visual art in middle and senior school in China, Lucy has a keen interest in enabling students to see possibilities and experiment with their work. She delights in seeing students enjoy the process of discovering how good their creative ability really is. MICHAEL BALDWIN Dr. Baldwin has presented at education conferences in the United States and internationally. He has published journal articles on topics from standardized testing, inquiry instruction, to science education. He has experience as a curriculum specialist, campus administrator, and science instructor. He has taught biology, chemistry, physics, AP science courses, education leadership, and pre-service science courses. Presently he is the curriculum coordinator and science teacher at the Dalian American International School in China.

SHANI BEN-AROYA Shani believes fervently in the power of drama to inspire students to be creative, gain confidence, and enrich their understanding of themselves and the world around them. Having taken to the stage at a young age, Shani shares a passion for drama and wishes to share this with students. The love for travel and photography, led to a move to Singapore, where Shani has been teaching for the past four years. Whilst here, Shani has taught drama projects for NGOs, and school students, both in Cambodia and Japan. Shani has travelled extensively in the EARCOS region.

MELISSA BERG Melissa is the middle school counselor at Seoul International School. She is from Minneapolis (Minnesota, USA) where she worked at Spanish Immersion Elementary School. Ms. Berg especially enjoys working with young students in the areas of talent development and team building, as she believes that these skills will best equip children and teenagers to be happy, passionate, and successful students.

HAMISH BETTS Hamish currently teaches primary art at United World College of South East Asia – East Campus (UWCSEA-East). As well as being a teacher, he has experience as an itinerate mural artist, sculptor, clown, storyteller, public speaker, pastor, and is a daddy of two and husband of one. He has hand-painted over 6000 m2 of original artwork both privately and commercially in New Zealand, Bali, Australia, and Singapore. His range of experience allows him to approach presentations with energy, humor, and contagious creativity.

LINDA BOSWELL Linda has been teaching for over 15 years. Her experience includes middle school math, science and physical education. She is in her third year at the International School of Kuala Lumpur, teaching sixth grade math and science.

NICKY BOURGEOIS Nicky is an elementary teacher at NIST International School in Bangkok. She is an IB workshop leader and has led workshops across Asia Pacific since 2009. She has over 15 years of teaching experience across elementary grade levels in New Zealand, Vietnam, and Thailand. Nicky holds a bachelor’s degree in education and sociology. She tweets as @bourgeois1 and endeavors to only share what is truly evident in her classroom and teaching practice.

KRIS BUMPUS Kris is a Nationally Certified school counselor and earned her master’s degree in counseling from Prescott College in 2009. She began her journey in education in 2005 at a small private school in Portland, Oregon, where she served as the assistant program director. Her love for travel and adventure led her abroad where she has worked for seven years as a high school counselor at the Carol Morgan School in the Dominican Republic and currently at Saigon South International School in Vietnam.

SHELLEE BURROUGHS Shellee is a counselor at Garden International School. She is an art psychotherapist and trauma specialist who trained and worked in Canada and the United Kingdom. Her areas of interest include trauma, loss, and the TCK experience.

CHRIS CAPADONA Chris is director of curriculum and instruction at Chiang Mai International School. He facilitates teacher professional development, curriculum design, and instructional coaching. Prior to CMIS, Chris worked for the Chandler Unified School District in Chandler, AZ, and was adjunct faculty at Arizona State University.

NEL CAPADONA Nel is elementary and middle school principal at Chiang Mai International School. She oversees teacher development, peer coaching, and instructional design. Nel has been a principal in Arizona and part of the faculty at Northern Arizona University.

JAMES CARLIN Jay is in his fourth year teaching music at the Thai-Chinese International School in Bangkok. In addition to nine years of teaching music, he has worked closely with Kids in a New Groove, an Austin-based non-profit that provides music lessons to foster children. Jay worked in Nashville, TN, for a number of years as a songwriter and audio engineer.

ANDREA CHRISTEN Andrea Cox Christen has been an educator for fifteen years. She has achieved the diamond-level with the National Speech and Debate Association, and she coached debate in the U.S. for ten years. She has her Master in Education from Montana State University-Billings, and this is her first year teaching internationally.

MARY COLLINS Mary is the elementary principal and deputy head at Bandung Independent School, Indonesia. She also teaches some of the visual arts classes in the primary school. Mary is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program workshop leader and has worked for eight years in a PYP school, for some of that time as a classroom teacher and PYP coordinator. She is passionate about creating a culture of collaboration and integrating the arts with other areas of the curriculum.

SARAH CORNELIUS Sarah grew up overseas as her parents were international teachers. She always knew that she wanted to live the same life. She is in her eighth year teaching technology. Sarah has taught everything from grade one technology to middle school video production to high school Advanced Placement 2D design. Her teaching career started in Frisco, Texas, and more recently has taken her to International School of Myanmar and now to the Korea International School, Jeju Campus, where she is an elementary technology integrator.

ZOE COUGHLAN Zoe is a graduate of RMIT, Australia (co-presented by the Hong Kong Art School) with a BA in fine art, majoring in ceramics. She has used these techniques successfully in the classroom with GCSE/MYP and IBDP classes, both in Hong Kong and the UK. Her own work explores the patterns and shapes of the city, and incorporates printed ceramic surfaces (www.zoecoughlan.com).

TAMARA DAVIS Tamara is currently the head of department for the visual and performing arts at Brent International School Subic (Philippines). She teaches concert band, grades 5 to 12, and has been teaching band and general music classes at Brent for 20 years. She has filled many roles in a small school, including heavy involvement in elementary/middle/high school productions, chapel services, recitals, talent shows, and numerous band and choir concerts.

KEVIN DAVY Kevin is presently serving in his third year as a ninth grade counselor at International School Bangkok. Prior to that he had worked in ISB’s middle school for two years. This combination has served as a fantastic viewpoint to observe the transition from middle to high. Due to this expanding perspective, he has been able to adjust and renovate a ninth grade program that has been in place at ISB for many years.

GRETCHEN DEPOINT Gretchen (ATR) has been an educator for the last eighteen years, ten internationally. The last five years have been in middle school administration at Ruamrudee in Bangkok, and the thirteen years prior were as both a K-12 visual arts and special educator. Due to her background as a registered art therapist, she is passionate about ensuring that the needs of the whole child are addressed within an educational setting. She has taught IB art and is currently an IB visual arts team leader and examiner.

AMY DIENER Amy is originally from New York, USA. She is a New York state certified instructor in visual arts education preK-12. Currently she is an elementary and middle school art teacher at the American School of Bangkok. Amy is interested in positive healing aspects of mandala making in the arts classroom. She is also a professional painter exploring the use of mandalas in portrait paintings.

BETH DRESSLER Beth is an EAL teacher and the Elementary EAL and Language Coordinator at NIST International School. Beth is a workshop leader and visiting team leader, and has been part of IBPYP curriculum development and review. Beth has 20 years of experience as a language specialist and has worked at schools in the United States, Czech Republic, Thailand, Ukraine, Malaysia and Australia. Beth holds a Master?s Degree in TESOL. She tweets at @bqdressler.

JAMES DOBLE James has been teaching physical education at International School Manila for the past four years. Previously he was teaching in England as well as working in various outdoor education venues around the world.

BRUCE DOIG Bruce took his first computer course in 1978 and has been teaching technology around the world since 1992. Among the courses he has taught are multi-media, website design, programming (in several different languages), computer animation, CAD, robotics, multimedia, journalism and yearbook. Currently Bruce is the MYP design teacher at the International School of Ulaanbaatar.

JESSE DONNELLY Jesse is an IB middle years program design educator with 11 years of teaching experience. Originally from Victoria, Australia, he has worked internationally in China and Peru, and is also an IB educator network (IBEN) member.

KATE DORE Kate is a middle school science teacher and has taught in nursery, primary, and secondary schools. Other than science, she has an educational background in neuropsychology, literacy, and curriculum design. She is keenly focused on fostering student ownership, and supporting students as legitimate change-makers through actionable learning experiences.

DAVE DUCHARME Dave is an experienced and passionate physical educators at the International School of Bangkok. He has 21 years’ experience as a physical education teacher and athletic director.

ANDY DUTTON Andy is an experienced and passionate physical education teacher from Adelaide, Australia. He is in his tenth year of teaching and has taught in a variety of countries and with various age groups, subject areas, and socio-economic levels. He is an expert engaging children in enjoyable active learning, which enhances their education experience. Andy is driven by the students he teaches and he is passionate about enhancing their movement activities.

MEGAN EDDINGTON Megan teaches English and drama in the IB middle years program at Beijing City International School. Over the years, Megan has played a part in developing language acquisition skills across subject areas for English language learning students. Her goal is to look at effective ways to help students comprehend and positively engage with the literature used every day in classrooms.

MARK ELSHOUT Mark is a teacher of music and information technology and has been developing apps for use in the music classroom for 18 months. Ten apps now exist under the developer name ‘Developing Musicianship’. Recently a math and Japanese LOTE game have been released, demonstrating the potential for educational app development. He has taught at Osaka International School since 2013. JOHN EVERETT John is a middle school counselor at Shanghai American School. In addition to his work as a counselor, John has also taught secondary theatre as well as applied ‘improv’ to adults and corporations. John has found ‘improv’ to be an accessible avenue for students of all ages to learn the social and emotional skills they need to develop into happy, welladjusted members of their communities.

AMY FERGUSSON Amy has been the cooking teacher at the Singapore American School since 2006 and a middle school educator for 30 years. She currently teaches 6th and 7th grade Cooking and Nutrition and 8th Grade International Cooking, offering two sessions of each class over the year in addition to two after-school sessions of Fun with Cooking catering to grades 3,4, and 5. She also guides adult classes for staff and expat helpers, and is a mentor to several high school clubs participating in cooking activities. She promotes a hands-on approach, balancing essential academics with culinary life skills.

RHONDA FISHER Rhonda has served in a variety of roles in secondary and tertiary education. As a college professor, she has taught courses in family, developmental ssychology, education, sexuality, religion, inequality, and research methods and uses that knowledge in her current role as university counselor at the Surabaya Intercultural School. She has also taught IB courses, served as an IBDP coordinator, and created a university counseling programs in two international schools.

KEN FORDE Ken is a physical education teacher from Western Canada. He currently works at Western Academy of Beijing where he teaches grade seven, but has previously taught in the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Over the past five years at WAB, Ken has developed a range of teaching strategies using a variety of technology tools to help support student learning and improve teacher efficiency.

JENNY FRANCO-MARSH Jenny is a licensed professional counselor for the state of Pennsylvania. She has experience working with children in individual and family therapy. She has also worked with elementary students in Kuwait and is currently a social/emotional counselor in the middle school at Concordia International School Shanghai. (Fun fact: Jenny loves to go on safaris in search of wild animals.)

ADAM FRASER Adam is currently employed at The International School of Yangon, Myanmar. Being a drama educationalist since 2002, Adam has taught and presented in a variety of public and private institutions. Adam is an avid performer and devised works within the Sydney, Australia, metropolitan area. Adam most recently participated as an ensemble member for Sydney Playback Theatre. He has continued to devise works in his newly adopted home in Myanmar.

LEANNE FULCHER Leanne has been working in the international school arena now for 18 years. She has taught in Mexico, England, Malaysia, and is currently the middle school drama teacher at Singapore American School. Leanne also works for the International School Theater Association, helping to run festivals and professional development for theater educators.

KIRA GALBRAITH Kira recently transitioned from humanitarian aid to counseling because of her desire to support in preparing the next generation of global citizens, parents, workers, and leaders through offering support, guidance, and opportunities during adolescence. She will graduate from the University of Massachusetts Boston with an MEd in school counseling and a National Counselor Certification in May 2016.

MICHAEL GANUS Michael is a 20-plus year band director teaching in Seoul, Korea. Mr. Ganus has taught at every level of instrumental music from those just starting out to more advanced students going into college and into careers as music educators. He lives in South Korea with his wife and three daughters.

CATHERINE GEISEN-KISCH Described as having “contagious enthusiasm,” Catherine is a highly engaged counselor who believes in a strength-based approach. Originally from Minnesota, U.S.A., Catherine serves as middle school counselor with Shanghai Community International School. Her interactive, push-and-play lessons have been delivered to nearly 300 students by 27 teacher advisors. In sharing her guidance programs and connecting with other counselors during the conference, she hopes to feed and foster her “Gallup Strengths” of positivity, input, arranger, woo, and empathy.

CARRIE GREV It is all about ensemble. Over the year, this core truth consistently emerges as the driving force behind healthy group dynamics and whether the group plummets to disaster or climbs together to a mountaintop collaborative experience. Unpacking what it takes to develop healthy group dynamics in any classroom is where this workshop comes into play . . . through play! Carrie has been playing in the classroom her whole life, from Minnesota to Manila, and has just begun the journey.

ANDREW HARNETT Andrew is a classroom teacher, passionate educational technology geek, and Google Certified Teacher/Google for Education Trainer. He has been providing training on a variety of topics including all things Google, the 21st century classroom environment, tech philosophy, Apple Core technologies, and much more. He prides himself on creating independent, inquiring learners. He has been a classroom teacher for eight years and is currently a grade three teacher at Hong Kong International School. ERIN HAWKEN Erin began counseling in 2004, after receiving her degree in psychology and masters in educational counseling from The University of California. She has worked as a personal social and college counselor in Sacramento and San Francisco. After eight years of working in public education, she and her family moved overseas to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Erin works as one of two high school counselors/college guidance at the Saigon South International School and loves the convergence of chaos, noise, food, and people that add up to the multitude of interminable interactions, which make life in Vietnam so enjoyable.

ELLA HEALY Ella is aquatics coordinator, coach, and swim teacher at the United Nations International School in Hanoi, Vietnam. She has worked in various international schools and clubs, and has, over the last ten years at UNIS, developed the D-12 aquatics curriculum, co-curricular aquatics academy and community Swim for Life program.

SETH HEISEL Seth has taught English as an additional language in South Korea and Canada, and has been an elementary classroom teacher in Canada and Indonesia. He was also a special education teacher at a fly-in First Nations reserve in northern Canada, where he implemented a successful school-wide literacy program. Seth is a certified Google Educator, and enjoys helping his students learn how to find answers to their questions and share what they have learned using technology.

TARA HOLM Tara is in her 6th year of school counseling, 5 of those years in international schools. She started as an elementary counselor in Wisconsin, then moved to Hanoi and worked as a middle school and high school counselor. Now Tara is at NIST International School in Bangkok as a middle school counselor.

JOE HOLROYD Joe teaches DP film, literature, and TOK. Former roles have included head of department English and TOK coordinator (NIST), where his innovative approach to curriculum design earned a commendation from the IB accreditation team. Joe is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning and recently completed an MFA in creative writing, his novel being long listed for The Bridport Prize. Joe has published work in academic and literary journals.

GRACE HUDKINS Grace is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and is the village school drama specialist at Chadwick International. A long-time lover of the arts, she has been involved in dozens of theatrical productions as director, stage manager, producer, and performer. After founding CI’s PYP drama program last year, she expanded the program to teach drama to all elementary grade levels. Grace is passionate about sharing her love of the arts with young people.

MARNIE HURST Marnie has been teaching music and dance internationally for 25 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in world arts and cultures (including a year of study in Accra, Ghana) and a master’s degree in elementary education. She has taught in Los Angeles, Prague, Manila, and Singapore, has directed dozens of productions, and guided hundreds of students in creating and producing original musical theater.

LIEN INDIGNE Lien is an experienced and passionate physical educator at International School Bangkok. Lien has 12 years of experience in physical education.

REBECCA JARDIN Rebecca is the middle school art teacher at Saigon South International School. Over the past 17 years she has taught visual art to all grade levels in Adelaide, Australia; Londonl; Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; Hangzhou, China; Accra, Ghana; and, now in Vietnam. She has trained teachers in creative uses of the iPad in Ghana, Vietnam, and at the 2014 Vietnam Tech Conference. Rebecca is a current COETAILer and Google Certified Educator, who has a passion for combining paint with pixels and app mashing. You can find out more about Mrs. Jardin on her Blog:https://rjardin. wordpress.com.

MATTHEW JOHNSON Matt is the elementary assistant principal at Shekou International School. He has been in education for 16 years, 12 of which have been in international schools throughout Asia and South America. As an instructional leader who believes that schools need dedicated, talented educators who are willing to step into leadership roles, he is passionate about supporting teachers as they explore the possibility of moving forward into administrative positions.

KATHLEEN KAMPA As a dance/music/ English as an additional language specialist teacher in the PYP, Kathleen develops arts-based strategies for young learners by creating links between units of inquiry and the arts. Her teaching strategies and music compositions have been inspired by Anne Green Gilbert’s brain compatible dance education. Kathleen is a member of Dance and the Child International, and various English teachers’ groups. She has given numerous workshops on music, dance, and English language teaching around the globe.

MAJA KELLY Maja is a counselor, psychotherapist, and psychologist who has worked in international education for nearly ten years. She holds two master’s degrees—one in experimental psychology and one in child and adolescent developmental psychology, and has an extensive background in postmodern approaches to psychotherapy and counseling, namely constructivist and narrative psychotherapy. CATHY KEMP Cathy is a high school visual arts teacher and the visual arts department head at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok. She has been teaching art for 19 years to a variety of age levels from pre-school to grade 12. Cathy is also an IB visual rts teacher and an IB visual arts examiner.

DEREK KENSINGER Derek attended San Francisco public schools and Colby College, where he received a BA in philosophy. After college, Derek taught environmental education in the Peace Corps in El Salvador, special education for three years stateside, elementary physical education in Paraguay at American School of Asuncionm and ES/MS/HS PE in Taiwan at the American School in Taichung. Throughout these varied settings Derek has pondered what it means to be a good person/athlete.

SCOTT LASSEY Originally from northern California, Scott knew as a junior in high school that he wanted to become a high school counselor. He received his BA in psychology from UC Santa Cruz in 2007, his MA in school counseling from Sonoma State University in 2009, and moved to the Middle East upon graduating. After six years in Dubai he now works in Shanghai.

BETTY LIN Betty is currently the head of fine arts at the American International School of Guangzhou. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, she has worked overseas as a music educator for over 20 years. In her current job, she teaches middle and high school string orchestra and IB music. She has experience in teaching band, choir, and general music in K-12 classrooms.

JEFFERSON LIPSKY Jefferson is a video production teacher at an international school in Korea. Before becoming a teacher he studied and designed media. He is in his sixth year of teaching video and filmmaking classes. His students make high-quality schoolwide media. Jefferson has founded and designed successful media programs and curriculum at two different international schools. He has shared his tips and techniques at other professional development conferences.

ROBERT LYREN Robert is a professional filmmaker and educator. After graduating from the University of Miami (FL) Film School, he has worked as a film director and producer. He has directed films, television, music videos, and corporate videos; in addition, Robert has been the head of the film & TV production program at the American School of Bangkok for the last four years.

GRAY MACKLIN Gray taught history for 10 years in the US and internationally. He has been a counselor and testing coordinator at Seoul International School since 2010, and has been a middle school advisor since the program began in 2013. Gray is also a certified coaching clinic facilitator through Corporate Coach U; he is in the process of completing his EdD in educational leadership.

SHELLY MALDONADO Shelly has been an elementary and/or middle school counselor for the past nine years in the United States, South Korea, and the Philippines. Before school counseling, she was a high school social studies teacher and has worked with students, ages 3-19, in a variety of educational settings.

KEVIN MANSELL Kevin is advisor to HKIS Magic Club and for many years organized the school’s musical theater productions. As part of service to underprivileged children in Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia, and Vietnam, he runs pupoet shows with Hong Kong International School students.

MARC MATHYK Marc is currently the head of MS fine arts at Concordia International School Shanghai. Marc has been teaching for 19 years, all internationally. He started teaching English literature and taught HS and AP English for 8 years before switching to visual art. He took a hiatus from teaching, earning a diploma in advertising design. He has also worked as an art director and copywriter at a boutique ad agency in Toronto before heading back into teaching. All in all, Marc has taught MS, HS, and IB art, digital design, applied design, ceramics, and yearbook. He has been in Shanghai for 3 years and before that taught in Malaysia, Venezuelak, and South Korea.

VALERIE McCUBBIN Valerie McCubbin is a Scottish born designer, multidisciplinary artist and educator based in Bangkok. She has lectured in prestigious universities, worked as the head of art at NIST International School and now teaches visual art at International School Bangkok (ISB). Outside the classroom Valerie creates comprehensive education programs to accompany exhibitions locally and internationally.

CLARE McDERMOTT Clare has been an international teacher for 12 years and is currently working and living in Bangkok. Prior to earning teaching credentials, she was a registered dietitian in the United Stated for over 15 years. Her doctoral research blended her two passions—the examination of school day eating habits of middle school students and how it impacted their achievement.

DOUG McQUEEN Doug is from Toronto, Canadam and is currently in his sixth year as a high school counselor at International School Manila. He is also the NCAA coordinator at his school. Doug coaches the varsity girls’ basketball team at ISM and occasionally runs a 5K. He is married with one son, who is currently a junior at ISM.

TOYOKO MILLER Toyoko has been teaching PYP art for over 12 years in a variety of international schools in Japan. She has designed and implemented PYP art curriculum and continues to experiment with art. She is a local painter who has her own exhibitions twice a year. JL MURDOCH JL has a PhD in theater history and criticism and has presented at multiple international theatre conferences. Most recently she was a contributor to The Oxford Handbook of Dance and Theater, published in 2015. Her research focuses on Talchum, the Korean traditional masked dance-drama. She teaches theatre and AP history at Yongsan International School of Seoul.

SUE NESBITT Sue is a grade nine counselor at the Singapore American School and a co-coordinator for the SAS high school advisory program. She is currently completing her seventh year at SAS. Before coming to SAS, Sue was a counselor at the American Embassy School in New Delhi, and at both the International School of Bangalore and the American International School in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is a member of the American School Counselor Association and the National and International Association for College Admission Counseling. A Canadian citizen, Sue spent part of her childhood living in Africa, Australia, and the United Kingdom. She holds two masters degrees in teaching and educational counseling. She loves to run, bike, and swim and she is the mother of two SAS graduates and a grade six SAS student.

HANNAH NORTHCOTT Hannah has balanced on a three pose at the Eiffel Tower, The Great Wall, and in Times Square, while reciting the opening verse from Titus Andronicus. Hannah has studied acting in New York, is a certified yoga instructor, and has a master of education from Simon Fraser University. And, as unassuming young lads at the International School of Beijing suddenly start to recite the Bard over lunchtime, it is evident that Hanna’s theatre bug is spreading.

ANGELA OLSON A recovering perfectionist, Angela completed her undergraduate degree at Arizona State University and went on to a terrible first year of teaching. She saw a clear need for a new mindset. After teaching multi-age classes with grades 1-3 near Seattle for five years and learning to fail well, she joined the staff of Faith Academy. She is always looking for ways to celebrate and develop a growth mindset in herself, students, and friends.

KRISTIN PARTRIDGE Kristin is an early years teacher and learner. She has been in the field of education for many years and has had myriad roles such as teacher, curriculum coordinator, principal, international workshop leader, department coordinator, consultant, and creator of Reggio Emilia networks. She has worked in the United States, Indonesia, and China. As an educator and advocate for children, Kristin strives to see all the possibilities in children and teachers.

ANTON PETROV Anton is a Canadian math teacher whose master’s degree in educational video games propelled him to explore video game and social media as a new venue for education. He teaches at Taejon Christian International School in South Korea and is currently running an educational Minecraft Club and an education through video games Youtube channel called What Da Math.

ANNIE PHILIP Ever since my primary school headmaster made me take on the role of ‘Widow Twankey’ in ‘Aladdin’, I have had a passion for drama and theatre. Since then, I have had over 20 years of experience teaching and working with young people in a range of settings, e.g. at summer play schemes, in refugee camps, in language schools and in secondary schools in Europe and Asia. I firmly believe that drama is a powerful tool for self development and change. I am grateful for every opportunity I have to ‘collaborate’ and ‘create’ with people from all over the world.

RESHAM PREMCHAND Resham has been teaching PYP over 15 years and is a IBEN workshop leader and site visitor. She is enthusiastic about learning and exploring ideas to enhance students’ learning. Resham is an avid reader and writer and enjoys travelling.

JALEEA PRICE Jaleea is a movement educator with experience teaching sports and non-sports movement studies for more than 10 years. Currently on the faculty at International School Bangkok, she enjoys being a ‘crossover’ teacher in different divisions with both arts and physical education content areas. She also teaches film and enjoys connecting arts and movement to everyday life—both on camera and in the real world.

CATHERINE RANKIN Catherine is driven to create collaborative experiences through which students explore and create using drama, where they use, not just words, but the visual images, movement, and symbols that create meaning. Play is at the heart of everything she does.

BRIAN REVERMAN Brian teaches high school at the International School of Beijing. He has written about, and presented workshops on developing critical analysis skills in students for the IB Journal of Teaching Practice, and for ARARTE and EARCOS conferences. He is the creator of the IB art history channel and maintains the art education website “Occasionally you can see the mountains clearly.”

ROSEANA RICHARDS Roseana worked as a vocational guidance/family counselor for several years for the state of Michigan. For the last three years she has been overseas in the role of a school counselor/college placement and middle school counselor. Growing up in South America and later moving to the United States, the Caribbean, and the Philippines, Roseana has extensive experience with cultural awareness from many perspectives and in many different roles.

NOEL ROBERTS Noel has seven years as an international school counsellor. His undergraduate studies were in community psychology and his graduate studies in social work. He has certificates in addiction studies, special needs support, and is an American School Counselor Association (ASCA) certified bullying prevention specialist. In the past 27 years he has worked with New York City public schools, The NYC Administration of Children’s Services, NYC Family Court, NYC Department of Juvenile Justice, and the NYC Mayor’s Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator. MARTIN ROBINSON Martin is in his 12th year teaching K-5 music and world music drumming at Taipei American School. He is a professional drummer and drum circle facilitator who has a passion for bringing people together through music. Martin has previously taught in California, Pakistan, Indonesia, Japan, and India.

CAMARIN SACHDEVA Camarin holds a bachelor’s in education and a master of arts in counseling from University of Guam. She also holds a degree in special needs from University of Northampton, U.K. As a counselor, she describes her approach as eclectic. With very young students, Camarin draws on bibliotherapy approach, which she describes as one of her major counseling assets. Her mission is to continue her project to present workshops to parents in the area of executive function skills. Her dream is to complete her book on identity formation of women in third world society.

KATHLEEN SCHULTZ Kathleen has been a counselor for 23 years, and has worked in international schools for the last 14, first in Hamburg, then Prague and currently Bangkok, Thailand. Previous to coming overseas, Kathleen was a Student Assistance Facilitator/Drug and Alcohol counselor and a Juvenile Probation Officer in the state of Oregon.

MICHAEL SHARP Michael is from New Zealand and has taught for 18 years in New Zealand, London, Korea, and now in Thailand. Currently, Michael teaches middle school drama at International School Bangkok. As an educator, Michael specializes in the performing arts of music, dance, and drama, and has done so for 14 years. He has performed in professional and amateur theatre in New Zealand. While living in Christchurch, he worked briefly for an improvisation company performing for corporate events.

AMY SMITH Amy teaches middle school health at Shanghai American School and has a passion for curriculum that is current, relevant, adaptable, and shared. She has presented at EARCOS, as well as the AAHPERD and SHAPE America national conventions, and writes a weekly column for Choices, Scholastic’s health magazine for teens. You can find her online at thehealthteacher.com and on Twitter @teaching_health.

GAIL SMITH Gail, originally from Melbourne, Australia, has been living in Malaysia for the past 20 years. Gail is a veteran PE specialist teacher with over 20 years experience in teaching PE from K-12 in Australia and Malaysia. She is the current PE team leader at the ISKL elementary campus with over 650 students. Her personal goal is for children to understand the importance of making healthy choices and to develop a love for movement at an early age to enable them to pursue an active daily lifestyle.

LEE STERLING III Lee taught in his hometown, Houston, Texas, for 12 years. He has taught theater, English, social studies, AP psychology and AVID/college path. He has also taught for seven years as an adjunct psychology professor at Lone Star Community College. This summer, he joined the International School of Tianjin as a college counselor, TOK teacher, and ELL support. He has published poems, essays, short stories, columns, and articles. He believes that teaching is an art form and that being a student is a thing of incurable wonder and beauty. His wife joined him as a teacher at IST and they have three young daughters, Persephone, Kitsune, and Tzara.

EDWIN TANNER Dr. Tanner is an artist and research-practitioner in primary education at Chinese International School in Hong Kong. A veteran teacher, he has taught various subjects in Canada, and for the past 17 years has been a primary music specialist at the Chinese International School. He is a published songwriter and singer with two songbooks and five solo albums. Dr. Tanner has brought this experience together by performing in worldwide concert tours.

LUCY THOMPSON Lucy is currently a fifth grade classroom teacher at the International School of Kuala Lumpur, where she is the math curricular leader for the elementary school.

SEAN THOMPSON Sean is an educational technologies integrator at Sacred Heart International School in Tokyo. He enjoys a range of sharing avenues as an IBEN workshop leader, Google Certified Trainer, and Apple Distinguished Educator. Naturally, as a technology specialist, he seeks to maximize the benefits for all participants by creating web-based resources to enable the learning and connections to continue long after the lights go down. Join his Personal Learning Network (PLN)!

STEPHEN THOMPSON Stephen has taught elementary music and choir at Saigon South International School since 2009. He holds a master’s degree in music education from the University of Oregon and has completed levels training in Kodaly and Orff pedagogies. Before moving to Vietnam, Stephen worked for eight years in the public schools of Eugene, Oregon.

SHINJIRO TSURUSHIMA Shin teaches MS PE at Shanghai American School. Prior to teaching in Shanghai, he taught PE at Sunnyvale Middle School in California. Shin is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a BS in physical education. He grew up in Osaka, Japan, and Ramsey, NJ. In addition to teaching, Shin has years of experience coaching basketball, track and field, and volleyball. In his spare time, he enjoys aikido, skiing, and travelling around the world.

JOSEPH LAWRENCE VASILE Mr. Vasile is an internationally published artist and founder of Peace Flags in the Wind. His one-man vision of peace, one flag at a time started in a socioeconomically challenged classroom in Miami, Florida. His concepts have reached and inspired hundreds of thousands of people across six continents. Mr. Vasile is a three-time teacher of the year nominee and finalist in Miami. He has been honored by 12 U.S. states that granted him a proclamation naming the day after him and his project. Mr. Vasile is currently the fine arts instructor at Yangon International School.

JO VEALE Jo is a design technology educator who has been teaching internationally for 10 years in IB, ENC, NZNCEA, and BSocSc psychology honors.

STEPHEN VENEMA Stephen is a MS orchestra and general music teacher at Shanghai American School. He is also an Apple Distinguished Educator. He fuses his love and passion of music, technology and composition wherever he can.

MARIELLA VITTETOE Mariella is head of counseling at Garden International School who trained and worked in Honduras and Spain in psychology and systemic family therapy. Her areas of interest are systemic thinking and international schools as safe communities.

ANNE WENSTROM Anne was a Peace Corps volunteer in the rural community health sector in Benin, West Africa, prior to starting her international teaching career at Singapore American School. The past nine years she has been teaching elementary physical education and is also presently a department coordinator and wellness co-coordinator at SAS. In 2013, Anne became an Apple Distinguished Educator and a Google Certified Innovator, which has motivated her to lead various workshops on best practices for technology integration in PE. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in educational leadership from USC-Rossier School of Education.

JUNIATA WIBLE Juniata has lived in Asia since 1978 and has been teaching in Hong Kong since 1992. She teaches choral music (children’s choir, middle school and high school choir and show choir) at International Christian School, where she is the Fine and Performing Arts Department Chair. She has directed the ICS Show Choir since its inception in 2008.