Briefly describe your journey as a teacher.
My career path to date has taken me full circle, from education, to working in various business functions such as sales, marketing, consultancy and training, and back into education. I feel that my broad range of experience working in different commercial environments provides me with a distinct advantage when it comes to teaching theoretical concepts and applying these to real life business and socio-economic situations.
Why did you decide to teach Business, Economics and History?
I decided to specialise in teaching Business and Economics because of my academic background and my wider business experience as mentioned above. This current academic year has also provided me with the opportunity to teach History, one of my favourite A’ Level subjects as it happens, and I am enjoying this very much.
What makes BISL such a unique place to work?
For me, it is the smaller class sizes and the opportunity to provide students with a more individual or customised approach to teaching and learning. Since I am currently teaching mainly to sixth formers, I feel that it is especially important to guide them through their independent learning and to encourage them to take greater responsibility for themselves. This will make them better prepared for the next part of their journey through higher education or into the workplace.
How would you describe a typical day at BISL?
I know this is a cliché, but there really is no typical day at school. This is my third year at BISL and I have learned to “expect the unexpected” pretty much on a daily basis. I tend to arrive at school early in the morning so that I can review my lesson plans for the day and respond to any important emails. Before you know it, it’s time for form, followed by a mixed timetable of teaching my three different subjects, various supervision duties, marking and planning. This year I have also taken over the responsibility for planning and organising the Adventure Days trips which has provided me with a fresh challenge which I have very much enjoyed.
What is the best part of your day at BISL?
Without question, my biggest satisfaction is when I know I have made a real impact on students’ learning. You know, the type of lessons where you might be teaching some really tricky concepts and by the end of the lesson you can see that the students have not only understood everything but enjoyed their learning experience too.
Why is the experience of an international education important for a student?
I would say that an international education provides a unique and inspirational environment which in turn helps the students with their personal development and an appreciation of the world around us, where globalisation is having an ever-increasing presence in our everyday lives. It goes without saying of course that the internationally recognised qualifications that BISL offers provides our students with a significant competitive advantage regarding their University applications and beyond.
