Faculty Profile

I am a fully qualified New Zealand registered primary teacher with 18 years teaching experience in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with 11 of those years being in leadership positions. I recently completed my Master of Education qualification endorsed in leadership. I personally believe that at the heart of teaching and learning lies the power of relationships between a teacher and the learner. People are at the core of what is important to me as a teacher and I strive to build strong, effective relationships with students, community and colleagues; firmly believing in the strength of collaboration. My three children and wife lie at the heart of my interests outside of school and we are all looking forward to joining the PISA team in 2020. Sport and fitness also play a big part in my life having completed a number of half and full marathons. I have played both competitive rugby and football. I am highly motivated and love a new challenge, finding I am most motivated when I am striving towards achieving a goal.

From Plymouth UK, I have been living and working in Malaysia for the past 35 years. After 12 years in UK schools, working mainly with Special Needs, I came to Malaysia in 1982 to work as an English teacher in rural schools.

I have worked in a variety of schools and colleges around Malaysia, and have travelled widely around the country, in the capacity as Director of CfBT Malaysia, heading government projects to improve the teaching and learning of English in rural schools. More recently, I have been Director of Studies in a private school, and Principal of two international schools, and have been involved in various consultancies for school improvement and teacher training.

My home country is Australia. I have a master’s and bachelor’s degree in Music. I am affiliated to Australian Music Centre and have more than 30 years of experience in music teaching. I have taught in Denmark, China, Romania, Malaysia, Panama and Laos. I had previously served as department head and have been active in promoting and directing band, orchestra, small instrumental ensembles and musical theatre.

Originally from Lebanon, I am thrilled to join the educational community at Peninsula International School, as the Head of Science and bring a 16-year worth of experience in teaching and coaching, mentoring, middle and senior leadership. With a double degree in Maths and Chemistry, PGCE, MA in Education and MSc in Mathematics, I have a demonstrated history of working at different international schools and universities in Germany, the Middle East and Malaysia, where I have taught Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Geography under VCE, IB, IGCSE, A Levels, as well as university preparatory programmes.

Foremost, I belong in the classroom and love helping my students walk out of their comfort zone through their individual learning pathways to identify targets, overcome challenges, and develop skills to land in their growth zone and flourish in their inquiry-based learning journey.

An avid reader, a hiker on trail and a movie buff at leisure time, I am also an amateur pianist and artist who has been hooked to philately since my early childhood years.  

I am Australian. My teaching career spans more than 3 decades. I studied Diploma of Teaching (Secondary Mathematics) at Queensland University of Technology and commenced teaching in 1985. I have since graduated from Charles Sturt University with Bachelor of Education (Secondary Mathematics), Master of Human Resource Management, Master of Business Administration and Master of Fraud & Financial Crime.

In 2001, my wife and I started teaching internationally in Japan and have since worked in Malaysia, UAE, Indonesia and Vietnam. I have been Curriculum Director for Victorian Schools and Head of Mathematics over the last decade. I enjoy travelling with my family, singing, music, painting, computer programming, bank compliance, golf, flying single engine planes/helicopters and taekwondo. We are very happy to be back working and living in Malaysia, our second home.

I have always considered education as the first and most important means to create a shared conceptual platform, through which, a more just and equal society can be built. I was born and grew up in Rome, Italy. Yet my inspiration is the world. Knowing and understanding different cultures has been my vocation and also part of my job. I studied Anthropology obtaining an Honours degree in Cultural Anthropology and a Master in Education specialising in Intercultural Education.

My travels and working experience have taken me to Australia, where I had the fortune to meet and study aboriginal people and culture. Later, I worked for several years as tutor-coordinator for a NGO specialised in student intercultural programs and exchange. Together with my British wife, I lived and worked in Oman where I coordinated a Self Access Centre, focused on conversation enhancement, at the University of Nizwa. There, I learnt to appreciate Arabic Language and Islamic culture. That experience helped me to focus on the importance, for every human being, to learn a second language in order to widen the horizons and limits of our own culture. My most recent experience was at the European School in Bad Vilbel Germany, where I worked as Pedagogical Advisor for secondary school, facing a variegated and multicultural working environment. I am also a redactor/journalist for an Italian newspaper. I find there is no correct way of doing things, instead I adopt an holistic approach to learning which ultimately leaves room for improving strategies and life goals.

I am from Wiltshire, United Kingdom, and have a PGCE in Primary Education and a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science from Swansea University. My teaching experience includes over 11 years of delivering a variety of different curricula including the National Curriculum of England, the International Primary Curriculum and the Singapore Curriculum for Mathematics. I have a passion for ICT and for Maths, which is my subject specialism. My core belief is that learning should not only be fun but also interesting and engaging. I always try to ensure I teach with energy, enthusiasm and a sense of humour. I am incredibly excited to be a part of Peninsula International School Australia.

I am an experienced, committed and enthusiastic primary school teacher, from Picton, a small town at the heart of the beautiful Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand. I graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Teaching & Learning in 2001 and since then I have gained experience across all year groups in a range of diverse settings from rural New Zealand to inner city London. I believe that communication and collaboration are key skills for success in life, the role modelling, nurturing and teaching of these skills will be an overarching theme across all the learning in my class. I also believe that an effective learning programme needs to have the child at the centre and be based on developing their areas of need in rich contexts that are relevant to their interests and lives. My husband Willem and our 3 children Willem Jnr, Louis and Matilda and I are very excited about joining the PISA community and immersing ourselves in the Malaysian culture.

My home city is Manchester, UK. After graduating and completing my PGCE, I taught as a primary teacher at an outstanding school for 13 years where I gained valuable experience within Primary and had various leadership roles during this period. After that, I moved to Malaysia where I taught for 2 years as a primary teacher and KS1 Coordinator. My most recent role was as Primary Principal for an International School in Selangor. I have vast experience teaching across the Primary age range from EYFS to Year 4. My leadership experience includes Primary Principal, KS1 Coordinator, Literacy Coordinator and classroom teacher.

As a multiple degree and a Master’s degree holder in Law, my academic journey started in Germany and led to Macquarie University, Sydney Australia. My passion and academic journey then sent myself across a few countries including China, South Korea and Japan in the area of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, resulting in my qualifications and accreditations for TEFL. This new passion has led to teaching in the ‘English First’ schools in Qinhuangdao China, for children aged 7 to 9. Hungry for more, I set out to be part of the EPIK (English Programme In Korea, a government programme in South Korea with the objective of improving English in primary schools) which saw my involvement as a primary school teacher in Okseo Primary School in Ulsan and subsequently in another similar government programme, JET in Japan at the primary schools there.

I hope to bring to PISA my vast experience in the provision and designing of effective teaching and learning methodologies to primary school students.

I have 10 years of experience in teaching. I have received awards and recognitions in the field of Business Management and demonstrated a commitment to excellence in teaching. I hold a Master degree in Business and am currently pursuing a Ph.D in management. I have conducted research and published articles in the business field.

Most of my teaching experience has been in private or semi-government universities, but after having experienced teaching my daughter, and helping her achieve her enrolment into university at the age of 13, I understand that I would like to share my experience with other students and to bring the very best out of them all.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Science and help students to improve their physical development and promote healthy life skills. I’m also a certified swimming instructor and coach.

I am a driven and passionate Physics teacher who believes that anyone can learn anything, anywhere from anyone at any time. I earned my Bachelor Degree of Physics from USM and obtained a teaching certificate for IBDP from Netherlands. I have vast experience in teaching Physics at SPM, IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme levels. I have joined a few Science conferences mainly on robotics and STEAM during my course of studies and work. My outstanding results for IGCSE and IBDP in Physics at a young age drew attention as I was the youngest teacher who achieved the highest percentage and the youngest teacher to be invited as a speaker at a New Straits Time Physics workshop and many other schools in Malaysia. I promote the love for learning, the ability to question, to analyse, and to think critically beyond the classroom.

I am originally from Queensland, Australia but Malaysia has been my home for the past 7 years. I hold a Bachelor in Commercial Photography and a PGDE from Griffith University. I also hold a Certificate IV in TESOL from TAFE, Queensland. I spent my teenage years living and studying in a broad range of countries, amongst peers of diverse cultural backgrounds: Australia, Indonesia, Kuwait and Egypt. Upon completing my PGDE, I worked for three years in South Korea, Incheon teaching English in both private and public schools as an EAL teacher. I have had 10 years of teaching experience in different curricula and with students of varied ages. I also have skilled knowledge in classroom management, holistic learning, visual learning and curriculum development. As an educator, I constantly endeavour to expand minds through exploration and inquiry; build confidence through positive communication and reinforcement. I believe that it is vital for an educator to continuously and actively develop our personal skills and at the same time gather new skills in order for us to inspire our students to become life-long active learners. I am very excited to be working with a highly motivated and enthusiastic team at Peninsula International School Malaysia and hope that I can bring value to my team and students alike.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts’ majoring in Teaching French as Foreign Language (FLE) from Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France. After returning to Malaysia, I pursued my studies in Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching to enhance my teaching skills. I made a connection with French Embassy in Malaysia to gain their support on education and cultural cooperation. Most of the school’s programmes will involve their participation and to show the presence of French language in PISA. Learning foreign language can be difficult for some individuals and my aim is to instil the interest and love towards the language to my students. Hence, they will enjoy learning the new language along with cultural immersion.

I’m a graduate from Middlesex University majoring in Psychology. I have chosen a more direct path to become an academic that I use my experience on the road as a source of inspiration. I focussed in supporting students and providing positive learning experience.

I hold a Master’s degree in Computer Science with many years of experience in the field of Information Technology. I will be able to bring a range of pedagogical and IT interests to the students of Peninsula International School.

I hold a Degree in Sports Science from University of Malaya and has around 8 years of experience in Physical Education.  I have always been passionate about educating students and help them develop an awareness of the importance of a healthy overall lifestyle. I develop sports programmes to motivate and encourage students to participate in the out-of-class physical activity so that they can improve their knowledge and skills necessary for emotional, social and physical wellbeing.

I have a Bachelor in Medical Biotechnology and a Master in Science (Science, Technology and Sustainability) from University of Malaya. My love for Chemistry has aspired to become a Chemistry teacher for seven years after completing my studies. My interest and experience in doing scientific research have prepared me to be a good tutor to guide the students mainly in scientific investigations. I had previously attended and presented research papers in conferences in the University of Malaya.

I hold a Master in Science (majored in Environmental Microbiology) from University Putra Malaysia; it has given me the in-depth knowledge about the research world particularly in Microbiology. I have taught UPSR, PT3, SPM and IGCSE Science, Biology and Combined Sciences previously. I love to incorporate different teaching approaches in my lessons in order to make learning Biology and Science easier.  It was a proud moment to see two batches of my students achieving 100% pass for Science subject during my teaching years.

I am the EAL teacher from Year Foundation to Year 8. I teach both Junior School and Middle School children who learn English as an additional language or English as a second language. Prior to this, I have worked with different international schools and a language centre. I am excited to assist students who are in need of English support. I have always been passionate about helping my students to become independent, co-operative and collaborative learners.

I graduated from Shanghai Normal University majoring in Chinese and had held various certificates in relation to Chinese studies. I have acquired more than 18 years of teaching experience as a Mandarin teacher. I’m very caring and passionate in interaction with students and parents and have shown interest in developing an interactive learning environment where students are stimulated to grow as thinkers and become competent in communication.

I have many years of teaching experience in several countries includes Korea and China. I enjoy teaching students of different age groups and I love to motivate students to learn English language in a fun and interactive way. I enjoy teaching students to grow academically, creatively, socially and emotionally for both indoor and outdoor school activities.

I’ve been teaching for nearly 10 years in international schools across Malaysia and the middle east, with 2 of those years in a leadership position as KS2 Coordinator. I have taught from kindergarten to KS4. I am a big believer in education technology and have a personal love of books and movies.

The Arts, I believe, play an important role in exploring different ways of communicating ideas and developing creative ways of thinking. I have a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art from Chelsea, University of the Arts, London and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education. My teaching experience is in the IB curriculum where I have taught the Middle Year Program and Diploma Program for three years. When it comes to teaching, I believe in providing different needs for various learners within my classroom and guiding learners to push themselves in achieving their artistic goals. Besides teaching art, I am active in sports such as ultimate frisbee, football and I enjoy travelling to different countries.

I’m a graduate in Bachelor of Education (Hons) and have approximately 3 years of teaching experience. I love to teach children with patience and creativity with various activities in the classroom to motivate them. Every student has a different learning styles and it is important for us to tailor our teaching style to suit the students with different learning abilities in the classroom.

I hold a Bachelor of Education degree and look forward to make a real difference in the lives of young learners. I’m confident, caring, assertive and organised. My main goal is to ensure young children are supported and encouraged to achieve their full potential.

I have 3 years of experience as a Teacher Assistant. I work closely with teachers to assist students to develop their full potential academically, socially and emotionally. I am also responsible to create lesson plans, document student progress and assist teachers to reinforce lessons for both small and large groups.

I hold a degree in Bachelor of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) with three years experience. I am very committed and supportive towards the varied needs of the students under my purview, I am very passionate towards teaching and learning, and always strive to achieve the collective goals of all students and the institution. My goal in life is to ensure young children are constantly nurtured, supported and encouraged to achieve their fullest potential. I am dedicated towards nurturing young minds to grow and achieve their ambitions independently. I am a learner, and always believe in continuous life-long learning, a quality that I strongly believe in, and impart to my students.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in English for Professional Communication and I have 9 years of experience in teaching. I love watching students grow academically and develop as individual. I am committed to creating a classroom atmosphere that is stimulating and encouraging to students where they can think critically and act proactively. It makes the hard work worth every minute when you see them work to improve themselves.

I hold a Master in Science with an avid interest in renewable energy and environmental issues. I have contributed scholarly journals to the wider community. Having acquired diverse experience in the educational sector as a Researcher, Tutor and Laboratory Officer, I relish working alongside students in science activities while enlightening them on the amazing wonders of science and technology. I am currently designated to manage the science laboratories as well as providing support to teachers and students in ensuring the smooth running of science practical and activities to achieve the targeted learning outcome.

I hold a Bachelor degree in Library Management and have completed my Master’s degree in Information Management. I have approximately 4 years of working experience as a librarian. I enjoy assisting students on the effective use of library and information and at the same time being a teacher-librarian to them.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Literature. I have approximately 4 years of experience as Boarding House Parent. It is my responsibility to provide a safe, caring boarding environment that enriches the lives of the students. I am also qualified Secondary School teacher. I teach Bahasa Malaysia and History and have been a Teacher Advisor for Firefighter Cadet and Football.