A couple of weeks ago, I organized a field trip to an Indian restaurant in Ningbo, for high school students from Grades 9 to 12. On the surface, it was a restaurant visit. But in practice, it was a larger project that used food as a lens for history, geography, culture, and human connection.   I’ve always loved food — not just eating it, but thinking about it. When I lived in Bogotá, I even started a small business focused on Indian food. It involved catering, delivery, and c

I love reading. It’s one of the few activities that is deeply individual yet collaborative when shared through a book club. Over the years, I’ve started book clubs with friends and colleagues, and the experience has always been worthwhile — as long as the book is good and the members are committed.   Earlier this year, while preparing for a professional development session I was to lead on AI in teaching, the idea resurfaced. I had bought a small selection of books to inform

The Paradox   There’s a phrase I stumbled upon from a YouTube video that captures the tension of our moment: “AI won’t replace teachers, but it will replace teachers who don’t use AI.”  At first, it sounds provocative, maybe even overstated. But if we look at history, it may be true.   I think back to my father. In the early 2000s, he realized that the world of work was changing fast. The internet, email, and computers were no longer optional — they were essential. I remember

A couple of Saturdays ago, I led a PD workshop for our teachers at AIAN on the theme of AI. The goal of the session was not to provide a list of tools or tips, but to start a meaningful conversation about how we, as educators, can use AI thoughtfully and creatively in our work. Before the workshop, I had reached out to staff to learn how they currently use AI. The responses were diverse—some teachers use AI for lesson planning and feedback, others for generating assessments o

As teachers in international schools, we know that many of our students are learning content and language at the same time. This is where...

A serious concern I have with education today is that it often fails to show students how the content being studied and the skills being...

AI as a quiet collaborator — helping teachers lighten the load so creativity and connection can flow. Image generated with AI (ChatGPT /...

One of the most rewarding parts of teaching is designing activities that help students make meaningful connections between the past and...

Displays from Sanxingdui Last week, our high school students had the opportunity to visit Ningbo Museum for a special exhibition on the...

As teachers, we are always looking for ways to make learning more engaging. One method I’ve been experimenting with recently is the use...

As a child, I loved reading Choose Your Own Adventure  books. They were exciting ways to take control of a story and discover how...

Summer holidays are over and we head back to school next week. I am excited to start this new academic year because I’ll be returning to...

The website Our World in Data has a fantastic population cartogram that I printed out as a large poster and hung in my classroom. As a...

In today’s world, being able to interpret information presented in visual forms—such as graphs, charts, maps, and infographics—is a vital...

There’s no doubt that the development of farming was one of the most consequential moments in human history. It allowed for an...

The AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics exams are over. Looking back, the past year felt like a constant race to cover all the...

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to lead a professional development session for 16 teachers at my school, Access International Academy...

My teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that I should build positive relationships with my students. I try to do this through...

I asked AI to draw a globe with people, goods, and ideas flowing around it to show interconnectedness — and here’s what it gave...

In a previous post , I shared a lesson introducing students to the complex nature of geography and how it combines both physical and...