The classroom after the students leave — where much of the reflection, planning, and thinking behind teaching actually happens. In my last post, I shared that after than a decade of teaching internationally, I finally decided to formalise something I had already spent years doing professionally: becoming a licensed teacher through QTS. When I first started looking into the Assessment Only Route to QTS, I honestly did not fully know what to expect. I had read a few blog posts,

After more than a decade of teaching internationally, I finally decided to formalise something I had already spent years doing professionally: becoming a licensed teacher through QTS. For years, I’ve taught successfully without holding a formal government-issued teaching licence. I do hold a CELTA, but that is designed for ELT rather than mainstream school teaching. In many schools around the world, especially in the international sector, teachers can build strong careers w

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

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

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

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...

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...

Teaching an introductory unit on geography to middle school students can be challenging because geography is such an interdisciplinary...

When I worked at the British Council in Bogotá, we held weekly meetings where a member of the teaching staff would share practical...

Last week, I taught a lesson on the essential vocabulary in AP Microeconomics Unit 2: Supply and Demand. Vocabulary is foundational in...

I have been using a lot of resources from the OER Project this year. It has great material to teach history in a way that develops real...

This past month, I had lead a project that combined history, art, and storytelling with my Grade 6 students in social studies class. In...

In continuation to my series of lesson plans based on the article “ Technology over the long run: zoom out to see how dramatically the...