Conference speakers

Akane Yoshida (MSc, PGCE, BA (Hons)) is a certified Practitioner Trainer with Emotion Coaching UK. She has 8 years’ experience as a Learning Support Teacher in international schools across the globe, working with children from early childhood to middle school. She currently works in the early childhood division at American International School of Bucharest, Romania. Her passion is mentoring teachers and parents in applying the Emotion Coaching approach to their practice and parenting.

Dr. Akın Metli is the high school principal at Bilkent Erzurum Laboratory School (BELS), Turkey, and teaches the Theory of Knowledge course for the IBDP. Previously, he worked at BELS as an English IB A&B teacher, IGCSE English teacher, Head of English Department, the IB Diploma Programme coordinator and vice principal. He completed his Ph.D. on international-mindedness at the Graduate School of Education, Bilkent University in 2018.

His research was funded by the IB Jeff Thompson Research Award. He is a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) examiner, course outline reader, workshop leader and school visit team member for the IB. He is also a Council of International Schools (CIS) evaluator.

Alan James is currently working at the American School of Warsaw as a DP History and Language and Literature teacher, and as an MYP Individuals and Society teacher. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he is an advisor for Speech and Debate and coaches boys softball. His service learning work revolves primarily around the refugee population in Poland. Alan is married to the ASW elementary school librarian and has three boys: a writer, a climbing instructor, and a balafon player.

Allison has taught both Pre-K and Kindergarten levels and worked previously at Shanghai American School in Shanghai, China. She has been teaching internationally since 2003 and has held a number of teacher leadership positions including Grade Team Leader and Principal appointed task forces for curriculum development.

Allison presented at the Apple Education Leadership Summit in Prague, the Central & Eastern European Schools Association Conference and the European Council of International Schools about the curriculum she designed for young learners at ISP and teaching strategies and documentation. She enjoys sharing her love of learning with her students and creating a collaborative classroom community where young learners feel empowered, excited and have ownership over their learning.

Allison currently teaches 7th and 8th grade science at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. She has taught middle school science in Beijing (ISB) and NYC (PS345). She is passionate about the philosophy of NGSS and has worked diligently to create units and assessments to meet the multidimensional nature of the performance expectations. While this has been a challenging experience, the results have been rewarding.

I am currently in my third year as ELL Coordinator for Secondary School at Tashkent International School, where I also teach IB MYP English language acquisition and IB DP English B. As an IB Educator, a TEDxYouth organizer and a future CEESA-trained Literacy coach, my wish is to always provide students with a platform to share their ideas and stories, thus developing their confidence in many areas. I take immense pride in having maintained proficiency in my native language, and I take every opportunity to encourage my students to do so. Prior to Tashkent, I spent twelve years at the Canadian International School, Singapore, where I was the Secondary School Learning Leader for World Languages, teaching French and English across the IB PYP, MYP and DP and working collaboratively with a passionate team of educators on various projects.

My passion for languages and education started at an early age while still living in my native Romania. At the age of 14 I emigrated with my family to Canada, where the journey of developing my English proficiency was not always smooth. With continuous support and encouragement from my teachers, I was able to develop both my language skills, and most importantly my confidence. It is no big surprise that I chose to become an educator, proceeding later to teach in the French Immersion programme in Canada for many years prior to embarking on an international teaching career. I enjoy spending time with my family and pets, reading, traveling, and learning, always learning.

Beatrice Chartrand is a Middle School World Languages teacher at the Anglo American School in Moscow. She has taught K to 8 classes in Toronto, Singapore and New York City. She has an M.Ed. in International Education. She believes that immersing language learners in the culture, creating opportunities for authentic communication and making connections to STEAM are engaging ways to learn. Beatrice is a creative, imaginative, and energetic educator who inspires a love of language. She is a lifelong learner who is both honored and delighted to present at CEESA Warsaw 2019.

Ben Thrash, Deputy Head of School at the International School of Helsinki, recently transformed a traditional homeroom program into a supportive, mixed grade advisory to provide students a more authentic support network and strengthen relationships across divisions. Ben has focused his career on creating safe communities based on meaningful connection.

As Lower School Director at Waynflete School in Maine, USA, he oversaw a division of inclusive, energized mixed age classrooms designed in the responsive classroom model. In his role as Assistant Head at Whitby School in Connecticut, USA, he integrated the IB curriculum with a Montessori approach to prioritize mixed age groupings to meet the range of learners’ needs.

In previous positions at the American School of Warsaw and through his work in US public schools, Ben consistently recognized the power of community that extends beyond narrow definitions of grade level. Ben’s approach to leadership prioritizes relational learning, building leadership capacity, the power of close listening, and the importance of taking action.

Benjamin Koshy Jacob (Benji), is an international student living in Baku for the past 4 years. He is from India and has been living abroad since he was born in Morrocco. In the years since he has arrived at his current school, The International School of Azerbaijan, Benji has developed a passion for sharing his love for language and fine arts through his service. He is currently working on a new project, leading Art Therapy sessions for the kids at the Baku Down Syndrome Center.

My name is Bill MacKenty, and I teach high school computer science at the American School of Warsaw. I grew up on Martha's Vineyard, a beautiful little island off the coast of Massachusetts.

As a lifelong geek I enthusiastically share my passion, energy and expertise about programming and computers. There is nothing more satisfying than watching a kid "get it". I've served as a senior leader in educational technology, and worked for many years in educational technology. What really floats my boat is teaching and coding.

I am a web-application developer, specializing in creating customized web-based applications that provide superb service. I am proficient in creating solutions with PHP, Python, and I am becoming proficient in Javascript. I develop and administrate in the Linux, Apache, MySQL environment, and I am experienced using ExpressionEngine, a superbly secure CMS. I think VSCode is a really wonderful code editor.

I am insatiably curious, devoted to learning, never satisfied, and always looking to improve. I am especially interested in supporting inclusivity in computer science.

Bob is a Canadian teacher who has been living and working abroad for much of his adult life. He presently teaches IB Film, TOK, and Media at Kyiv International School. He has previously worked in the film and TV industry, and was a screenwriter and associate producer for a (very) small production company, PHD Productions. He's very much looking forward to sharing his ideas at the 2019 CEESA PD Conference.

Cathy Beyers has an MA In Modern Languages and a certificate in teaching with technology. She has taught MYP and DP French and EAL for over twenty years in international schools in Russia and Poland. She believes language learning empowers students and she loves to use different strategies to make students see the world from different perspectives. In class she often uses Visible Thinking to enable students to formulate their thoughts in more than one language and encourages them to use technology to become better communicators and creators.

Christopher Maggio serves in the area of Support and Evaluation for the Council of International Schools. He has held the positions of teacher, secondary principal and head of school in international schools in Europe and Africa. He has also taught at music conservatory and held the position of director of research and development for LEGO in the area of robotics and technology. He is based in Rome and can be reached at chrismaggio@cois.org.

Clint Carlson is passionate about adopting Augmented and Virtual Reality tools for engaged learning and exploration -- far beyond 3D-printed plastic prototypes and towards interactive, collaborative learning spaces. He has created and continues to build one of the top VR programs in international education at the Istanbul International Community School to ensure that this emerging technology supports learning and schools goals as a hyperextension of the Maker Movement.

David ‘Cal’ Callaway, joined The International Community School of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in 2018 as the Elementary School Principal. Along with his professional expertise, Cal brought 21 years of educational and leadership experience to ICS. In his current role as the Principal, Cal takes part in the planning and organisation of trainings and workshops for elementary school teachers as the school moved towards implementing a personalized learning experience for students that is both Highly Effective and Learning Progressive.

Cal holds M.Ed. in Applied Educational Leadership and Management from University of London and is currently studying for his Doctorate in Personalized Learning from Wilkes University. Before joining ICS, Cal worked as the Deputy Director at the International School of Latvia for 9 years, and has been part of the CEESA regional for 17 years.

David Hughes, the activities co-curricular coordinator at the American International School of Bucharest, will be chairing the meeting for the athletic directors and activity coordinators of CEESA full member schools.

Ellen is an educational researcher, peace educator and psychology teacher. She is from sunny Melbourne, Australia and has taught there as well as in international schools in Beijing (BCIS), Singapore (UWCSEA) and currently in Helsinki (ISH). She is currently working on her PhD which focuses on using psychological belonging as a tool to increase school completion rates for students from non-elite backgrounds who are attending elite educational institutions. She loves everything about learning and believes that education can be a force to unite people for peace and a sustainable future.

Emily Oxford is currently serving as the Grade 5 teacher at the American International School of Vilnius in Lithuania. Prior to teaching internationally, she has taught every elementary grade K-5 and has served as a math specialist and district trainer. Focusing on students as "humans first" is the approach Emily takes to build successful relationships and help children grow as people and as students.

She is passionate about student-led learning and constantly seeks opportunities to encourage students to take charge of their own education. Specifically, project-based learning and assessment has been a special interest for her and has proven to be highly successful for students who are typically less engaged in traditional classwork.

Emily has spent the majority of her teaching career working in high-poverty schools in the US. This experience has helped her understand how children can effectively overcome adversity and reach the highest levels of academic achievement by increasing student agency and efficacy and focusing on student engagement within the school setting. Emily has obtained her MA in Elementary Education and MS in Curriculum and Instruction. She has a special interest in promoting and developing student-led learning and inquiry-based education.

Emma Villinski, age 16, has been living internationally for 14 years. She is originally from the USA. Over the past few years, Emma has been actively engaged in service activities, including teaching English to refugees and coaching young swimmers! Through all her work with refugees, Emma achieved the CIS International Student Award.

Fiona Moss: Secondary Vice Principal at the American International School of Bucharest Fiona is presently in her second year at AISB, and has worked alongside a group of committed and determined educators to revision the structures and systems to support a holistic pastoral program.

Fiona has passion and experience with developing collaborative learning communities, capacity building, student well-being programs and authentic student leadership. A member of the IB Educators Network, Fiona has taught and lead in schools in Canada, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, China, Uzbekistan and Angola.

Fiona also enjoys reading, photography and new adventures. You can follow her on Twitter: @Fiona12Moss

Gitane Reveilleau is a Technology Integration Specialist, Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Certified Innovator currently at the American International School of Bucharest. G, as she is known by most friends and colleagues, has a passion for collaborating with like-minded folks to amplify instructional practices that can promote a sense of agency and empowerment in students and teachers alike.

A curious learner and dedicated cross-pollinator of ideas, G is always on the lookout for purposeful ways in which balanced, meaningful and authentic technology can bolster, enhance, and extend an individual’s learning and global reach.

Hannah Boughton {B. Ed (Primary) & M.Ed. (ICT)} is an Elementary School teacher who is currently working in Romania, at the American International School of Bucharest. She has previously worked in Tanzania, Vietnam, Germany and Christmas Island. Through working and living in these diverse locations she has developed a passion for inquiry based teaching and technology integration.

Hannah loves to share her teaching experience, student engagement strategies and amusing anecdotes from being abroad 15+ years (and visiting 80+ countries).

Jackie is in her second year as a Grade Level Leader and Humanities Teacher at AISB. She is interested in how social and cultural contexts influence student learning and wellbeing. Jackie received her Masters degree in Education, Culture and Society from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently pursuing her certification in International School Leadership. Jackie has taught Humanities, English Literature, and EAL at the elementary and secondary level.

She is passionate about fostering inclusive learning communities where students’ identities and experiences are valued and placed at the center of organizational decision making. As a Grade Level Leader, she works with a team of dedicated educators to further develop the pastoral program, and to enhance systems and structures that support a positive school culture. Jackie has also been a teacher and team leader in the USA, UAE and India. You can follow her on Twitter: @jlw178

Jan Jones is a Southern California native who taught for two years in Orange County public schools before moving to Vienna in 1997 to join the faculty at the American International school of Vienna. Jan taught fifth grade for eight years before becoming Elementary Librarian where she works with a committed faculty to foster a lifetime love of reading among our students. Jan has extensive training in the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and has worked collaboratively with our administration to promote the training of teachers K-8 in this transformative methodology.

She has also worked for more than a decade as a curriculum co-coordinator from K-8 and, more recently, as assistant to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at AIS. In this capacity she has been deeply schooled in Literacy Development, UBD Training, and standards based instruction in Science and Social Studies. Jan was recently elected by the faculty to represent them as Faculty Liason to the School Board where she is, among other duties, involved in the planning for a major renovation of the Elementary School which will include a new library, a science center, and reconfigured teaching spaces for several grade levels.

Jan loves matching kids with books, mentoring teachers, cooking, and capturing moments through pictures. Jan has two high school age children and is married to the world-renowned poet, Robert Hunter Jones.

Jenny is an experienced international educator, having taught in six countries around the globe. She has taught a range of subjects and grade levels, including lower and upper primary and MYP Art. Jenny has strong knowledge of best practice in teaching and learning and has experience as a PYP Coordinator.

She is involved with the IBO as an IB Workshop Leader and School Visit Team Member. Jenny also works as an instructor for a graduate school of education and hopes to inspire future educators. Jenny is currently a 4th grade teacher at the American International School of Zagreb. She is passionate about student empowerment and inquiry-based learning. Jenny enjoys collaborating with teachers across schools and building international communities.

Joanna Kacprzyk is the Teaching and Learning Coordinator at the American School of Warsaw. She holds an MA Degree in Pedagogy from Warsaw University, Poland as well as a post-graduate diploma in the Evaluation of the Social Programs. In her role, she coordinates MAP Growth testing, supports the faculty with the knowledge on MAP Growth reports and its application.

She strongly believes in using data in education to guide a decision-making process, setting and prioritizing goals, and monitoring students progress.

John Ritter joined Search Associates in 2006 following a career as a teacher and administrator in international schools. John taught English and social studies in California, El Salvador and Nepal. He then served as the head of school at Lincoln School, Nepal; the International School of Beijing, China; the International School of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; the American International School of Lusaka, Zambia; and Vientiane International School, Laos, as well as serving as the middle school principal at Robert College of Istanbul, Turkey.

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA), the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS); the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA), John was able to deepen his understanding of a wider range of international schools. He also has served as a Visiting Practitioner at the Principals Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

He has also received the overseas "National Distinguished Principal" award by the US Department of Education and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. John completed a B.A. in political science at Claremont Men's [McKenna] College in California as well as and post-graduate studies at Claremont Graduate School (M.A. in Government), Michigan State University (Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction) and Washington State University (Superintendent's Certificate).

Johnnie Wilson is a Lecturer and Teacher Educator at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He completed his master’s work in teacher education and curriculum studies at Stanford University. His focus is in mathematics education; in children’s learning of mathematics and the improvement of teaching practices. At the University, he works with beginning and practicing teachers to understand teaching practices that engage students, deepen their mathematical understanding and bring joy to the learning of the subject.

Johnnie provides professional learning opportunities for teachers and schools in California and abroad. Johnnie taught the children of farmworkers at an elementary school in Watsonville, California. He worked as a mentor and coach with teachers at struggling schools, to improve their mathematics programs. Johnnie has lived abroad a good part of his life. He taught mathematics at Munich International School in Germany, where he worked with teachers to better understand the role of language and culture in mathematics teaching.

He is currently interested in how the differences children bring to their mathematics learning can be understood as resources and enlisted to better that learning. Johnnie is also tall. When asked by children how tall he is, he usually responds, “5 foot 17” or “196”, and lets the children work out what that means. That is the math teacher in him.

What began as a year of service for Americorps Volunteer Program working in Groveland Elementary in 1997 (St. Paul, Minnesota), to support at-risk learners, has developed into a pathway through overseas university English departments and high school classrooms. Josh has taught ELL and DP English Courses, TOK, Academic Writing, English for Academic Purposes and is currently an English as an Additional Language Facilitator at the American School of Warsaw. The collaborative and reciprocal process of learning and teaching are foundational factors for his exploration of how learners understand and apply knowledge - language and communication are a key to this process.

Since a young age, Nickie has been inspired by science. For the past 10 years she has been inspiring young scientist in various schools around the globe. She has taught GCSE Science, MYP Science and DP Chemistry to students ranging from grade 6 to grade 12 at schools in Canada, England, China and currently Poland at the American School of Warsaw. Nickie has developed a passion for supporting the diverse learners in her classroom, with a particular interest in developing strategies to support the various language learners, as well as using the diversity of her students to enhance classroom learning.

Nickie and Josh have been co-teaching for the past 3 years. They have chatted through, coaxed out, ruminated over, and shared a variety of scaffolds (sentence frames, graphic vocab charts, glossaries, research-mini lessons, etc.) that have been effectively used in the science classroom and beyond.

Kadri Tomson is a highly qualified and experienced MYP Principal-Coordinator and Information literacy specialist, whose goal is to coordinate the delivery of a rigorous middle years programme, create an inspiring learning environment, nurture the love of reading, and promote academic honesty through research and critical thinking skills development to students coming from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Ms. Tomson is an acknowledged IB educator teaching collaboratively at PYP and MYP levels, being an experienced team leader and resourcing all programs at the International School of Estonia. Additional roles and accomplishments include receiving ECIS Award for the Promotion of International Education in 2012, serving as a School Supervisory Board Member (Faculty representative) from 2008-2012 and as IT/Library Department Head from 2006 to present.

Kadri enjoys sports, reading and good company of friends. She loves traveling, and trying out new and exciting hobbies like scuba diving.

Kaitlyn is currently working as the Middle School Learning Specialist at the American International School Vienna. Prior to moving to Vienna she worked as a teacher and school counselor at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, Thailand where she had the opportunity to spearhead the development of the curriculum for global citizenship and sustainability. Using the Millenium Development Goals as a framework for topic selection, Kaitlyn designed and delivered a 12 unit, 3 year curriculum for students in grades 6-8. With the introduction of the new Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, Kaitlyn expanded her curriculum to connect to the school wide service learning program, developing cross-curricular projects at every level, elementary, middle, and high schools.

She also helped organize a multi-school, student led service conference, where students learned about, experienced, and developed solutions centered on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Kaitlyn would love to see these programs expanded into schools around Europe and is excited to share the great work she was a part of in Asia. Kaitlyn's passion for education and advocating for those marginalized stems from her work as a family therapist working with children in the foster care system and her first years teaching special education in the South Bronx, NYC.

She is passionate about helping schools, administrators, and teachers create engaging lessons and projects that help all students feel empowered to make a difference in our world. She is currently working on her administrative credential through Johns Hopkins University with the ultimate goal of one day opening her own school. When she's not working, Kaitlyn is busy chasing her toddler around and traveling with her better half, Kirk.

Kimberly Porter is an educational leader and teacher from Alaska, USA. She began teaching internationally in 2000, where she taught grades 3 and 4 in China at an American school for two years. She spent six years in Oregon, USA teaching grades 4 and 7. Later she went to Kenya where she taught year 4 in the British system and grade 5 in the American system. She has been at the American International School of Budapest since 2011.

Kimberly has held many leadership positions, including Head of ES Science, Grade Level Instructional Lead, Head of ES Mathematics and ES Curriculum Advisor. Kimberly entered education because she loves children and the light in their eyes when they learn something new. She is challenged by the art and science of facilitating learning in authentic and meaningful ways. Kimberly strives to enhance learning using children's natural curiosity, questions and interests. She believes children learn best when given opportunities to explore the world around them. In her free time, Kimberly enjoys gardening, traveling and giving kisses to her new twin nieces.

Krista Zavits is the Elementary Principal at the American International School of Budapest. With twenty-three years experience in international education the capacity of teacher and administrator, Krista has had the opportunity to live, work, and learn in six different countries. A believer in lifelong learning, Krista is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership focused on International Education.

Leanne is a lifelong visual and dramatic artist who has been teaching Photography, Drama, and Media at Kyiv International School for the past four years. Her incredible passion for artistic expression informs everything she does both as an educator and a person. She can't wait to share her ideas at the conference, and meet similarly-empassioned educators from all over the world.

Leigh Miller is the Elementary Director of Teaching and Learning at the American International School of Budapest. In this role, she supports student learning through curriculum development, data analysis, and professional learning. In the past, Leigh has worked in the roles of Curriculum Coordinator, Literacy Coach, Reading Specialist/Consultant, and Elementary Classroom Teacher.

Ligita has earned a Master’s degree in Psychology at the Cardinal Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Poland. Her post-graduate studies included: Specialist in Public Relations at the Institute of Business Development & Polish Academy of Sciences; Pedagogy at the University of Warsaw, and Human Resources Management at Koźmiński University in Warsaw.

She has been a part of the American School of Warsaw since 2004, and her role is to oversee the Service Learning program Pre-K to 12. She has participated in numerous workshops lead by Cathy Berger Kaye as well co-leading workshops on service learning with the Community Works Institute, L. A. The American School of Warsaw service learning program has been awarded with the CEESA Service Award three years in a row: 2013, 2014, and 2015.

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Lori Cooper is a full-time faculty member at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA with experience teaching undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students. Her background in teaching stems primarily from the early childhood and primary grades, as she taught in public schools, military childcare, and prekindergarten. In addition to classroom and administrative experience in early childhood, Cooper has taught undergraduate courses in science, mathematics, and literacy methods, as well as courses in family and community collaboration and health and safety for young children.

She currently teaches courses in Educational Leadership, primarily at the doctoral level. Cooper presents regularly at the Pennsylvania Head Start Conference and the Early Childhood Summit on current early childhood education topics for practitioners. She holds a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma as well as a Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Lyndsay Healey hails from Toronto, Canada and currently lives in Vienna, Austria where she is a fourth grade teacher at The American International School of Vienna. From her unexpected year teaching PreKindergarten to her years as a college professor, Lyndsay has taught a diverse array of students. With personal passions that include literature and neurodiversity to her adoration for technology and her commitment to infusing education with social justice, it’s understandable that she’s been described as “a whirling alchemist”.

In addition to television and radio work, she’s given workshops on everything from “Exploring the Reggio Framework in Upper Elementary” to “Shakespeare’s [hidden] Feminist Agenda”. She is the co-founder of Toronto’s Literary Ladies’ Salon and the co-editor of Gender Focus. Lyndsay is a published author with work appearing in both print and digital publications including: § Ms. Magazine, The Establishment, The Daily Beast and The Frisky. She’s a spitfire with too many tattoos and she’s pretty feisty.

Meg Pendleton is an art educator who hails from Boston, Massachusetts. Meg counts Frank Lloyd Wright and Joseph Albers among her major design influences. Her interest in design technology was piqued during her time teaching in Seoul, South Korea. Meg now resides in Russia where she teaches at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, manages a makerspace, and paints in her free time.

Melissa Stalker is currently teaching grade 3 (8 year old children) at Tirana International School in Albania. As an international educator, she has taught elementary school for Quality Schools International in China, Bosnia, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. While in the United States, she taught special education at all age levels, working with children with many different special needs, including learning disabilities, autism, and behavior disorders.

Melissa was educated at the Pennsylvania State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in International Politics and French. She completed a Master of Science degree at Bloomsburg University in the field of Special Education.
Most importantly, Melissa is a mother of 3 children. Ruby, Vera, and Jack all came to Melissa and her husband, Matt, through international adoption, which was a catalyst for moving overseas to teach in this amazingly diverse world. Exploring new places and spending time outdoors is what she enjoys doing on her free time.

Micah Fierstein is a consultant in educational leadership, learning and constructivist and innovative teaching. His passion is to help build personal and team capabilities through transformative cognitive tools which enhance focus, team relationships, agile and deep thinking in order to create solutions to complex issues. During his forty-four years in Education, he has served as a faculty member in Educational Leadership at Rhode Island College, the University of Alaska and West Virginia University, was the Founder and Director of the Change Institute, worked as an Assistant Middle School Principal, Elementary Principal and as an Elementary and Early-Years teacher.

Micah received his Doctorate in Education from Oregon State University; a Master of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of North Dakota, USA.

He is currently working on a book titled "Becoming a Knowledge Architect: A new metaphor for teaching".

Michael Sheehan is the Upper School Principal at the American School of Warsaw. He is a graduate of Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts; of Seattle University in Seattle, Washington (BA in English); and of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan (MA in Educational Administration).

Michael, a former high school English teacher, is in his 26th year in education, having served in schools located in the US, Japan, Greece, United Arab Emirates, China, and now Poland. When he is not working to support the ASW community,

Michael spends his time swimming, cheering on his grade 8 daughter Molly and grade 10 son Benjamin, and following the various Boston professional sports teams, desperately hoping the long drought of professional championships might soon come to an end.

Monika is currently the PYP Coordinator and Assistant Principal at the Istanbul International Community School. She has 20 years experience teaching PYP and MYP in schools around the world. She has taught grades 1-5, EAL, Special Needs, MYP Mathematics and English. As an IB workshop leader and site visitor, she is committed to helping communities schools and teachers develop their capacities to nurture, promote and drive learning.

Originally from Lake Tahoe California; skiing, SCUBA and trekking round out her interests.

What began as a year of service for Americorps Volunteer Program working in Groveland Elementary in 1997 (St. Paul, Minnesota), to support at-risk learners, has developed into a pathway through overseas university English departments and high school classrooms. 

Since a young age, Nickie has been inspired by science. For the past 10 years she has been inspiring young scientist in various schools around the globe. She has taught GCSE Science, MYP Science and DP Chemistry to students ranging from grade 6 to grade 12 at schools in Canada, England, China and currently Poland at the American School of Warsaw. Nickie has developed a passion for supporting the diverse learners in her classroom, with a particular interest in developing strategies to support the various language learners, as well as using the diversity of her students to enhance classroom learning.

Nickie and Josh have been co-teaching for the past 3 years. They have chatted through, coaxed out, ruminated over, and shared a variety of scaffolds (sentence frames, graphic vocab charts, glossaries, research-mini lessons, etc.) that have been effectively used in the science classroom and beyond.

Nicolas Pavlos firmly believes that TCKs (Third Culture Kids) possess an innate understanding of and appreciation for the cultures of others. One likely reason for this is that we TCKs are constantly trying to assemble a personal 'cultural identity' of our own, and, like artists, we often sample directly from those cultures we admire most. As an Arts educator, however, Nicolas has wondered how ourown cultural biases determine the lens through which we see our Art - and then teach it to others.

Nicolas currently teaches MYP/DP Theatre at ASWarsaw, where he is also the Arts coordinator. He has taught theatre at international schools in the U.A.E., Ghana and New Delhi. He was also an actor in a previous lifetime.

I've been an educator for 21 years working in Canada, Colombia, Argentina and now Moscow, Russia. I am currently serving as the MS principal at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. I am passionate about collaborating to provide a unique and positive experience to students as well as the idea that we are teaching people not subjects. MS is the age of opportunity!

Nora Fleming is a Learning Support teacher at the American International School of Budapest. She has a background in social services and the US criminal justice system which has helped her develop a strong interest in human behavior, evidence-based data-driven instruction, and assessment.

This curiosity has led her to research trends in international school standardized assessments, implement school/division-wide assessments, and lead data review at the individual, grade, and school levels. Nora has presented at the CEESA NWEA MAP Summit- Berlin and Educational Research Bureau Conference- Boston. Outside of the classroom, you can find her coaching, mountaineering, and trail running.

I went to school in Riga, Latvia. Later I graduated from the State Saint Petersburg University as M.A., a teacher/ lecturer of French and Spanish language and literature. After that I graduated from the State Moscow Pushkin Institute as a specialist in Russian language and literature. Worked intensively as an interpreter in Europe, Africa and Latin America; taught Spanish, French, Russian and Portuguese at schools, university, as well as to different professional groups. From 2009 I have been working in IB schools teaching French, Spanish and Russian under IGCSE, MYP and DP programs. I am a mother of two adult sons. Very fond of theatre and often use it as a remarkably efficient language teaching platform. My interests include reading, horse riding, scuba diving and travelling, but my main passion is teaching.

Piroska Nagy has been teaching Hungarian Culture in grades 3-5 at the American International School of Budapest for 18 years. She created and developed the program's curriculum, and facilitates the integration of host country culture in the MS and HS as well. She organized and hosted Host Country Language and Culture Job-Alikes in Budapest, Hungary (2015 & 2017) and co-hosted one in Sofia, Bulgaria (2016).

Since 2016, Piroska has also been the Service Learning coordinator in the Elementary School, an area in which she hopes to broaden her horizons at the Service Learning Job-Alike in Warsaw this year.

Rachael Thrash is a master teacher who has spent her career supporting students and teachers facing questions that matter. Rachael believes that student learning is a process that begins with each individual’s perspective. Inciting students to question initial understandings encourages them to broaden their awareness and develop a commitment to thoughtful action.

With a Masters from Brown University, Rachael has taught Humanities and English in independent US schools, public community colleges, and international IB schools. She launched a school-wide enrichment department providing co-curricular learning for preK-12 students while developing a mentor program for early career educators.

Currently, Rachael teaches MYP English and leads the growing Service as Action program at the International School of Helsinki. In this role, Rachael supports faculty to initiate student-inspired thoughtful action grounded in curricular inquiry.

After 21 years in the public school system on Vancouver Island, Rob worked for 6 years at CDNIS in Hong Kong, and now serves as Primary Principal at the Istanbul International Community School. He has a keen interest in developing positive learning cultures through collaboration and targeted PD support. He's excited to connect with new colleagues in the CEESA region at this conference!

Ruth Hemerka has a PhD in philosophy with a major in German and Romanistic philology and a teaching diploma for teaching German as a foreign language. She has been teaching in international schools in Poland for more than twenty years. She believes that learning languages leads to greater international cultural understanding and ensures that, when teaching German, her students are given and perform authentic tasks to promote this belief.

Sami Muduroglu is a 10th grade student at TISA. He was born in the United Kingdom to an Azerbaijani mother and North Cypriot father. He has participated in multiple service projects throughout the MYP, mainly in regards to refugees, and is a registered volunteer with the Red Cross Humanitarian Society.

Dr. Wasmanski is an assistant professor at Wilkes University with the School of Education Doctoral Department. She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from Wilkes University. She holds an MBA from Wilkes University and a bachelor of science degree in Psychology from Misericordia University. With over 15 years of professional training and teaching experience, Dr. Wasmanski has taught numerous courses within the fields of psychology, business & leadership, and education. Her primary research interests include motivation, engagement, and mindfulness as they relate to employee and student success.

Stephen has been a teacher for 30 years. He has taught in Math, Science and Upper Elementary classrooms in Los Angeles, Singapore, Milan, Beijing and now in Istanbul. Though he has had a long career in education, his degree in architecture has been fundamental in his teaching methodology. He uses his design background to promote project based and experiential learning in all of his classrooms.

Over the last 14 years, Tamara has taught a range of studio classes including drawing, painting, ceramics, Advanced Placement Art and IB MYP/DP Visual Arts. She began teaching at the high school she attended in Melbourne, Florida and then moved to South America where she taught in Quito, Ecuador and Caracas, Venezuela. She joined the American School of Warsaw faculty in 2016 where she helps students to recognize their artistic potential and express their creativity.

Teodor Ajder works at ASW, in the Service Learning Department. Teodor is a psychologist, special educator, writer, curator. A graduate in Psychology from Babeș-Bolyai University, Romania, he obtained his MS degree in Education and Ph.D. in Media, Information and Environmental Sciences from Yokohama National University.

He is the author of a number of books (in Romanian) in which the topic of migration is prevalent - MO[PO]JARO (2010); The Mēn Mask is For A Japanese Girl (2008); Vurda, The Heart’s Replacement (2003). In 2014 Teodor has co-founded in Warsaw a trilingual literary magazine focussed on the position of the immigrant "Mămăliga de Varșovia". He was born in Chisinau, Moldova.

Terje Äkke, a PYP Principal-Coordinator at International School of Estonia, is an Inspiring and supportive leader tapping into people's strengths and coaching them to achieve their full potential. As a compassionate and caring teacher, she is dedicated to the development and learning of all students in her care. Committed to professional growth, continuously reflecting on and improving her own practice, she sets a good example to her students and colleagues what it means to be an inquirer and self-directed learner.

She is highly trained in the International Baccalaureate (IB) system and has more than 15 years of experience teaching at multiple grade levels. Student teachers from universities and teachers from Estonian schools visit her classroom every year to observe the best pedagogical practices and participate in workshops. Terje enjoys reading, ballroom dancing and spending time with her family. She has three lovely daughters.

Theresa Ulett is currently working at American International School in Bucharest as Team Leader for 4-5-year olds. She has been interested in Mindfulness for many years and is a Mindful Educator. Theresa has taken Mindful Fundamentals and Mindful Educator Essentials courses through the Mindful Schools Organisation and attended an Earcos Mindfulness in Education seminar with Kevin Hawkins and Amy Burke.

Theresa is an energized experienced and enthusiastic Early Childhood teacher committed to guiding and extending each child’s individual learning. She practices Mindfulness on a daily basis with the children in her class.

She is happy to be able to share some of her experiences of Mindful practices with you.

Tim Trotter has spent the last 20 years of teaching in Turkey, South Korea, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States. He has served as Head of Mathematics at his last two schools where he has also presented workshops on making mathematics courses more hands-on and student-centred.

Outside of the classroom, Tim spends time adventuring with his wife and two children and participating in sports of all kinds.

Tracy has lived and worked internationally for more than 30 years in Argentina, Venezuela, Romania, Italy and Turkey. She is currently the secondary school vice-principal at Istanbul International School, where the vision of the school encourages educators to look for innovative ways deliver the curriculum with a focus on personalizing student learning.

Tracy has taught in Florida, Dominican Republic, Singapore, Germany, and the Czech Republic. She has had the pleasure of teaching Pre-K through Grade 6. She became fascinated and passionate about Early Childhood through experiences with her own young children and volunteering in their classrooms.

This led her to become an early years teacher where she has been happily teaching for the last twelve years. Tracy strongly believes that every child should feel cared for, connected, and capable. Besides teaching, Tracy enjoys life with her family, practicing yoga, playing clarinet, running, and reading. She has two smart and spunky children and is now learning the joys and challenges of parenting teenagers.

Valerie Navarro has a PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Cultural Studies. Over her career, she has taught MYP/DP French, Spanish, Russian and Theatre at Henry Foss IB World School, and more recently in Prague, Moscow and Warsaw. She believes that through acquiring other languages we have access to an expanded mindset and appreciation of the arts. She makes it a priority to help students see the rich potential for personal growth that comes from interacting with members of a target culture. Her philosophy is that through contact with native speakers from contrasting cultural contexts, we are able to develop and appreciate different aspects of our own selves.