Casey: I have been a grade 2 teacher at THIS since 2016. I am originally from Valparaiso, Indiana in the US. Before moving to Weimar, I taught elementary in Seoul, South Korea for 5 years. In university, I studied Cognitive Science and Linguistics with a focus on Second Language Acquisition before getting my postgraduate certificate in Elementary Education. I am currently working on completing my Masters of Education in Advanced Teaching with a specialization in Elementary Education. I enjoy working at ThIS because of the fantastic team of international educators and our open-minded and inclusive school community. Our school has an incredibly student-centered learning environment that promotes collaboration, international-mindedness and lifelong learning. As a result, our students take an active role in their own learning and are engaged and excited to learn.

Christian: I was born in Durham, England, moved to South Florida at the age of ten. After college, I moved to other places in the US and finally to Argentina in order to pursue language studies at the University of Buenos Aires. I married there before returning to the US where I got credentialed in Spanish (Masters accomplished in the meantime), Social Science and Health Science. One of my main interests is travel and my stated goal is visiting every Spanish speaking country within my lifetime. I love to discuss anything related to the Spanish speaking world with my students and everybody else who is interested.

Jessiah: I am from Northern California, though I grew up all over the US, and teach English. I finished my Literature MA in Barcelona. I taught previously back home in California, in Busan and Daegu, South Korea, and most recently at the United World College in Changshu, China. I am a basketball coach, ultimate frisbee player, chess enthusiast, and overall pop culture nerd and I like to help students become stronger critical thinkers, more precise and eloquent writers, and more confident and powerful speakers.

Lauren: I was born and raised in central Wisconsin in the United States and taught for three years in a primary school near my hometown after my university studies. In my first year at ThIS, I taught 4th grade, and now I am teaching a Grade 5 class. On my summers off, I enjoyed living in the different states of Alaska, Minnesota, and Michigan to work as an outdoor guide or camp counselor. My husband and I enjoy rock climbing, hiking, and cycling together. Other hobbies of mine are yoga, reading, hula hooping, and playing ultimate frisbee. As a teacher, one of my passions is to encourage kids to “take a chance” and live with a growth mindset to then take on challenges and learn from them.

Rebecca: I am teaching Humanities in the Upper School. I was born in Canada and raised in the US, which is where I began my teaching career. I have also lived and worked in Malaysia and Singapore. When not teaching, I enjoy rock climbing, hiking, and cycling, as well as reading, writing, cooking, and photography. I practice yoga and have been a dancer for most of my life. I love to learn from and with my students!