UDIS attracts many applicants each year who are recruited to the school based on their experience, expertise, knowledge and fit with the core values of the school. In line with our school mission statement, we have a commitment to recruiting staff who are internationally minded and who embody the values of lifelong learners. This ensures we hire the best educators we can to work with the learners at the school.
The diversity of our teachers is important to help teach our learners about international mindedness. We can prepare our learners to be global citizens by exposing them to people from different cultures and social groups. This is important because it will help our learners be able to work with diverse groups of people in the future.
Chananchida (Dae) is our wonderful, new Preschool teacher. Dae has been with UDIS for over 5 years and joined us originally as a Teaching Assistant working with some of the best Early Years teachers we had at the school. Dae has both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Humanities (English) and is a qualified teacher in Thailand having completed her Graduate of Teaching Diploma. Dae has a tremendous love for her learners and in Preschool works to settle them into school life and give them the skills they need to progress to K1.
Phibzia holds a Master’s Degree in Education (TEFL) from the National University of Laos. She has also completed a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) and an Advanced diploma in “Early Childhood Development” from ECD-Affiliated Edith Cowan University (Australia). She has 13 years of teaching experience around Asia and has training and experience in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). Phibzia comes to us from a teaching position at Vientiane International School.
Phibzia has a passion and the energy for English language learning and teaching across all levels of students. She has been with the school for a number of years and brings an experienced, inquiry approach to our teaching in the Early Years.
Natasha is our new K2 teacher from Cape Town, South Africa. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and has over ten years of teaching experience in Thailand, South Africa, and the UAE. Natasha dedicates herself to fostering the overall growth of her students. Her focus lies in establishing meaningful bonds with them and nurturing their passion for education. Natasha aims to inspire learners to maintain a continuous curiosity about life and to cultivate self-reliance in their pursuit of knowledge.
Natasha loves travelling, meeting new people, and immersing herself into new and diverse cultures. Despite her previous teaching experience in Thailand, she has yet to visit Udon Thani, and she’s eager to begin exploring.
Henry is a qualified teacher from Newcastle in the UK and has been teaching in primary schools since he graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University back in 2006. He has taught in a variety of countries including Thailand, Saudi Arabia and the UK. Henry has also gained his DELTA, CELTA and CELTA young learner extension which makes him extremely well qualified for the second language learners we have in Early Years. Teaching is something that he is incredibly passionate about and he still approaches the occupation with the same energy and enthusiasm he did when he first started teaching.
In his spare time, Henry enjoys listening to music, playing guitar (badly), cooking and reading. He loves sports although these days it’s more watching them than actually playing them. His favourites are cricket, rugby, boxing and Muay Thai and his goal in the near future is to learn how to sail.
Jessee is a fully trained teacher from Chicago in the United States. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Indiana Wesleyan University and he is completing a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the same university. He has been working in education for the past seven years in both the USA and Thailand.
Jessee’s passion has been a heartfelt commitment to helping mould the minds of young learners. Jessee likes to bring a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm to create a vibrant educational experience for his students.
Outside of the classroom Jessee is really interested in horticulture, coding and technology coupled with a love for the outdoors. Family is a cornerstone of his values and he has a young child while expecting his second child soon. He has a deep connection to the Udon Thani area as his wife and her wider family are from Nong Kai and Nongbua Lamphu.
Sara is our new Year 3 teacher and holds a PGCE from Newcastle University and a Masters in Science (Education) from the University of Edinburgh. Originally from Newcastle, Sara grew up in Wales and has since taught and lived all over the world, including Colombia and Vietnam. She has travelled extensively throughout Latin America, India and Southeast Asia, and is eager to continue exploring new cultures and languages. Sara can speak basic Spanish and hopes to pick up some Thai during her time at our school!
When she’s not in the classroom, Sara loves to cook, travel, practice yoga, and read. She is deeply passionate about education and believes in fostering resilient, curious, and independent learners who are ready to adapt to the ever-changing demands of the future. Her favourite subjects to teach are Science and English, and she enjoys finding creative ways to engage her students in hands-on learning experiences that help them develop a lifelong love of learning.
With her experience and passion for education, Sara is excited to join our team of dedicated educators and help our students grow and thrive both inside and outside of the classroom.
John was born in Glasgow, Scotland before immigrating to Australia with his family. In Western Australia he was awarded a Bachelor of Education at Curtin University. John has taught in Australia, England, Turkey, Thailand, Qatar and Kuwait over three decades. John considers himself an open, creative and friendly teacher who is a keen advocate for the development of community within a school. John believes that students must be engaged, challenged and able to reflect independently and collaboratively about their learning.
John has worked at UDIS for seven years. He is the health and safety coordinator at the school and is also the school’s Child Safeguarding Coordinator. John is an active member of the Udon Thani community. He plays football with the local police officers and basketball with the UMT basketball team in town.
Katharina was born in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) but was fortunate enough to experience and live in different political systems and countries. Carrying the “Fernweh” gene, she has been able to travel extensively throughout Europe and nurture her love for languages. Katharina has studied in Germany and France. In her teaching career she has worked in the IB PYP in international schools in Germany and the United Arab Emirates for the past 15 years. She has extensive experience working with students of various cultural and academic backgrounds in all grades from 1-5. Katharina is trilingual and has a love for languages, she is very excited to learn Thai soon!
Katharina and her son Linus will join her husband Mr. Charles at UDIS. In her experience, building a partnership with students rather than deciding top-down, ensures a positive and successful learning time for everybody.
Katharina likes spending her free time with her family, reading, travelling, enjoying the outdoors or doing sports; she is especially passionate about horseback riding and horse racing.
Lauren is a qualified teacher from the USA with a Bachelors of Elementary Education from Central Connecticut University. She has been teaching in the USA for the past 5 years teaching Grade 5 (Year 6). She is also completing her Master of Arts in TESOL.
Lauren loves to read mystery and thriller novels, sightseeing, and being outdoors. She is looking forward to this upcoming school year and learning alongside a new group of students at UDIS in her first overseas teaching position.
Liza is a qualified teacher from the Phillipines holding a Diploma in Teacher Education and a Bachelors degree from the Philippines’ last ecological frontier, Palawan. She has also completed her 120-hour TEFL certification and her level 1 PYP training. Liza has worked in different roles including EAL teacher and Learning Support teacher at international schools in Bangkok including St Andrews International School (107 & Sathorn) and Rasami British International School.
Liza has been working as an EAL teacher for more than ten years and she has also gained a lot of experience supporting children with learning difficulties especially in Mathematics. Liza has also helped organised school events such as the World Education Games and Tournament of Minds to give learners an opportunity to demonstrate their collaboration and problem-solving skills in creative ways.
Gabriel is a qualified teacher from Brazil and holds a Bachelor’s and Postgraduate course in physical education from the University Center of Brasilia. He is a professional physical education and swimming teacher who has over 9 years experience teaching children. Recently, Gabriel is most proud of creating the first football team in his previous school and winning a regional tournament with his team and he is looking forward to repeating this with UDIS!. He has experience working with special needs students and has led intervention activities to pupils in previous schools, having achieved great results and benefits to his students.
Gabriel loves travelling and getting to know new cultures around the world. He loves learning new languages and is fluent in 3 different languages and wants to learn more! He is also a huge fan of photography and videography and loves to take pictures and fly his drone around.
J.C. is a qualified educator from the United States, specialising in English and history with extensive experience in the International Baccalaureate (IB). He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and English Literature with a Concentration in Writing from the University of Michigan and a graduate degree in Secondary Education with endorsements in English and History. Additionally, he completed the Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate through Columbia University and earned a Master’s in International Education from King’s College London.
With extensive experience across diverse educational settings, J.C. spent eight years teaching in the Flint School District in Michigan before moving to China, where he has been teaching for 11 years. His last position was Head of the English Department for Nord Anglia Schools in Chengdu and Foshan, where he taught MYP Individuals & Societies, IB DP Literature A, Language and Literature, English B, and IGCSE Language and Literature classes.
Passionate about fostering inclusive learning environments and committed to inquiry-based teaching, J.C. integrates innovative strategies to enhance student engagement and critical thinking. He is eager to contribute to the school community and engage with the richness of Thai culture. Outside of school, J.C. enjoys family life with his wife, Molly, and their ten-year-old daughter, Ivy. He loves travelling, hiking, and exploring the outdoors.
George has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Arkansas in the United States. He has been honing his classroom skills in public and private schools in the United States, China, and Thailand with over 10 years of teaching experience. He is passionate about taking a leadership role in the classroom and being a mentor that works hard and hopes his students learn from the example he sets through work ethic, light-hearted humour, and pushing to achieve their best.
George has a varied teaching background having taught a range of subjects from maths, science and business through to his more specialist areas of art, design, literature and the humanities. This eclectic experience gives him a fun and unique approach to teaching. Outside of school, George loves running and swimming and creative pursuits like visual arts, photography, writing, gaming, and travel. He has circumnavigated the globe several times and his most cherished memories are of adventures in nature throughout the 13 countries (and counting) he has explored.
Purushothaman J (JP) is a mathematics mastermind, a walking arsenal of knowledge with a Master’s degree, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Education under his belt. He has also sharpened his skills at prestigious institutions like Loyola college, Harvard graduate school of Education and University College of London. JP has over 14 years of experience in top IB schools in India and Indonesia and he has donned many hats – Deputy Head of Department, ATL Coordinator, Extended Essay supervisor, CAS Advisor, Lead Educator of TOK and even an IB DP Math AA HL Examiner for a whopping 10 years!
JP is joined by his wife and two daughters and looks forward to building educational excellence, brick by brick at UDIS. He doesn’t just teach math, he ignites a passion for exploration and problem-solving. In his classroom, it’s not just about mastering numbers; it’s about shaping the future. Brace yourselves, future mathematicians – you’re in for an incredible learning experience!
Daphnie is an experienced Science teacher from Orlando, Florida where she taught Middle School Science. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree of Secondary Education (Chemistry) from Mindanao State University and is completing her Master’s Degree in Science Education. With over 8 years of teaching experience, she has worked with multicultural communities in the USA and the Philippines. She has also worked as a virtual Science and Math teacher for several states in the US.
As a science teacher, Daphnie loves to incorporate lifelong learning, critical thinking and modelling the process of cognitive conflict to her students.
Daphnie considers herself a creative and a passionate teacher that loves performing arts and loves dancing. She loves culture and the arts and loves to help students discover and explore their creative sides and become more well-rounded individuals.
Charles is an experienced pedagogical leader and teacher with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Waterloo in Canada. He also holds a Bachelor of Education from Trent University in Canada. He has 15 years of international teaching experience from schools in Saudi Arabia, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, and has served as a Head of Department and school leader in IB continuum schools for over 10 years. Most recently, he held the roles of IB Diploma Programme Coordinator and IB Career-related Programme Coordinator at an international school in Dubai.
Charles is a passionate advocate of the IB philosophy and has been an examiner in Biology for the IB since 2015 as well as a content developer of resources to be used by IB teachers. As a global citizen, he enjoys working in the international school setting and embraces innovative teaching approaches to develop inquiry skills in learners.
Diana is an educator with a Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Colombia, a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the U.K. and a Masters in Special Education and Inclusion from Montrer University in Mexico. She has more than 15 years of experience as an educator, with 10 of those in international schools in Colombia and has served as the Positive Behaviour Coordinator and Wellbeing Coordinator in middle and highschool levels. Most recently she has been working as Deputy Head of House promoting student wellbeing. Diana is passionate about and has been involved in fostering and sponsoring student leadership initiatives such as Student Prefects, Peer to Peer mentors, and student competitions. Diana is a passionate IB educator, who believes that the aim of education should be to help guide young people in order to build a “better and more peaceful world”.
Diana is joined by her husband Andrés, who is a Sound Engineer and daughter Isabella. Outside of the classroom she loves the outdoors, camping, exploring nature and was a scout leader for over 20 years. She also loves to learn about new cultures, their artistic representations, museums and heritage sites.
Lee comes from Manchester, England and graduated with a BSc (Hons) Degree in Health and Sports Studies, followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in International Education from the University of Nottingham where he has also recently completed his Master’s in Education. He has been teaching in Thailand for the past 8 years. His most recent schools being Roong Aroon International School and Canadian International School of Thailand where he taught MYP and PYP Health and Physical Education. Lee values holistic education and believes in the idea that a personalised/ student-centered approach to teaching can bring out the best in his students.
Lee has competed in Muay Thai in both England and Thailand and has held extracurricular muay Thai clubs at previous schools. He was also a professional powerlifter in Thailand where he got first and second place in international competitions held in Bangkok in 2018 and 2019, respectively. He has an interest in many other sports such as badminton, jump rope, basketball and he is a certified swimming teacher. Outside of sports and physical activities, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading, cryptocurrencies, gardening and he has a strong interest in Buddhist philosophy.
Justin is a qualified educator (Master of Teaching, CELTA), social worker (Bachelor of Social Work) and counsellor (post-graduate Bachelor of Counselling). He has 35 years professional experience in these three fields working in Australia, Saipan, Vietnam and Cambodia. He will be joining UDIS to head up our new Student Services Department and working as a teacher within the Senior School.
Nopporn is a qualified teacher in Thailand with a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese and a postgraduate teaching qualification from St John’s University. She has been teaching Chinese since 2019 and joined UDIS in 2023 as a learning support and Chinese teacher.
Nopporn loves the Chinese language, especially the meaning behind each of the different strokes that form the characters. She believes in making Chinese learning fun and interesting for learners by including different activities and building in cultural learning too.
Sineenard (Nard) comes from Khon Kaen and holds a Bachelors Degree in Computer Education from Rajabhat Institute of Suan Dusit in Bangkok. She also holds a Masters of Education from Khon Kaen University. She has over 18 years of experience teaching a range of subjects in Thai schools including Thai language, social studies, Thai history and computing. Nard is a patient, hard working teacher who is always willing to learn new things and pass those onto her students.
Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Udon Thani Rajabhat University. He has been certified and involved in IB Primary Years and Middle Years programmes at Udon Thani International School for 5 years.
Kevin has worked to become principled, open-minded, and risk-taking in his current career as a teacher. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys reading and listening to podcasts about Thai and international literature, especially mythology.
This academic year, he will be the Primary Years and Middle Years specialist teacher in Thai Language and Literature for his 6th year at UDIS.
Hattaya (Doum) holds a Bachelor of Art in English from Udon Thani Rajabhat University and a Graduate Diploma in Teaching from Santapol College. Doum is a Thai specialist teacher teaching Thai culture and language primarily to Early Years and Thai as an Additional Language (TAL) to Primary Years. She is familiar with a range of teaching strategies to differentiate her teaching to meet the Thai language needs of learners. Doum also brings a range of skills to the school and particularly enjoys drawing, Thai dance and handicrafts.
Sirikarn (Oil) is from Non Daeng in Nakhon Ratchasima. She completed her Bachelor of Arts (English) at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University and will complete her Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in June, 2023. She has also completed a 120 hours TEFL certificate. In addition to her native Thai, she also speaks English and Swedish. Oil has been a Teaching Assistant at UDIS for the last 4 years and will draw from that experience in her new role as a Thai language teacher.
Oil is enthusiastic and passionate about teaching and has helped primary years students in her home village. She has a love for cooking both Thai and International food. She enjoys watching international movies and loves her garden full of exotic plants. Oil is also a keen traveller and has lived in Europe and the Middle East.
Taiyabba is a qualified teacher and librarian from India with a Bachelors in Education and a Masters in Library Science. She is a committed and enthusiastic learner with a lot of experience working within library environments in the IB. She has worked in several top IB schools in India including Bright Pathways Global School.
Taiyabba has a strong arts background with achievements in music, arts, and other co-curricular activities. Whether it’s winning university-level singing competitions or leading college festivals, Taiyabba thrives in diverse environments. Moreover, her proficiency in spoken English, coupled with her dedication to being a creative educator, ensures clear communication and effective relationship-building with students, colleagues, and stakeholders alike.
222/2 Moo. 2 Mittrapab Road
Tumbonkudsra
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