Karl is a globally experienced Science teacher with a wealth of knowledge from more than 20 years of post-qualified classroom practice. His love for learning has driven his educational and professional paths for several decades. During his own educational journey, he gained a 1st class BSc (from Brighton University), an MSc (from Imperial College, London) and a Phd in sub-arctic ecology and isotope analysis (from Sheffield University). The latter of which was, significantly in part, undertaken in Swedish Lapland (at the Swedish Academy of Sciences’ Abisko Research Station) and in Denmark (at the University of Copenhagen), and also at the UK’s Institute of Terrestrial Ecology’s stable isotope unit.
Karl undertook his Post Graduate Certificate in Education in the UK in 2000, where he met his wife Marie. Since then they have lived, travelled and taught in numerous countries in various capacities. Karl’s teaching journey has taken him from both state and private boarding schools in Europe, to numerous international schools in Africa, the Middle East and China, teaching the Sciences to students from Year 5, all the way through to Year 13.
Whilst being a founding member of The British School of Guangzhou’s Science department in 2009, and now progressing into his 6th year at BSG, Karl also taught at our sister school The British School of Nanjing, for 8 years (to 2021), developing and leading the department to repeated phenomenal results at both iGCSE level and A level. During each tenure, his passion for education and Science have enabled him to teach and guide many students to achieve A/A* grade Science IGCSE’s and also A levels in Chemistry over many years. His students are credited with subsequently having embarked on a wide variety of BSc degrees at top tier universities, including Yonsei University, Korea, Imperial College, London and the University of Cambridge, UK.
Karl’s guiding principle is to make his Science lessons come alive, with passion, enthusiasm, challenge and fun. In part, Karl believes that inspiring students to consider the Awe and Wonder of reality - the world around them – and for them to then consider another aspect, ask another question, discuss a topic further, learn a little more… is a significant driver towards greater motivation, passion, achievements and excellence, both in and out of the classroom.
Karl has always had a passion for the countryside and outdoor pursuits, including: sea swimming, rock climbing, camping, scuba-diving, mountain biking, parachuting, long distance hiking, light aircraft flying, long distance cycling, horse riding, road cycling and go-karting, although the latter have currently curtailed his active participation in these. Over the years he has also personally fully restored several classic cars of his own (a 1968 Triumph Herald, a 1968 Morris Minor pick-up truck, a 1972 Ford Carpri, and a 1984 Alfa Romeo Giulietta), and he hopes that one day a future project will be an E-type Jaguar. He also enjoys origami and is passionate about evidence-based thinking, origins and humanism.
