Meet Our Learning Support & English as an Additional Language Staff

Carine Parks

Hello everyone.  I am Carine Parks, and I am arriving in Houston from the UK, as the new Head of Student Support Services and look forward to working with you all.  Originally from South Africa, I have lived in the UK since qualifying at university in SA and have had the privilege of teaching in a variety of school settings, both in the private and public sectors. I am coming to Katy with my husband and 2 children, who also attend BISH.

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Arwen Batiste

For my undergraduate degree, I studied International Development Studies at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich. As part of this I gained experience working overseas in a foster home for orphaned children with additional needs, in a small village on the outskirts of Beijing, China. In addition to this, I helped to manage a small Fair Trade co-operative, Scarlett Threads, providing empowerment for women within the workplace. Whilst this experience focused on my interest in the socioeconomic impact of NGO’s within developing areas, in particular adoption and social care, this opportunity also allowed me to teach children with a wide range of physical and developmental needs, and to learn more about education and physical therapy. After completing my undergraduate degree I went on to gain a PGCE from UEA and begin my formal teaching career. After qualifying I returned to Beijing where I taught in a variety of local schools, whilst also continuing to educate the older children at the foster home in which I had previously worked. The educational needs of the children were extremely varied and this allowed me the opportunity to develop my teaching practice. Following this, I returned to London where I taught at an Independent Preparatory School in Blackheath, The Pointer School. I taught in Key Stage 1 for three years, in addition to taking on the role of Charity and Community Coordinator. In 2014 I began my career with Nord Anglia, accepting a position as a founding teacher in their newest school in Hong Kong. This was an exciting opportunity to shape the curriculum and help to establish the culture of the school. Additionally, I took responsibility for leading and organising House events, local service projects and a variety of school community activities, as part of my responsibility as Charity Coordinator. I worked at NAISHK for three years before moving to join BIS Houston in 2017, where I have taught in Year 4 and Year 6. Last year I joined the Student Support Services team, as the Middle School Learning Support teacher. Working alongside students who approach learning in a variety of different ways has always been a passion of mine and I feel so privileged to work collaboratively with each of my students; strengthening their understanding of their skills and how they learn best as individuals, in order to access the curriculum.

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Suzanne Brighty

I knew I always wanted to be a teacher and started my career in a small Village Infant School.  From there, I taught Early Years and Key Stage One in a variety of different state and private schools before moving to Houston.  I was aware of the amazing campus in Katy and was delighted to be offered a position teaching EY2 before taking on the role of Learning Support Teacher this year. I look forward to continuing to experience a truly international school and am proud to be part of the Bis Houston Team.

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Astrid Krenn

I obtained my bachelor’s degree in English and American Studies and my teaching diploma from the University of Vienna. Since then, I have been teaching in my home country Austria as well as in Indonesia, South Korea, and the Netherlands. In addition, I have been running various school wide activities and clubs (e.g.: debate club) and was part of the learning diversity team at my previous workplace. All of this allows me to build better relationships with students and colleagues, which is very important to me. This was also a reason why I chose to join BISH, as it is one big welcoming community.

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Andrea Mackenzie

After gaining my bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology from Durham University, I embarked on a PGCE at Newcastle University.  For a number of years, I taught in mainstream schools in the north-east of England and held lead positions in ICT and mathematics.  I joined BIS Houston in 2019/2020 as part of the Learning Support Team.  My years of experience have taught me the value of patience and encouragement.  I work closely with each student, providing the individualised support and praise they require.  I like to make sure I stay connected with family members and any specialists involved, to encourage the success of each student, in and outside of the classroom.  I've truly appreciated and learned from every student and every family I have worked with;  I cannot imagine having any other job!  

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Amanda Martin

I loved the ethos and general feel of BIS Houston so much, I decided to apply for a job here. I started working at BISH in 2020 as a High School Learning Support Teacher and I adore my job and the students I get to work with every day even more than I'd anticipated! Prior to this I worked in a number of Primary and High schools in Western Australia as both a teacher and deputy principal, gaining nearly 20 years of experience in a range of educational settings. I am a proud neurodiversity-inspired educator with a deep respect for each child's unique brain and seek to create the best individualized learning environment from which it can thrive. 

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Sian Martin

I have been teaching students from Year 1 to Year 13 for ten years. My specialist subjects are Drama, French, Spanish, and EAL. I began my career working in Spain in Theatre in Education. This position allowed me to pursue my love of acting and speaking foreign languages, whilst helping EAL students to learn English through the medium of Drama. In the UK I taught for several years in state schools before moving to Qatar, where I was Head of Drama. After four years in Qatar, my family and I moved to the British International School of Houston in 2017 in order to develop our professional careers.

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Shweta Mehta

Before joining BIS Houston, I have worked as an accountant in an insurance company in Sydney, Australia. I obtained my Bachelor of Business Administration degree while in India. Thereafter, went on to study in Australia and completed Masters in Professional Accounting.
Shortly after moving to Houston in 2016, I began volunteering at BIS Houston and soon became increasingly interested in becoming a teacher. As a parent volunteer I was supporting students who were mainly non-English speakers. Supporting them was a privilege because I could contribute positively and make a difference in their learning and understanding.
Since 2017, I have been a part of the EAL team at the prestigious British International School of Houston teaching English to non-native speakers. I have a TEFL-Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification as well as an EAL certification from the Nord Anglia University.

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