I work at BISW as Director of Performing Arts and in my mind it the best job here is. I get to work with our wonderful BISW students and help their creativity grow, which is something I'm passionate about. I teach predominantly middle and upper school though to IB but have taught from nursery to IB in the past. Setting up concerts and performance events plays a large part of my role as ell as educating all on why the Arts are an intergyral part of all our students weekly experiences.
As well as being Director at BISW, I work for NAE as the Juilliard Curriculum Fellow , developing curriculum and supporting all our school's great work around the world. I love being at the for front of such an amazing collaboration and having a post that enables me to work with our global family and share good practices. Just as I enjoy helping students learn, the experience of sharing good practice, helping with professional development , making global links and facilitating global projects is one I feel very feel privileged to have. It also allows be to bring great concepts and oportunities back to BISW. Prior to this post I was Director of Performing Arts at our sister school in Chicago for nine years, and head of music in a local London school before that.
I have a bachelor's degree in performance arts from Leeds University. Duing this four year degree, I spent a year at the University of North Texas in both the jazz and classical program. Having realized that I really got a buzz from sharing my love of the arts with others I did my PGCE at Roehampton University. I'm deeply interested in the innate creativity we all have within us and how we as educators can facilitate environments where all students feel they can tap into this and explore. I'm a professional clarinetist and saxophonist, but after many years of teaching music, I can get a sound out of a lot of instruments!!
I'm also a keen runner and have completed the Chicago Marathon and many half's. I was so inspired by our dance element within the Juilliard creative classroom and my visit to Juilliard that I am now taking some dance lessons.
Why do I love teaching?
I love teaching because I believe in what I do and feel very passionately about it. I'm in an environment where innovative teaching development is encouraged. Watching students grow creatively and engage in the arts is an amazing experience, and one that is individual to every student. There is never a day or response that is quite the same and that makes teaching pretty awesome!