We both work hard to contribute outside of class. Most recently I (Tim) have taken on responsibility for the school’s Yearbook and Bettina is co-managing the school’s CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) program. Finding a way to be involved outside of our lessons. We like to feel we are helping to build a sense of community at the school and sending the message to students that we really care.

We are both e-Learning specialists (Bettina an ICT and ITGS teacher and  Tim with an MBA  in Integrated Technology Management). We have worked in very successful schools and have seen how technologies can be used to dramatically improve teaching and learning. We use teaching websites (Tim’s and Bettina’s) to extend student learning beyond class hours. We have developed a lot of resources over the years that we can bring with us when we start.

Tim’s Projects and Interests

I have used my MBA training to support Enterprise education. I’m convinced of the importance of developing practical management skills in all students, not just those with more of a vocational focus. So I have worked to give students the opportunity to identify problems, discuss possible solutions and then go further and realize some of these solutions, taking action somehow.

I encourage students to come back around, to re-evaluate the outcomes of the effort, their assumptions going into the process and what to do next. I enjoy seeing students’ self-confidence grow when they see they can make a difference in real problems of their community. In the UK, I was involved in organizing a variety of enterprise events, the most successful of which was the Lionheart Challenge.

I also write a blog, when I have some spare time. I write about how to maintain a high quality of life in increasingly challenging times. I find writing to be a process of discovery (rather than a simple act of writing down what you already know). I encourage my students to write as much as possible and I have often mentored students in their writing outside of class.

Finally, I enjoy mentoring. I have developed a program I call Leadership for Life, which is a leadership development program for students. It explores a lot of the same issues I deal with on my blog, but in a student-friendly way. We do activities to help students clarify their hopes for their life and to make incremental changes to help them achieve what is important to them.

Bettina’s Projects and Interests

For the past 5 years I have been heavily involved in managing the pastoral systems in schools. This means I spend a lot of my time one-on-one with students, helping them to manage the demands of their school lives (and often their home lives as well).

With my PE background, I have always been involved in coaching. I have coached a wide variety of sports and have pursued additional qualifications (most recently in trampolining and gymnastics) to keep my training current.

I also enjoy finding ways to bring together my passion for art and for good causes. Recently I worked with a group of students raising money for developing countries by creating and selling one-of-a-kind greeting cards.

Finally, I also really like travelling. I feel very privileged that we have been able to travel extensively in the past 7 years. While we have taught in 5 different countries, we’ve had the opportunity to visit more than 60. This has given us a lot of valuable insights (and stories) that help me in my teaching.