Give learning a purpose.
Real audiences and authentic decisions make knowledge matter. I design inquiries that give children something worth thinking about—and a reason to act.
IB PYP EDUCATOR · SHENZHEN, CHINA
Learning that
means something.
I’m Tim. I help children turn curiosity into understanding—and understanding into something they can use.
International educator, curriculum collaborator, and believer in the power of purposeful work.
Explore my work
FIELD NOTES / 01
A QUESTION I KEEP COMING BACK TO
What can
our learning
change?
THE STARTING POINTReal questions.
Real choices.
Real purpose.
Real choices.
Real purpose.
INQUIRY
↓
ACTION
↓
ACTION
16+years in international education
8+years in IB PYP schools
Grades 1–5experience across primary
M.Ed.Leadership & Management
01 / SELECTED WORK
Purpose, put into practice.
A few ways I connect academic learning
with agency, creativity and action.
CLASSROOM RESOURCES
Take the learning further.
Download the cards, printables and teaching
materials behind these projects.
Card decks include fronts and backs. Print a test sheet at 100% scale to check alignment. Teacher resources with answers are labelled below.
02 / MY APPROACH
High expectations.
Human connections.
Respond to the learner.
Inquiry works alongside explicit instruction. Classroom evidence, specialist co-planning and flexible support help me respond to multilingual learners and diverse needs.
Build the community.
Daily meetings, student-led circles and restorative routines help children listen, work through conflict and share responsibility. Families are partners in that work.
03 / WRITING & REFLECTIONS
Ideas from practice.
Notes on classroom life, purposeful learning and the decisions I keep returning to as an educator.
Classroom community · 3 MIN READ
Why community is as important as curriculum
Why feeling safe enough to ask, make mistakes and try again belongs alongside academic learning.
Read reflection
Inquiry & learning · 3 MIN READ
Why experiential learning matters
A student-run restaurant offers a real purpose for learning—and a reason to look carefully at who is doing the thinking.
Read reflection
Assessment · 3 MIN READ
From collecting work to evidencing learning
How a few revealing examples can help students, families and teachers understand what has changed.
Read reflection04 / A LITTLE ABOUT ME
Educator.
Collaborator.
Always a learner.
BASED IN SHENZHEN, CHINA
EXPERIENCE IN CHINA & SOUTH KOREA
I’m a Grade 5 PYP homeroom teacher at Shekou International School, with experience spanning Grades 1–5 and a background in curriculum leadership.
Across more than sixteen years in international education, I’ve been drawn to the places where learning becomes tangible: a student-run restaurant, a prototype at a Maker Faire, an independent Exhibition inquiry, or a conversation that helps a classroom community move forward.
As a former Grade 4 Learning Lead, I’ve also worked with colleagues to connect curriculum planning, formative assessment and responsive teaching. I value practical tools that help a team think together and follow through.
2021 — PRESENT
Shekou International School
Grade 5 PYP Homeroom Teacher · 2025–present
Grade 4 PYP Homeroom Teacher · 2022–2025
Grade 1 PYP Homeroom Teacher · 2021–2022
Grade 4 Learning Lead · 2023–2025
2018 — 2021
Chadwick International
Grade 3 PYP Teacher · South Korea
Qualifications & selected professional learning
Master of Education: Leadership & Management
Open University, UK · 2019
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Stellenbosch University · 2009
Bachelor of Arts in Humanities
Stellenbosch University · 2008
Selected training includes the Orton–Gillingham approach, Math Specialist in International Schools, concept-based inquiry, restorative practice, Word Inquiry and service learning.
BEYOND HOMEROOM
Student Council · PYP Exhibition · VEX Robotics · Overnight camps · Digital storytelling
05 / LET’S CONNECT
Good learning starts
with a conversation.
To talk about teaching, collaboration or opportunities,
I’d be glad to hear from you.