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Yu Mee is a Grade 1 teacher at ISNS. She was born in Malaysia and immigrated to Calgary, Canada at a young age. She graduated from the University of Calgary with a B.A. in Linguistics. Yu Mee’s first taste of teaching were two summer EFL contracts in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu. From there, she went on to teach EFL at Maple Leaf International School in TEDA, Tianjin for three years. Afterwards, Yu Mee decided to pursue a Bachelor of Education through the University of Prince Edward Island. After receiving her Bachelor of Education, she worked as a kindergarten teacher for three years in the Northwest Territories in Canada. Yu Mee recently completed her Master of Education from the University Prince Edward Island.

Yu Mee believes in creating a diverse and inclusive learning environment which will help students become global citizens of tomorrow. 

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Kai is excited to be joining the EY team at ISNS this year as a K5 teacher. He is originally from San Diego, California and graduated from University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Kai has a teaching license in Elementary Education and has experience teaching 1st grade and kindergarten.

Kai uses his background in psychology to inform his teaching, especially when it comes to creating a positive learning environment that gives students the connection and agency to thrive academically. Kai believes that consistency, patience, and understanding are key to creating a safe environment for students to learn and grow, and that through inquiry and exploration students can develop a lifelong love of learning.

In his free time Kai enjoys rock climbing, skateboarding, reading and spending time with his dog.

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Andrea is originally from Maracaibo, Venezuela. Andrea holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She started working in Kindergarten as a Teacher Assistant, and then became a homeroom teacher in 2003. Andrea has been living in China for the past nine years. She taught all the Early Years grade levels at her previous school in Ningbo and served as the Vice-Principal of the Early Childhood Department since 2020.

As an educator, Andrea is committed to making young learners’ first experiences at school the most significant and enjoyable, as these will set positive expectations and instill in them a love for school and learning. She strives to connect with her colleagues, students and parents to build strong relationships with them. Andrea believes that this will result in great benefit for their academic achievement. She also believes that play is the natural way for children to explore and make sense of the world around them.

Andrea loves cooking, baking and having the opportunity to share food with friends and family. She enjoys dancing and swimming. As a new Shenzhener, she is looking forward to exploring what the city and its surrounding areas have to offer.

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Susan Bivens, a dedicated Grade 2 homeroom teacher as ISNS, hails from Alaska, USA. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Portland, Oregon, in 2007.  Susan began her career with Portland Public Schools, primarily serving high language acquisition needs.

In 2018, she embarked on her international teaching journey, moving to Beijing to work at a bilingual school pursing IB accreditation.  A strong proponent of inquiry-based learning, Susan believes in fostering curious and critical thinkers in today’s educational landscape.

In 2020, Susan moved to Thailand to teach at a school focused on Project-Based Learning. She was thrilled to move to Shenzhen, joining an established IB school to continue her teaching journey.

Beyond her career as an education, Susan is a loving mom to two students at ISNS and is excited for them to thrive in the IB setting.  Outside the classroom, she enjoys experimenting with recipes in her kitchen and exploring Shenzhen’s green spaces and trials with her family, as long as the trails are spider-free.

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Thomas holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Information Systems from Lipscomb University, a top-ranked liberal arts business school in Nashville, USA.

Before transitioning into education, Thomas spent 15 years as a technology and business leader across the United States, providing expertise in software integration, strategic coaching, and systems training. His experience building and leading teams within technology companies provides a unique perspective within a school setting.

Five years ago, Thomas committed to education full-time. He is licensed to teach in the United States, holding a US Teaching License from Washington, D.C. He also earned a CELTA certification from Cambridge, United Kingdom. Thomas taught in Beijing prior to moving to Thailand where he taught computer literacy and block-based coding within PYP. Most recently, he served as a Grade 3 homeroom teacher at an International School in Bangkok.

At the core of Thomas’s teaching philosophy is a deep-rooted passion for curiosity and discovery. Within the context of the IB framework, he employs inquiry-driven learning to craft impactful experiences for his students. His teaching approach aims to cultivate essential life skills in his students, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Originally from Albuquerque, USA, Thomas has a zest for life that extends beyond the classroom. He is a lover of spicy food, an avid student of world history, and a devoted soccer enthusiast. Thomas is also a proud parent; his daughter and son are both students at ISNS.

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Mariel is the homeroom teacher for K3. Her experience in Reggio Emilia, IB, IEYC and EYSF over the past seven years has equipped her with the tools to help young learners develop strong social, emotional and academic skills. Growing up with an American mother and German father in Hong Kong and Chinese mainland has gifted her the ability to speak fluent English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Mariel completed her bachelor’s degree in Chinese Language Arts at Sun-Yet Sen University in Guangzhou, China.

She believes all students have limitless potential. She understands the best way to communicate with young students is through compassionate listening and respecting their thoughts and ideas. Her goal is to develop students’ emotional, intellectual, self-management and independent skills so that they are equipped to deal with any challenge they may face later in life.

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Laura was born and raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She later moved to Houston, USA where she attended college. Laura holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and has 7 years of experience teaching various academic subjects in international schools.

Laura is a passionate teacher who aims to prepare her students for real-world challenges. She strives to create an environment where children are free to make mistakes, be inquisitive, share their cultures, and interests, and get messy. Laura is eager to continue learning alongside her students.

Laura is excited to join the ISNS community as well as exploring the Art scene in Shenzhen. She loves dancing, cooking, crocheting, swimming, and playing with her dog.

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Before joining ISNS, Gloria worked as a primary English teacher in a renowned educational institution, where she obtained her Celt-p certificate from Cambridge Assessment English. While working there, Gloria also developed an after-school curriculum and maintained teaching resources for primary students based on their needs and strengths. As a Summer Camp leader at Badminton School in Bristol, she collaborated with homeroom teachers and assisted Chinese learners to engage in an international curriculum.

Gloria earned her master’s degree in 2022 with distinction in the Education University of Hongkong, majoring in teaching English to speakers of other languages and was named to the Dean's Honour List. She is especially interested in gender disparities in early readers and English textbooks. Gloria also views herself as an enthusiastic English learner and a good communicator, and she believes she can inspire young students with her joy and passion. She appreciates how IB courses' inquiry-based learning approach empowers students to be the global citizens they want to be.

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Caley Brown has been living and working in China for around 8 years. Most of his time has been spent in Guangzhou but has moved to Shenzhen to work specifically for ISNS. Before becoming a teacher, he was a research student at Lancaster University, a top 20 school, studying science and science outreach. During his time at Lancaster, he helped set up an outreach program using Minecraft to help engage and motivate students in science.

Mr. Brown has been working in IB schools for 5 years and has now dedicated himself to continually seeking out opportunity to get as many IB certificates as possible. His current certificates include Making the PYP happen, Application of ATL skills and PYP exhibition. In the future he hopes to complete many more, and also seek out other personal development opportunities.