WE INTENTIONALLY CALL EVERY TEACHER A LEARNING DESIGNER.

Chandler Audette (Cha Cha), our EY4-5 Learning Designer from the US, has been an Early Years educator for the past six years, beginning her career shortly after graduating from the University of Hawaii. She has experience teaching students from 1-6 years old. 

As an educator, she has a passion for child development and enriching the minds of little learners through play-based learning, student agency, and mindful experiences. 

Cha Cha puts a strong emphasis on forming positive relationships with her students, teaching team, and the parents of her students, as she believes that it is essential in creating a learning environment and community, where students feel valued and confident enough to take risks and be their authentic selves! 

She was born and raised in the small town of Washougal, WA. She grew up on a cattle ranch in the Columbia Gorge, which cultivated her passion for community and the outdoors, both of which are present inside and outside of the classroom. She believes learning happens through experiences.

As a designer, she focuses on designing stimulating environments and provocations, both indoors and outdoors, giving learners the freedom to explore and discover their own passions and interests, and of course the power to connect with and contribute to their community.

Graham Baines, our  Performing Arts and Music Project Learning Designer, is a passionate educator who has worked internationally for almost 20 years. Music has always been a big part of his life and he’s been playing the drums for many years, in many bands, as well as composing, mixing and mastering electronic music for most of his adult life. He has worked on solo tracks and collaborated with people from all over the world on a variety of projects, including a collaboration that topped the BBC Radio 1 online charts. Graham has been on a mission to revolutionize the way we teach and learn performing arts through individual inquiries and the promotion of learner agency. This was inspired by his experience facilitating the ‘PYPx’. He has been sharing the joy through Twitter, as well as presenting the vision at the East Asia Regional Council of Schools(EARCOS) conference held in Bangkok in 2019. Graham recently has spent time in Melbourne, Australia,  to assist a PYP school in re-imagining their performing arts program. Before moving to Bangkok, Graham taught at Vientiane International School  in Laos.

Yupawan Baines (Coco), our Early Years Learning Assistant, is passionate about teaching arts and crafts to learners.

She taught at Vientiane International School in Laos for 7 years and was also a  substitute teacher throughout the school. Prior to that she worked in government administration in Thailand. 

Coco has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from Ramkhamhaeng University, a Master’s Degree in English for Career, and a TESOL certificate from Thammasat University. 

Our Student Success Lead Designer, Sapphira Beaudin, is Thai-Indonesian and grew up in an international school in Bangkok.  She is married to a French-Canadian , raising 2  active and adventurous daughters in a multicultural family.

Sapphira has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Family & Social Relations from University of Windsor, Canada and a Master of Science in Counselling Psychology from Assumption University, Thailand. After 16 years of school counseling, she is a firm believer in encouraging student autonomy, competence and connectedness to find a balanced, sense of direction using growth mindset and inquiry-based learning strategies.

Sapphira is an avid rock climber and loves spending time in the great outdoors hiking, diving, kayaking, and surfing.

Ronen Cohen, our C3-4 Learning Designer, is originally from Jerusalem, Israel. He loves playing with technology and making all kinds of things. He believes that kids learn best when they feel safe and are treated with respect and kindness; when they understand what is expected of them and can use their strengths and interests to envision and create; when they have a say and a choice in what they learn; and, when they feel a part of a community. There's no better place to build such a community than at VERSO!

Ronen has 17 years of teaching experience in the lower school level, a BA in Elementary Education, an MA in Educational Technology, and certifications in Talented and Gifted Education and School Makerspaces.  He is also a Google for Education Trainer and an Apple Teacher.

Ronen has been traveling, teaching and living abroad since 1999 (in Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Ghana, India, Ethiopia, and Tanzania).

Our Well-being  Learning Designer Shanna Comerford is from New Zealand and has been teaching for 17 years in the UK, Qatar, China, Egypt, and Vietnam.

She understands living a healthy and balanced lifestyle is imperative and aims to inspire others to lead active lives and develop skills to support a healthy lifestyle. She understands that well-being is not just about physical health, but encompasses the personal, social, and emotional aspects of a person's life, and wants to guide students on this journey.

She is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment that promotes well-being and sets VERSO learners up with healthy habits and coping mechanisms as they become young adults, and beyond their schooling
adventure. 

Shanna is also an experienced curator of student-led exhibitions and has a wide range of interests and passions including sports, music, and enjoys long walks with her dog.

Garrett Cutler is our Athletics Director. Originally, from New York, USA, this is his 11th year teaching abroad.  He started his teaching career in East Hampton, NY, USA for 5 years.  He then moved to Phuket where he taught for 5  years before teaching in Bali, Indonesia for the 3 years at Green School.  

Garrett’s favorite part about being an educator is showing students how to be passionate about having a healthy lifestyle.  He feels that there is nothing better than being able to help someone discover a love of physical activity in their own way.

Sarah Donaldson, our C3-4 Learning Designer, is from Canada and has been in education as a teacher, instructional coach, and associate principal for 23 years. She holds a Master's degree in Education in Literacy and a Bachelor of Education degree in Primary and Junior Education (K-6) from Nipissing University, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree in Educational Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.

Sarah has taught in Brazil, Canada, and South Korea. She is a strong believer that young people have the ability to make our world a better place and that all  learners deserve to belong in their learning spaces and feel valued and loved for who they are. When learners truly know they belong as their authentic selves, they can reach their social and academic potential and support others in doing so as well, she adds.

Nicholas Garvin (Nick) is our Early Years 2-3 Learning Designer and Early Years Cohort Leader who has worked in six of the seven countries he has lived.

Nick has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Walsh University, Ohio, USA and an associate degree specializing in Early Childhood Education from Stark State College, USA. He is also a Google Certified Trainer and a Google Certified Educator : Level 1 & 2, a Common Sense Media Certified Educator and an Apple Certified Teacher w/ Swift Code Certification.

An adventure-seeker, Nick has gone shark diving in South Africa, bungee jumping in Cyprus, and skydiving in the US. He attributes his career in education to his grandfather.

Clover is a fully qualified teacher of Chinese and English, with experience as a Chinese Immersion Homeroom Teacher at an international school in China, and most recently as a Teacher of Chinese at a school in Bangkok.

Clover holds a Master's degree in Teaching Multilingual Learners from Moreland University, USA, as well as a Bachelor of Business English from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China.

She enjoys trekking, rock climbing, and playing volleyball and tennis.

Maheshika Mackenzie-Baker (Myshi), our C1-2 Learning Designer, is a passionate educator with 12 years of experience working with children.

She holds a degree and Masters in Psychology, specializing in Child Development, from the University of Dundee. Her dissertation research was published as the first study of its kind. Myshi's research also led her to explore the impact of adults on children's lives, inspiring her to become a teacher.

Originally from Sri Lanka and Scotland, Myshi and her husband moved to Thailand in 2012. She obtained her postgraduate degree in Education from the University of Nottingham in 2015 and spent 6 years as the Early Years coordinator at a prestigious IB school in Bangkok. While her passion started with early years children, she now enjoys working with older learners in lower primary.

Beyond teaching, Myshi is a devoted mother of two and embraces life to the fullest. She loves spending time with her family, taking on fitness challenges, and exploring the diverse offerings of Bangkok.

Myshi believes in trying new things and visiting new places. She is thrilled to be part of the VERSO team and fully supports its mission, vision, and values.

Joleen Manning, our Early Years 4-5 Learning Designer, is from the east coast of Canada but has been living in Asia and working in education for over 2 decades.

She believes that the magic formula for children's education are child-centered discovery activities that encourage collaborative work, with time for guided reflection to enable learners to connect with their own learning.

She began her journey in education teaching ESL in Indonesia before moving to China where she completed a postgraduate in TESOL and traveled around Asia delivering teacher training programs for various UK educational publishers.

Joleen has had experience teaching all ages of learners, from nursery to adults and, after completing her Master of Education in 2015, has been teaching primary years in international schools in China and Thailand.

Joleen loves to create; with fabric, paint or reclaimed items and in her free time is frequently covered in bits of fabric and thread.

Jose is half Irish and half Spanish and has lived in many different countries. When he was a child, he grew up in different countries in Africa and went to international schools before going to University in England.

He has worked in The Seychelles, Malaysia, and Thailand. He believes that learning should always be fun and enjoys learning alongside his students.  He loves integrating technology in education and inspiring students to be as creative as possible.

Jose is also a Seesaw Certified Educator and an Apple Distinguished Educator. His passion for educational technology has led him to lead technology in a number of schools as well as work as a technology coach.

Vorapitcha Petcharanont (Nungning) our Learning Assistant, graduated from Silpakorn University's Faculty of Arts, with a  major in Japanese and a minor in English. She started her career as a childcare coordinator at Club Med Phuket where she discovered her  passion for working with kids.

She also became a teacher assistant at “Khu Khanan parallel hybrid homeschool”, where she learned about project-based learning and child development. 

Nungning loves traveling, swimming, and yoga.

Maria is from Spain but has been living overseas for the last ten years. She believes learning should always be fun, engaging, and child centered. She is passionate about integrating technology in the classroom and STEAM-based projects.

Maria has a degree in Marine Biology and a postgraduate certificate in education. She has taught in Early Years and Primary classes in four different international schools in Seychelles, Malaysia, and Thailand.  She has had the unique opportunity to lead the technology department in some of her previous schools as well as to create maker spaces for the kids to enjoy and get creative.

Maria loves diving and snorkeling as well as spending time at the beach with her family, making sand castles with her two sons, and paddle boarding!

Emi Sekiguchi is our Learning Assistant with over 10 years of teaching English and Japanese. She has a bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare from Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, Japan and a TTCE (Teaching To Children English) program certificate from King George International College in Vancouver, Canada. She has also taught in an online  English school for 2 years. Emi grew up in Bangkok and appreciates the generous and caring nature of the Thai people. She is glad to be back to her second home with her family. She has two daughters joining VERSO and loves to spend her time with them doing exercises, singing and cooking.

Ezra Thampraporn our  Early Years Learning Assistant has been working as a teacher assistant for the past 13 years in several schools.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in Education, majoring in Early Childhood, from Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Bangkok.  She is interested in innovative teaching techniques, enjoys traveling and jewelry designing.

A volunteering experience at a local art center in Hanoi, Vietnam  saw Ha Trinh, our Learning Assistant,  change her career from finance and banking to education. Working at a risk center in an art center, Ha was inspired to help people discover things about themselves that they had not known. She strongly believes that at VERSO, the sky's the limit for anyone who wants to do something different in education. Ha has a BA in International Finance and Banking from Foreign Trade University, Vietnam and a MA in Multidisciplinary Studies/ International Learning Styles, with a focus on Social Emotional Studies from the State University of New York, USA. Ha also holds a  Mindfulness Teaching Certification from Mindful Schools, CA, USA.

Joe Watcharachotewisit is our Thai Language Project Learning Designer with 20 years of teaching experience. Extremely knowledgeable in Thai culture and the traditional ceremonies,  Joe has organized and supported countless Thai traditional events in international schools where he previously taught. Joe completed his Bachelor of Education from Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok. He loves to encourage learners to take pride in their language and to share with them lifelong learning experiences. Joe loves playing golf with his friends, cooking Thai food and is an avid fan of MasterChef

Our  Early Years 2-3 Learning Designer and Cohort 1-4 Leader Emma Weston has taught children ages 2-14 years in  London, Taipei and Bangkok and has a strong understanding of child development, knowing where the children are going and where they have come from.

A passion for developing teachers to be the best they can be has followed Emma throughout her career. This began with her setting up an Early Years Network group in London where teachers were invited to join and host different workshops. Emma has also presented in a Foundation Stage JAWS workshop in Indonesia and hosted teacher CPD (Continuing Professional Development) in Bangkok alongside Early Excellence. 

Originally from the UK, Emma attended the only university in the world to offer Citizenship alongside Primary Education as a BA degree, which allowed her to continue to place character education at the heart of her practice. 

In her spare time, Emma loves spending time with her two children and husband in the jungle, trekking and camping under the stars.

Sunantha Wonchaiya (Muay), is the Early Years 4-5 Learning Assistant.

She describes herself as a  lifelong learner, always learning together with the children especially in arts.

Muay graduated from Ramkhamhaeng University's Faculty for Arts, with a major in Mass Communication and a minor in Political Science.

She has been in the field of education for 3 years now and is  happy and excited for what happens each day.

She loves cooking, traveling, and watching Korean movies and  spends her free time reorganizing her home from time to time.