Harry Reid – Meet the Teacher

Qualifications

Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Sociology (Nottingham Trent University, UK)

PGCE in Primary Education (University of Reading, UK)

What is your background?

I started my teaching career at a small school back in Reading, England where I taught Year 1 and Year 2.  It was the primary school that I attended as a child which was lovely to go back to after so many years. After being there for 3 years, I decided to move overseas and come here to Bangkok Prep in Thailand.  In my spare time I enjoy Rock Climbing, Surfing, Snow Sports or anything active! I have recently joined the Ultimate Frisbee Team here in Bangkok too. I also love to explore unknown places, even underwater when diving and tasting delicious food.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I have always been a big kid at heart and enjoyed working with children and when I did my initial work experience at a school I knew instantly it was the job for me. I also thought back to teachers that inspired me to be the best I could be and wanted to somehow facilitate that in my students as a teacher myself.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I love the fact that every day is different! Even if you have taught the same lesson for a few years the children you are working with make it different. It could be a different question, a different way of thinking about something or just a child’s fascinating approach to things. I also enjoy the WOW moments or when something clicks with a child and they suddenly understand what you are teaching. These moments make it exciting and a magical job for me!

What exciting things have you been doing in your Year 2 class at Bangkok Prep so far this year, and what do you have planned for the rest of the academic year?

We have had a space crash and an alien visit the school, lots of planting and finding out what plants need to grow, we have looked at some amazing artists and recreated our own pieces which look amazing and the kids have loved problem solving in Maths! We had an exciting Sports Day and events such as International Week where we looked at Forests around the World. In the future we have some exciting trips planned, looking at Inventors and we will be travelling the World in 80 Days.

How do you make learning fun for your Year 2 pupils?

I will try and make the learning as hands on and engaging as possible. The children love using equipment in their Maths work to solve the problem and using technology to support their learning. I will use positive rewards such as Dojo’s to motivate the children and make their learning experience as fun as possible. If possible cater the learning to the children’s interests, which can sometimes be more difficult as there are 18 very different children or allow them to choose the best way for them to complete the task giving them ownership in their learning.