Mr Craig has been teaching for a total of 12 years, with the past 6 years at the British Vietnamese International School, Hanoi. Prior to his teaching career, he worked as a youth community support worker in the UK. Mr Craig hold a BA hons, PGCE and a Masters in Education.

Experience: He has lived in Vietnam for 10 years, immersing myself in the culture and community. His teaching journey has been driven by his passion for working with children, helping them to discover their potential, and supporting them in achieving their goals.

Interests and Hobbies: In his free time, he enjoys cycling, arts and crafts, and cooking. Mr Craig loves spending weekends with his wife, baby daughter and dog.

International Year 3B Teaching Assistant

Years of Teaching Experience: 9+
Degrees & Certificates: Bachelor of Education UNISA (University of South Africa) | Jolly Phonics Certificate

I’m Lizette, and I’ve been teaching since I was 25 years old. I made a drastic career change from a financial background, but I’ve always had a passion for education and helping kids reach their full potential.

I completed my teaching degree as an Intermediate Senior Phase educator, but my passion has always been to teach younger kids. I started out teaching secondary school in South Africa, and it was much more rewarding than I ever thought it would be. It made me humble and most definitely made me the teacher I am today.

After a few years in South Africa, my husband and I moved to Zambia, where I taught at a boarding school for over 4 years. I loved living in Zambia and being surrounded by sugarcane fields and the majestic African sunset. I also had the opportunity to coach many sports teams, and we even won a few championships.

I’m an active person and I love to learn new things. I’ve been living in Hoi An, Vietnam for the past year, and I’ve been able to do a lot of hiking, biking, and swimming in the beautiful outdoors. I’m also an avid triathlete, and I’m hoping to compete in another race soon.

As a teacher and a parent, I believe that each child is different and has their own unique potential. It’s my job to help each child find their passion in life and to encourage them to reach their full potential. I’m a strong believer that every child has the ability to achieve anything they set their minds to, and it’s my job to help them find that inner belief.

I’m also a team player, and I believe that we’re only as strong as our weakest link. When it comes to kids, I rely on myself to create a positive environment where they can thrive. I believe that the small things done consistently can make a huge difference in a child’s life.

I’m excited to continue my journey as a teacher, and I’m looking forward to helping even more kids reach their full potential.

Mr Thomas comes from USA and he is a US Navy veteran. He will begin his 17th year in education, in which he has served as an educator and administration.

Years of Teaching Experience: 5+ 
Degree & Certifications: Bachelor of Business in Tourism Management and Hospitality, Certificate Degree in Sustainable Tourism Management, Diploma in Pre and Primary Teaching, Diploma in French Literature, Master Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language 

Marie has spent almost 20 years of her career in the Tourism &amp; Hospitality industry with a specialty in Branding, Marketing and Sustainability. But she always found ways to also be involved in greater education and to perfect her teaching skills. Because teaching others brought her so much joy. Whether it was through teaching Tourism Management to college students, building training programs in the workplace or teaching English and French (her first language) around the world, she always felt most happy in a classroom. Marie is passionate about helping children navigate learning in an inclusive and fun environment. She loves sharing her experience and the lessons she’s learned in the Travel &amp; Tourism business and helping kids and adults learn new languages or advance their literacy skills.</p>

Fun Fact: Marie loves adventure and wildlife travel. She has trekked on many mountain chains (including to Everest Base Camp) and visited plenty of jungles, oceans and grasslands in search of endangered species. That’s her idea of a perfect vacation!

HAIS Teaching Role: Drama

Years of Teaching Experience: 23

Degrees & Certifications: Master of Arts in Education specialising in Drama Education and Theatre Arts | Bachelor of Secondary Education (Major in English)

Jennifer is a dedicated educator and theatre-maker with over 20 years of experience. She is passionate about the performing arts and loves introducing students to the magic of theatre!

She has extensive experience in directing plays for various age groups including students in primary school, middle school, high school, and university.

As the Head of Drama at HAIS she is thrilled to collaborate with students and faculty and showcase their talents in spectacular shows. Before moving to Da Nang, Jennifer taught English and Drama for 11 years at various international schools in Ho Chi Minh City and was active with the Saigon Players, a community theatre group.

She has spearheaded, produced, and participated in visual and performing arts festivals, dinner-theatres, British-style pantos, sketch shows, and murder-mystery nights. Her school shows include Clara and the Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, The Snow Queen, Moana, Paddington’s Winter Adventure, The Sound of Music, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, The Lion King Jr., Alice in Wonderland, and Encanto. She has given workshops on acting, directing, playwriting, stage management, Commedia dell’ arte, mime and improv and has also trained students for public speaking and monologue competitions. She has also been invited to judge short film competitions and talent shows in Saigon. She is into all the performing arts and has also done performance art, and performance poetry. She loves dancing and has done choreography of various recitals and concerts.

An avid drummer/percussionist, she has also organised faculty and student rock bands and marching bands at her previous schools.

Fun fact: She would love to join a dragon boat rowing crew as she used to participate in dragon boat races in Manila.

Teaching Roles: World Languages Coordinator (EAL &amp; FFL), Secondary Humanities Teacher

Years of Teaching Experience: 10+

Degrees &amp; Certifications: IPGCE, Bachelor of Science (Ecology), CELTA (Cambridge Certificate of English Language Teaching)

I have always had a keen interest in wildlife and the natural world and gained a degree in Ecology from the University of Brighton. After some time doing environmental work, I found my true passion was teaching. I gained a PGCE from the University of East London and have a CELTA in teaching ESL. My teaching career began at an agricultural college in the rural countryside of the UK, which included such topics as teaching students to drive tractors and how to herd wallabies. Since then, I have taught ESL and humanities subjects in schools in Greece, Laos and Malaysia. I am excited to join the team at HAIS and to explore this great country.

I have been head of humanities at two of my former schools and taught several humanities subjects including IGCSE and A level Geography, IGCSE Environmental Management and IGCSE Global Perspectives. I also have experience as Examination Officer and as the teacher lead of the student council. I believe students can gain invaluable skills and experience through taking part in leadership opportunities in school.

I want all students to become the best that they can be and to achieve their greatest potential. I aim to foster a positive learning environment for students and to encourage high expectations of learning.</p>

Fun fact: As a student in school, I was “Chief Herdsman”, of the school steer team.

Years of Teaching Experience: 11+
Degree & Certifications: M.A. in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), B.A. of Business Administration, Certified Teacher – Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, American Teacher’s Certification ABCTE (Secondary English Language Arts) – USA, Programme Leader – Cambridge International Certificate in Teaching and Learning.

With a career in teaching and leading Cambridge learners, Balint brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in leading successful literacy initiatives, a personal passion of his. Under the HAIS Continuing Professional Development programme Balint completed professional development training in CPD Leadership: Strategy, Dyslexia Awareness, Marking &amp; Feedback, Effective Lesson Planning and EAL for Classroom Teachers in support of increased technical awareness across the HAIS faculty.

He leads a team of dedicated educators who share a strong commitment to academic and pastoral excellence. Balint has completed several Cambridge training courses, including & IGCSE First Language English, Business Studies, and AS General Paper English and is a Cambridge Assessment Specialist for IGCSE First Language English. He is proud to be part of our devoted team of accomplished Cambridge IGCSE teachers and looks forward to guiding our IGCSE students to achieve successful results this year.

Fun Fact: Balint is a lifetime member of the U.S. Chess Federation and used to play to a 5-handicap in golf.

Years of Teaching Experience: 6+
Degree & Certifications: B.A. with Honours in Politics, PGCE, Cambridge Assessment International Education course in IGCSE Literature in English.

Hannah gained both a BA degree and a teaching certificate in the UK before moving overseas, and in 2022, she will complete her Masters in Education. In 2020, Hannah completed a Cambridge Assessment International Education course in IGCSE Literature in English.

Under the HAIS Continuing Professional Development programme Hannah completed professional development training in Dyslexia Awareness, Marking &amp; Feedback and facilitated training in EAL for Classroom Teachers.

Hannah always enjoyed learning and being in education as a student, so progressing to a teacher, where she gets to share that enjoyment with others, seemed like a logical career choice. Her teaching philosophy is to create an environment where students feel moved to learn – engaged learners are motivated learners.

Fun Fact: Hannah has two cats and one dog, the best pets ever.

Years of Teaching Experience: 10+
Degree & Certifications: Bachelor of English

Working at HAIS not only brings Hanh a lot of opportunities to improve her English, but also allows her to learn many different things from the teachers, subjects, teaching styles and culture.

Hanh has been teaching as an English teacher for 12 years with kindergarten to teenagers. Her style teaching is “be strict in a nice way” to help students improve both academic and social skills.

Years of Teaching Experience: 6+
Degree & Certifications: Bachelor of English

By supporting students to progress in their studies, An feels that she can share the joy and jubilation when they achieve their potential. She has influenced by several important teachers in her life who have guided and inspired her in many ways.

Her teaching philosofpy is to “Learn, Love, Laugh>”.

Fun Fact: When she was a little girl, An dreamed of becoming an English teacher.

Mr Thomas comes from USA and he is a US Navy veteran. He will begin his 17th year in education, in which he has served as an educator and administration.

Years of Teaching Experience: 11+
Degree & Certifications: M.A. in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), B.A. of Business Administration, Certified Teacher – Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, American Teacher’s Certification ABCTE (Secondary English Language Arts) – USA, Programme Leader – Cambridge International Certificate in Teaching and Learning.

With a career in teaching and leading Cambridge learners, Balint brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in leading successful literacy initiatives, a personal passion of his. Under the HAIS Continuing Professional Development programme Balint completed professional development training in CPD Leadership: Strategy, Dyslexia Awareness, Marking &amp; Feedback, Effective Lesson Planning and EAL for Classroom Teachers in support of increased technical awareness across the HAIS faculty.

He leads a team of dedicated educators who share a strong commitment to academic and pastoral excellence. Balint has completed several Cambridge training courses, including & IGCSE First Language English, Business Studies, and AS General Paper English and is a Cambridge Assessment Specialist for IGCSE First Language English. He is proud to be part of our devoted team of accomplished Cambridge IGCSE teachers and looks forward to guiding our IGCSE students to achieve successful results this year.

Fun Fact: Balint is a lifetime member of the U.S. Chess Federation and used to play to a 5-handicap in golf.

Years of Teaching Experience: 9+
Degree & Certifications: MSc Chemistry with Industrial Experience, PGCE Secondary Science with Chemistry specialism.

Mark has been teaching in Vietnam for 6 years already and is the new maths and science teacher for the HAIS IGCSE programme. Mark has high expectations for all his students in the IGCSE programme. Mark really enjoys running practical experiments in science, in particular in the field of chemistry. Mark used to teach in Vũng Tàu before coming to HAIS, and in Mongolia before that. Before going into education, he used to work in water hygiene and treatment.

Mark decided to become a teacher after volunteering to help visually impaired children back in the United Kingdom called Visually Impaired Children – Taking Action or VICTA. Mark is very happy about teaching at HAIS and looks forward to his time in the school.

Fun Fact:
The faster you are moving, the longer time takes to go by, and the shorter distance becomes. Hard to believe, but it’s true. Last summer my wife and I drove from Hà Nội to Vũng Tàu on motorbikes that cost us less than 5 million VND. Mine is still going strong. POWERRRRRRRRR!!!!

Holding a Bachelor’s in English Language and a TESOL certificate, Lan Anh has been working in the education sector for almost five years since graduating. She has worked as a Cambridge Exams Officer, an ESL teacher, and an Academic Coordinator at bilingual schools in Hanoi. Her enthusiasm, love for children, and experience will help to create a productive and friendly learning environment for our A Level students.

HAIS Teaching Role: Drama

Years of Teaching Experience: 23

Degrees & Certifications: Master of Arts in Education specialising in Drama Education and Theatre Arts | Bachelor of Secondary Education (Major in English)

Jennifer is a dedicated educator and theatre-maker with over 20 years of experience. She is passionate about the performing arts and loves introducing students to the magic of theatre!

She has extensive experience in directing plays for various age groups including students in primary school, middle school, high school, and university.

As the Head of Drama at HAIS she is thrilled to collaborate with students and faculty and showcase their talents in spectacular shows. Before moving to Da Nang, Jennifer taught English and Drama for 11 years at various international schools in Ho Chi Minh City and was active with the Saigon Players, a community theatre group.

She has spearheaded, produced, and participated in visual and performing arts festivals, dinner-theatres, British-style pantos, sketch shows, and murder-mystery nights. Her school shows include Clara and the Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, The Snow Queen, Moana, Paddington’s Winter Adventure, The Sound of Music, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, The Lion King Jr., Alice in Wonderland, and Encanto. She has given workshops on acting, directing, playwriting, stage management, Commedia dell’ arte, mime and improv and has also trained students for public speaking and monologue competitions. She has also been invited to judge short film competitions and talent shows in Saigon. She is into all the performing arts and has also done performance art, and performance poetry. She loves dancing and has done choreography of various recitals and concerts.

An avid drummer/percussionist, she has also organised faculty and student rock bands and marching bands at her previous schools.

Fun fact: She would love to join a dragon boat rowing crew as she used to participate in dragon boat races in Manila.

With over a decade of vibrant experience in Vietnam, Mr Richard is excited to join HAIS as the Early Years Specialist. Having carved a unique path through the creative fields of music, marketing, and education, he aims to inspire students with an innovative, outside-the-box approach. Helping young learners discover the magic of rhythm, movement, and creativity. His approach to sports in early years education goes beyond physical skills. He sees it as a powerful tool for enhancing overall child development, boosting confidence, and fostering social interaction. Whether we’re practising our throws, learning to balance, or playing cooperative games, each activity is designed to contribute to children’s holistic growth.

At the heart of his teaching philosophy lies a deep commitment to play-based learning and creative arts integration. This dynamic approach fosters an environment where imagination flourishes, and every child’s potential is nurtured.

His goal at HAIS is to cultivate a love for learning that resonates with the rhythm of each child’s individual growth, where every day promises to be an adventure in learning and discovery

Van is a certified Art and ESL teacher from the United States. Van holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education from the University of Houston, USA, with over 10 years of extensive teaching experience in both Art Education and English as a Foreign Language in public and international schools in several countries.

Her passion for teaching and traveling led her to embark on her first overseas teaching journey to Taiwan in 2012, where she taught English for over 5 years. Since then, she has been inspired to travel the world even more and to develop her teaching career abroad. In 2022, Van and her husband Thomas decided to move to Vietnam in search of new adventures, cultural and professional experience.

In the past years, Van has expanded her expertise to include teaching English Language Development, elementary homeroom, secondary and primary school fine arts. She has also successfully established an AP Art &amp; Design Program, and led her team as Department Head of Fine Arts at her previous school. She hopes to continue inspiring young minds, fostering creativity, and propelling her students to reach their fullest potential at HAIS.

In her free time, Van enjoys making art, traveling, photography, trying all types of food, and spending time with her two dogs.

Fun Fact: Van can speak 4 different languages including English, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, and Vietnamese