Master Degree Educators supporting the leading progressive American school in Dubai

LEAD EDUCATORS

Pre-K Teaching Team

Taylor Juarez

PreK A

Taylor brings 7 years of experience teaching in the UAE. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Child & Adolescent Development – Psychology at the Southern New Hampshire University in New Hampshire, USA and her Postgraduate Professional Diploma in Teaching at the Al Ain University in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She is passionate about educating and inspiring young children to become the best they can be. Her goal is to create innovative and fun learning that ensures the success of her students.

Erin MacDonald

PreK B

Erin brings to Clarion 25 years of international teaching experience. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies from the University College of Cape Breton, her Bachelor of Education at Nova Scotia Teachers College, and her Bachelor of Arts Psychology Major at Mount Saint Vincent University in Truro, Nova Scotia.

She is enthusiastic, creative, and passionate about teaching through all primary levels; however, she is particularly interested in teaching Kindergarten and Early years. She is committed to the standards and practices of the PYP and feels they align with quality national curricula worldwide.

Erin enjoys collaborating with other teaching staff to foster a supportive school environment and ensure that learning is engaging, relevant, challenging, and significant. Erin has a passion for singing, playing the classical piano, acting, and studying exotic animals.

K1 Teaching Team

Roisin Casey

K1A

Roisin has worked within the SIG group for the past 3 years as an Early Years Teacher. She lives in Dubai with her husband and two dogs Chico and Finbar. Roisin is originally from County Mayo, Ireland but has lived in the UAE since 2014. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Geography and her Postgraduate in Gender, Globalization and Human Rights from the National University of Ireland, Galway followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Nottingham. Roisin is passionate about incorporating awe and wonder in the classroom through provocations that encourage children to experience the world for themselves. Samples of those include open-ended activities and thinking independently by being encouraged by their interests and exploring them in depth.

Shafaq Mirza

K1B

Born and raised in UAE, Shafaq has a unique understanding of the diverse cultures present in our region which forms the basis of her approach to education. She graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Family and Community Services, concentrating in Child Development and attended Columbia University, Teachers College for her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Shafaq brings over six years of experience educating young minds, most recently teaching at the Aga Khan Early Learning Centre. She is a collector of children’s books and enjoys conversations with children. Having worked in both play-based and school settings, Shafaq believes each child is unique and curious about the world around them. It is for this reason, that she sees a progressive setting like Clarion, as the right fit for her teaching philosophy.

Zasswhund Crockett

K1C

Zass, as we know her at Clarion, rejoined Clarion in 2020 teaching PreK. Zass was a founding, PreK teacher at Clarion in 2016. A New York City native, she earned a Master’s degree from the Bank Street College of Education in New York in Early Childhood Education and her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Literature from City College of New York. She worked in the renowned Bank Street Head Start program mentoring co-teachers and providing individualized support for families and goals for children in her role as a lead teacher.
She has published papers in the Integrative Master’s Project on Lap Sitting and Its Impact on Teacher/Child Relationships and on Play as an Early Intervention Tool.
As Zass says, her admiration and passion for progressive education goes beyond words. “It has always been a goal of mine to find a place that would enable me to build a wealth of experience, challenge me but most importantly, be relatable to the real world. My interests are centered on the environment, children’s literature and advocating for children of diverse backgrounds.”

K2 Teaching Team

Nabila Janmahomed

K2A

Nabila brings 14 years of teaching experience in different parts of the world. She graduated from the Simmons College in Boston, USA with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Marketing Communications. After her undergraduate studies, she pursued a Master of Education in Elementary Education at The College of New Jersey – Global Graduate Program in Bangkok, Thailand. Nabila thrives on exploring and learning about mindfulness, meditation, and spirituality. When she’s not teaching, she’s either in the kitchen baking or exploring the world

Katie Hickey

K2B

Katie, who grew up on a country farm in Tipperary, Ireland, comes to Clarion with a background Early Years and Primary teaching. Katie earned a Bachelor of Education with a specialization in DEIS (Educational Disadvantage) in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. She has taught in various settings in Ireland, before traveling to the UAE last year to further her career.
Katie’s love of learning inspires children to love learning. She values the importance of human connections and relationships in the classroom. She is a teacher that insists that every child is the best they can possibly be. The amazing family aspect of Clarion attracted Katie to join us and she believes she ‘won the golden ticket’ when she joined Clarion!
Spending her summers growing up by the beach, Katie has a passion for water sports. She taught swimming to young children with special needs for 8 years. She adores going to the beach and in particular enjoys kayaking and paddle boarding. Katie’s other hobbies include reading and cooking. She can make a mean carbonara and her favorite book is ‘What Alice forgot’ by Lianne Moriarty.

Laurine Monnard

K2C

Laurine has been teaching early years since 2002. She is from Singapore and has recently moved to Dubai. Her experience includes teaching within the IB PYP curriculum framework, American Common Core and the Australian Early Years Learning Framework in Muscat, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Educational Psychology and a Master’s degree in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) with Adam State University, Colorado. Laurine is bilingual in Mandarin and English and hopes to add French as an additional language. She believes that each child has their own learning journey and it is important that her students are empowered with the skills to take ownership of their learning. She is passionate about emergent literacy, metacognition and integrating technology purposefully in the classroom and is a Seesaw Ambassador. One of Laurine’s favorite things to do in class is to read aloud to her students.

Jacqueline Campbell

K2D

Jacqueline has been an educator for 23 years. She holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood from Nova Southeastern University Florida; Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies and Education from the University of Technology, Jamaica and a Diploma in Montessori Education from Foundation for Montessori Education, Canada. Jacqueline believes education is a life long journey and continues to pursue professional development. Jacqueline represented Clarion in several professional training which includes the Reading and Writing Strategies Institute; Handwriting Strategies and Responsive Classroom Practices. As a grade level leader at Clarion, she has helped to train and implement these practices.
Jacqueline is very passionate about Early Childhood Development. She holds professional membership with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), an organization that works to promote high-quality learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy and research. Like Maria Montessori, Jacqueline believes the greatest development is achieved during the first years of life, and therefore it is then that the greatest care should be taken. A strong believer in progressive education, Jacqueline has contributed immensely to Clarion’s vision of igniting curiosity.

Grade 1 Teaching Team

Louise Walsh

Grade 1A

Like many international teachers, Louise began teaching English to non-English speakers. After returning home to Ireland in 2014 from South Korea, she solidified her teaching degree from Hibernia College, in Ireland, and taught Grades 1 and 2 in Kilkenny for three years. She frequently combines her cultural curiosity with international volunteer experiences, spending a month’s vacation volunteering in a youth center for street children in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia in 2018. Louise joined Clarion teaching First Grade in 2019 and will continue in Grade 1 this year.
She holds a Master’s of Arts in Irish Studies from National University of Ireland in Galway and a Liberal Arts, Bachelor’s degree from Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland. Her Professional Masters of Education in Primary Teaching is from Hibernia College, Dublin.
The progressive beliefs of Clarion match with the teaching practices that Louise has trained and worked in. Louise says that Clarion has been a wonderful school to spread her progressive wings.
Louise’s passions in life include caring for animals (especially cats), exercising and following her favorite sports team, Kilkenny hurling.

Rahala Alam

Grade 1B

Rahala has been an educator for 7 years. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance at Simmons College in Boston in USA and received her Master of Education at Murdoch University in Dubai, UAE. Rahala’s strength is her growth mindset and emotional intelligence. She is an effective communicator who loves mentoring other teachers and facilitating professional development sessions at the school level.

Helena Power

Grade 1C

Helena comes to Clarion with experience teaching First Grade both in Ireland and the UAE. Having grown up on a farm in Ireland, she went on to study for four years at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick to earn a Bachelor of Education degree. Helena is passionate about helping every student reach their full potential and is currently studying for a Master’s in Special and Additional Learning Needs with University of East London. In her spare time, she loves to stay active and plays both Gaelic Football and Rugby. Helena comes to Clarion keen to put into practice a progressive way of teaching and is excited about fostering creativity, imagination and innovation in her students.

Grade 2 Teaching Team

Leila Sidiqi

Grade 2A

Leila joins Clarion with 10 years of experience in teaching Pre-K to Middle School students. Her strength is the ability to create equitable and inclusive environments for her students. She envisions her classroom to be a constructive and cooperative learning environment where students have a voice, feel safe to explore their ideas, interests, curiosities, and encouraged to have a growth mindset. She’s also a gifted communicator, being fluent in 4 languages: English, Arabic, Farsi, and Urdu.

Leila finished her Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies in Ryerson University, Toronto and her Bachelor of Education in York University, Toronto. She is also an Ontario Certified teacher with more than 3 years of post-qualification experience. Furthermore, Maryam values innovative teaching approaches when it comes to instruction in all subjects including Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies.

Shalini Nagji

Grade 2B

Shalini obtained her Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning & Development from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995. In 2014, Shalini furthered her education and received a Master of Science in Education from the State University of New York as part of the program that was conducted in a Host School in Dubai.

Shalini has been in the UAE since 1996 and has over two decades of experience that she brings with her to Clarion.
During her early years, Shalini worked on campus throughout undergraduate years to help finance education. She is widely travelled and is keen on outdoor sport activities. Shalini is proficient in Hindi, basic French, and Malay. She loves Zumba & Yoga and an accomplished first ‘challenging’ trek in India in 2017!

She is raising two fantastic kids…and a Chihuahua!

Grade 3 Teaching Team

Juana Walcott

Grade 3A

Born and raised in USA, Juana joins Clarion as a Grade 3 teacher. She holds a BA in Psychology from the State University of NY and a Masters of Childhood Education & Literacy from Mount Saint Mary College.
Juana has been teaching primary students since 2013, mainly in Grades 3, 4 & 5. She takes pride in going above and beyond with providing engaging learning experiences for her students. She is determined to provide excellent education for all and, as an educator, Juana strives to build positive relationships with her students and their families.

Estelle de Vendegies

Grade 3B

Having been in the Middle East for over 6 years, Estelle joins Clarion from Kuwait, where she was a third-grade teacher. Among her responsibilities in Al Bayan Bilingual School, Kuwait, Estelle successfully used Whole Brain teaching methods to teach technology-based lessons in Math, Science, English and Art. In addition, she implemented the Tribes method to develop collaborative and academic skills as well as administering Fountas and Pinnell testing for student reading levels.

Estelle holds a BA in International Studies from DePaul University, Chicago, followed by a degree in Elementary Education from the University of West Florida. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

Grade 4 Teacher

Claire Movalli

Grade 4A

Claire was born and raised in the USA. She has been an educator in the United States for the past fourteen years. Over the last six years, Claire has taught Grades 5 and 6. Before that, she taught at the early elementary level in Grades Kindergarten - Grade 3. She received her bachelor’s and Master of Science degrees in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo.

Claire loves being a teacher! She is passionate about helping students feed their curiosity and develop the skills they need to grow emotionally and intellectually. She considers herself a lifelong learner and loves discovering and learning about new things and places.

Erin Sander

Grade 4B

Erin comes Clarion with eight years of teaching experience. She joins us from Dubai International Academy, where she served as a KG1 and Year 1 teacher. Erin received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications from the University of South Africa and her PGCE in Early Childhood Education from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Prior to earning her university degrees, she lived in the U.S. for two years where she worked as an au pair and was inspired to earn her teacher qualifications at university. Erin is a progressive/IB trained teacher who believes that children learn by doing. She encourages her students to explore the world around them, ask questions and problem-solve. Erin loves to read, travel and be around her family and friends. She became a teacher because of her love for children and to share the joy of learning.

Grade 5 Teacher

Ellen Miles

Grade 5

Ellen is a passionate educator with a knack for making learning exciting and enjoyable. She has a degree in Secondary English Education and Japanese Language from Appalachian State University. Her love for the Japanese language led her to continue her education at the Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies. After her teaching journey in Japan, she taught at a school in North Carolina, America. Eventually, Ellen moved to the UAE to pursue her professional career as an educator.

Grade 6 Teacher

Daniela Yela Gudino

Grade 6

Daniela joins Clarion from Ecuador where she was a Primary Mathematics and Science Leader at Colegio Menor Samborondon Nord Anglia Education. With a certification to teach mathematics by Stanford University, a master’s degree in Educational Technology and Innovation and over 10 years of experience, Daniela describes herself as a motivated, and goal-driven Primary school teacher with genuine passion for helping all students be the best version of themselves and accomplish all their individual goals.

Daniela is fluent in three languages: English, Portuguese and Spanish. She has also been accepted and admitted into Harvard University to continue her studies in School Management and Leadership.

Grade 7 Teacher

Stephanie Krakow

Grade 7

Stephanie is an enthusiastic teacher with experience in developing and implementing diverse curriculums. She is highly skilled at providing students with a conceptual understanding of mathematics. Stephanie obtained her Bachelor of Science in Middle Childhood-Early Adolescence/ESL degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a Certified Yoga and Wellness teacher and an advocate for mental health and well-being.

Stephanie believes in preparing her students for their roles in the future world and is dedicated to helping them develop a strong sense of communication, collaboration, confidence, and creativity.

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