Early Years (Nursery and Kindergarten)
Mrs. Samantha Whiteside
- Head of Kindergarten
Teacher Samantha, originally from London, England, is an experienced educator with a strong background in international teaching. She spent five years in Spain teaching English and also worked at a large British international school in Cyprus. Samantha is passionate about helping students build confidence in reading and language through engaging and supportive lessons. She values fostering a love of learning and enjoys exploring new cultures. Having travelled to countries such as Panama, she is now very happy to have begun her journey in Thailand and is excited to be part of the ASIS community.
Miss Laura Perry
- Nursery Homeroom Teacher
Laura Perry, or Teacher Laura from the United States, is a passionate educator with experience teaching young learners in both the United States and Thailand. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and internationally accredited TEFL/TESOL qualifications, she has gained valuable experience teaching English to students from kindergarten through high school.
With experience teaching phonics and English language skills to Thai kindergarten students, she is skilled in lesson planning, classroom management, and creating engaging learning activities tailored to children’s needs. She is passionate about creating supportive learning environments where students can build confidence and develop a love for learning.
Miss. Zhang Lei
- Chinese Teacher
- Nursery Homeroom Teacher
Zhang Lei, or Teacher Zhang, from China, is an experienced educator with a strong background in language teaching and interpretation. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Thai from Yunnan University Dianchi College, she has three years of experience in oral interpretation and five years of teaching Chinese to children from kindergarten to primary school.
With her years of teaching experience across different age groups, she creates a relaxed and engaging classroom environment. She is skilled at understanding each child’s habits and personality to inspire their interest in learning Chinese, strengthen their confidence, and cultivate a positive attitude toward language learning. Her passion lies in helping students discover the joy of learning while developing essential communication and cultural understanding skills.
Primary School
Mr. Isidor Nikolic
- Head of PE, Sports and Outdoor Education
- Head of CCA and ECA
- Primary 1 Homeroom Teacher
Isidor Nikolic, or Teacher Isidor from Serbia, is a highly experienced Physical Education teacher, swim coach and volleyball coach with over 15 years of international teaching and coaching experience. Holding a Master’s degree in Physical Education, he has dedicated his career to promoting active lifestyles and youth development through sports and education.
In addition to his teaching expertise, he has extensive experience in volleyball coaching and leadership, and was awarded Coach of the Year for his contributions to sports development. He is passionate about inspiring students to develop healthy habits, teamwork skills, and confidence through physical activity.
Before joining ASIS, Teacher Isidor was the Head of Physical Education at a Norwegian International School in Hong Kong. He is delighted to be part of the ASIS community and looks forward to inspiring students to lead active, healthy lifestyles while developing confidence, teamwork and a lifelong love of sports.
Miss. Li Yangyuanyu
- Primary 1 Homeroom Teacher
- Chinese Teacher
Li Yangyuanyu , from Yunnan, China, is a passionate Chinese language educator. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Teaching Chinese as an International Language and has two years of teaching experience in Thailand, where she gained valuable cross-cultural teaching experience. In addition to teaching Chinese, she actively learns multiple languages and is able to communicate in both English and Thai, demonstrating strong international communication skills.
She is committed to integrating Chinese language education with multicultural understanding, helping students not only acquire language skills but also broaden their global perspectives and enhance cross-cultural communication abilities. She firmly believes that language is not only a tool for communication but also a window to understanding the world. Passionate about teaching and growing alongside her students, she strives to inspire their interest in learning while nurturing their confidence, self-discipline, and independent thinking skills.
Ms. Satinder Kaur
- CCA & ECA Coordinator
- PE and Sports Teacher
- English Teacher
- Primary 5 Homeroom Teacher
Satinder Kaur, or Teacher Satinder, is an accomplished educator, sports instructor and former national athlete with over four years of international teaching experience across India, South Korea, and Thailand. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sports Science at Chulalongkorn University through an ASEAN Scholarship, she holds strong academic and athletic credentials.
Beyond her teaching experience in Physical Education, English, Science, and Health, she is also a national champion in athletics, taekwondo, and karate. Her passion lies in helping students grow both academically and physically while building confidence, teamwork and lifelong healthy habits.
Teacher Chananya Ketkaew (Teacher Imm)
- Primary 4 Homeroom Teacher
- Thai Language Teacher
Teacher Chananya holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Mahamakut Buddhist University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Thai Language Education at the same institution. She has over 10 years of teaching experience, having served as a Thai language teacher for early childhood and primary students at Chumphae Kindergarten School in Khon Kaen. In addition, she has worked as a volunteer teacher, teaching Thai language and social studies to monks and novices in the general education program at a Buddhist monastic school.
Dedicated to continuous professional growth, Teacher Chananya is passionate about making Thai language learning creative, engaging, and easy to understand. She aims to inspire students to appreciate the beauty and value of the Thai language while also embracing the richness of Thai culture.
Teacher Jidapa Toonprakhon (Teacher Aon)
- Thai Language Teacher
Teacher Aon, holds a bachelor’s degree in Western Languages (German major) with a GPA of 3.95 and was a Thai-German Relationship Foundation (TDKS) scholar. She earned third place nationally in impromptu speech and received an honourable mention in multimedia.
Having grown up in an international environment, she brings cultural awareness and creativity to her classes. Aon has experience teaching in a bilingual school and tutoring Primary 6 students for EP entrance exams. She also works as a freelance digital painter, blending art and language to make learning engaging and enjoyable for her students.
Mr. Sviatoslav Blokhin (Teacher Stan)
- Primary 4 Homeroom Teacher
- ICT and Computer Science Teacher
Sviatoslav Blokhin, or Teacher Sviatoslav, is an experienced Computing, ICT, and STEM educator with a strong background in computer science and digital technology education. Holding a Specialist Degree (5 years programme and equivalent to a Master degree) in Information Security and a Diploma in Teacher Education, he has several years of teaching experience in computer science.
His expertise includes programming in Scratch and Python, robotics, computational thinking, and digital creativity through project-based and STEM learning approaches. Passionate about innovation in education, he strives to equip students with essential digital skills while encouraging creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
Prof. Juliano Baraqueti
- Head of Martial Art
- Jiu-Jitsu Head Coach
3rd-degree Black Belt Professor
30 years in Jiu-Jitsu — 20 dedicated to teaching
Technical lineage: Carlos & Hélio Gracie → Grand Master Flávio Behring → Prof. Juliano Baraqueti
Focus: social inclusion & development • educational Jiu-Jitsu • anti-bullying program • competitive Jiu-Jitsu
Coach to numerous world champions
Juliano Baraqueti is a 3rd-degree black belt professor with 30 years on the mats, 20 of them dedicated to teaching across multiple fronts. He leads initiatives for social inclusion and educational Jiu-Jitsu, anti-bullying programs, and high-performance training. He has coached numerous world champions and promotes the Doberman’s methodology with technical excellence, safety and respect for tradition.
Specialised in children and adolescents, he designs learning paths that develop emotional intelligence, self-control, self-esteem and self-confidence—preparing students for the challenges of sport and life. Guided by the 7-5-3 Code and the spirit of “Bushidō”, his mission is clear: “to form black belts on and off the mat”
Dr. Wayne McConnell
- Head of Music
Teacher Wayne from the UK is a highly qualified and experienced music educator and performer. He holds a PhD in Music from Khon Kaen University in Thailand, as well as a Master of Arts in Musicology and Piano Performance from ARU, Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Music from ARU, Cambridge, where he graduated with Upper Second Class honors.
With 16 years of teaching experience at the university level, Wayne has taught music at Khon Kaen University, specialising in jazz and music psychology. Prior to that, he was a lecturer in music and jazz piano tutor at the University of Chichester for 12 years. He is also the founder, director, and teacher at Brighton Jazz School.
A professional jazz pianist since 1995, Wayne has extensive expertise in jazz improvisation, music theory, and performance studies. Additionally, he has experience in digital film production and freelance video editing, blending his musical talents with his skills in multimedia.
Mr. Wataru Takagi
- Music Teacher
Born and raised in Luxembourg by Japanese parents, Wataru Takagi grew up in a multicultural European environment. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music, majoring in Jazz Bass Guitar, from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Following his career as a professional bass player, he moved into the education sector in 2016, specialising in teaching music, including solfège, ukulele and acoustic guitar, as well as English language instruction.
Before relocating to Khon Kaen, Wataru taught in Bangkok. Prior to that, he worked in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as well as in Melbourne, Australia, where he obtained a Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Melbourne Polytechnic
In addition to music, Wataru is passionate about travelling, learning foreign languages, and maintaining an active lifestyle through regular gym training. He also speaks and reads intermediate level Thai.
Mr. Rashid
- Primary 5 and 6 Homeroom Teacher
- Head of Mathematics
Mr. Rashid is an experienced educator with a strong background in mathematics and science. He holds a bachelor of science in applied mathematics from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a post-graduate diploma in teaching from the National Institute of Education (NIE) in Singapore, specialising in the teaching of mathematics and science at the primary level. His teaching career spans nearly two decades, starting at Yew Tee Primary School in Singapore from 2006 to 2012, where he taught primary mathematics and science, including foundation mathematics and gifted science programmes.
From 2012 to 2023, he taught at Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah, covering a wide range of subjects such as primary mathematics, secondary science and biology, secondary elementary and additional mathematics, as well as IB Diploma mathematics for grade 12 students Since 2023, he has been teaching at an international school in Bangkok, focusing on Singapore primary mathematics and science. With his extensive experience across different curricula, he is committed to fostering a deep understanding of mathematics and science while inspiring students to reach their full potential.
Mr. Jadon
- Primary Mathematics Teacher
- Primary Science Teacher
Mr. Jadon is a trained teacher from the National Institute of Education in Singapore, holding a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education specialising in Primary Education. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Studies with a second major in Business Studies from the established Nanyang Business School of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. He possesses over 4 years of teaching experience in Singapore and is very familiar with the Singapore Curriculum that is currently implemented at ASIS. His earlier engagement with Overseas Immersion Programme at the Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway and also at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand have helped him developed deep cultural capital to operate well in a multi-cultural environment.
Prior to joining ASIS, he already had extensive teaching experience in Thailand, having spent several years with International Schools in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. He has served as the chief Math Olympiad trainer in these schools and also the Science coordinator at the International School in Chiang Mai. With his vast background in working with young learners where English may not be their first language, he is able to utilise varied learning methods to help them engage with the subject despite their language difficulty.
Mr.Jayan Ravendra
- English Coordinator
- Primary 3 Homeroom Teacher
Mr. Jayan, is an experienced English educator from Singapore. His expertise lies in English Language and Literature and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Language and Literature and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics (TESOL) from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and is also CELTA-certified.
With over six years of teaching experience in Singapore, Mr. Jayan has taught both Primary and Secondary students in enrichment settings. His experience includes curriculum planning, lesson delivery, assessment, and providing detailed feedback. He has worked with a diverse range of local and international learners and is well-versed in Singapore-based curricula and exam-focused requirements.