Mark Blacklee

Hello, it is lovely to meet you! My name is Mark Blacklee and I was born in East Grinstead, UK; however, I spent most of my life in sunny Worthing, on the South coast. I have an undergraduate degree from the Open University, UK. My core units were Childhood/ Youth, English Language and Social Science. I thoroughly enjoyed this period of study which acted as a firm foundation for my post graduate training. To complement this qualification, I then continued to obtain my PGCE from UPHSD. More recently, I am about to complete my Masters in Education (ESOL). I have lived in Thailand for seven years and love the lifestyle, also the people. I formerly lived and worked in Bangkok for nearly three years, teaching the five core subjects: Reading, Listening, GMS, FMS and Free Ex, to KG1. After this, I moved away from the city to rural Phetchaburi, for a year and a half. Here I taught the kindergarten classes all the way to Year 6 Language and Phonics. It was amazing as the only English spoken in the area was at school and it helped me learn Thai. It really was traditional Thailand and an amazing experience. The lure of Phuket was too much and I have now been here working here on the island as a Primary homeroom teacher for three and a half years. I joined HeadStart in 2020 and feel privileged to continue working at such an amazing school. I am a very hands-on teacher and strongly believe TPR and lots of encouragement is the key for young learners. I always provide lessons with plenty of enthusiasm, professionalism and knowledge. I believe in giving my students confidence and supporting them in every way through their academic journey. I will always be there for them, whenever they need me. Hobby wise, I am a keen surfer and kite boarder, also a registered UK instructor for both BKSA and BSUPA. If I have any spare time I like gardening and restoring old two stroke motorcycles. Additionally, I have ten rescue cats to keep me busy. I try to promote a healthy, fun, active lifestyle and believe a positive learning environment is the key to a fantastic year ahead. Welcome to Year 3 Blue!