Mark Blacklee

Hello, it is fantastic to meet you. My name is Mark and I was born in East Grinstead; however, I spent most of my home life in sunny Worthing, on the South coast of England. I have an undergraduate degree from the Open University, UK. My core units were childhood/ youth, language and social science. To complement this qualification, I continued to obtain my Postgraduate Certificate in Education from UPHSD. Additionally, I also have a M.Ed. with a specialisation in English to Speakers of Other Languages, from Fort Hays State University. I have lived in Thailand for over eight years and love the lifestyle, also the people. I formerly lived and worked in Bangkok for three years, teaching the five core subjects: reading, listening, GMS, FMS and free ex, to KG1 students. After this, I moved away from the bustle of the city to rural Phetchaburi. Here, I taught 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 really helped me learn Thai. The lure of Phuket was too much and I have now been here working here on the island as a Primary homeroom teacher for four 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 with lots of encouragement is very important for young learners. I always provide lessons with plenty of enthusiasm, professionalism and knowledge. I also believe in giving my students confidence and supporting them in every way through their academic journey. Hobby wise, I am a keen surfer and kite boarder, also being a registered UK instructor for both BKSA and BSUPA. If I have any spare time I like gardening, restoring old two stroke motorcycles, and not forgetting my lovely eleven 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 1 Yellow!