Elizabeth Jendek
Elizabeth was born and raised in Canada. She has a degree in Fine Arts, where she focused on sculpture and painting, as well as a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University, where she was accepted into the prestigious Artist in the Community (ACE) program. She is a qualified Primary/Junior teacher and Senior Visual Arts teacher. Over her twenty-five-year career, she has taught EAL, and elementary/ middle school art and has been the TCIS HS Art teacher for the last thirteen years. Her students have been accepted at top 10 art schools, including the University of the Arts London, Parsons, SAIC, and Pratt. A dedicated professional, Elizabeth received the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Private Educational Association of Samutprakarn in 2018. Elizabeth has had a life-long love of art and history. She has used her travels to visit many of the world's most famous art collections and has twice participated in an archaeological dig in Greece at a 3,500-year-old Mycenaean site through the Iklaina Field School Project that is run by the University of St. Louis, Missouri. As a vegetarian and educator, she is always cautious of her environmental footprint and believes care for our planet should be embedded in all learning. She runs a classroom that is focused on sustainability as well as creativity and exploration. Elizabeth has been the Head of the Arts Department for six years.
Emily Lacroix
Ms. Emily teaches 4th grade here at TCIS. Not only is this her first year at TCIS, but she is also new to Thailand. Ms. Emily has taught both 3rd and 4th grade in Colorado for the past 3 years. She believes in the whole child teaching approach, in that each learner has their own interest, abilities, and needs. She values relationships and laughter in the classroom, and believes that those are the biggest motivators for learning. Ms. Emily is very excited for the memories and growth that will be made within her classroom this year!
Gabriel Jose Flores
Gabriel Flores is from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Flores is a passionate educator with a strong academic foundation and a love for inspiring young minds. He earned his Bachelor of Education in Primary Education from Queen’s University in 2015 and is a licensed teacher in Canada (Ontario College of Teachers) and the United Kingdom (Qualified Teacher Status).
With over a decade of international teaching experience in the UK and Thailand, Mr. Flores is dedicated to nurturing internationally minded, responsible, and respectful global citizens who strive to make a positive impact on their communities and the wider world.
Mr. Flores joined TCIS in 2023 as the Grade 3B Homeroom Teacher.
Outside of the classroom, Gabriel Flores loves reading, traveling, and supporting the Detroit Lions!
Gerardine (Gigi) Perez
Gerardine Perez, or as most people know her "Ms. Gigi", was born and raised in Lucena, Philippines. Ms. Gigi has a BA Education degree, a Master of Education in International Teaching, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Early Years Care and Education. She has over 24 years of experience in teaching and motivating young learners at international schools throughout Bangkok. Although Ms, Gigi has dedicated almost half of her life to teaching, her passion for instilling a love of learning in each one of her students remains undiminished. In her spare time, you will find her sipping coffee, immersed in the latest Korean soap operas, and planning her next trip overseas.
Grace (Bell) Khaobanna
Ms. Grace Khaobanna (Ms. Bell) has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City, Philippines. She took her Teacher’s Professional Degree with a Major in Education at Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. Her license comes from Kurusapha, The Teachers Council of Thailand. Ms. Bell has worked at TCIS as an early childhood and primary teacher since the year 2000.
Ms. Bell has experience in teaching first grade and as an ESL Support Teacher for Grades 2-4. She considers her passion for teaching to be a gift and tries to inject that into her classes. She believes that the more excited you are, the more excited your students will be.
Guy Russo
Mr. Guy is a first-year teacher at TCIS, where he teaches 5th Grade English and 7th and 8th Grade Social Studies. Originally from the United States, he spent five years teaching high school at a public school in Nashville, Tennessee, and later led discussion sections for a Southeast Asian history course at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He enjoys teaching about diverse cultures and histories while helping students find their voice as readers, writers, and thinkers. Outside the classroom, Mr. Guy loves swimming, music, and traveling.
Jian-Cheng (Mateo) Hong
Mr. Mateo (洪健程, Jian-Cheng Hong) was born and raised in Taiwan and holds a Master’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from National Taiwan Normal University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Chinese Literature from National Kaohsiung Normal University. He is a licensed teacher in Taiwan with over seven years of international teaching experience in Panama, Mongolia, and Vietnam.
Passionate about multiculturalism and languages, he has self-taught Japanese, Spanish, and Vietnamese, earning the JLPT N2 in Japanese and the C1 Vietnamese Language Proficiency Certificate.
In 2022, he was honored with the Best Research Paper Award (Student Category) in the OCAC Research Paper Awards for his outstanding academic work. With his expertise in Chinese language teaching and foreign language skills, he strives to inspire and support every student in reaching their full potential.
Hsiang Yun (Vicky) Huang
Ms. Vicky is a dedicated educator with a background in teaching Chinese language and culture in various international contexts, including Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Czech Republic. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching Chinese as an International Language (MATCIL) with academic distinction. She was on the Dean's Honor list from the Education University of Hong Kong. Over nearly a decade of teaching in Thailand, she has had the privilege of contributing to developing Chinese language education.
Ms. Vicky has held roles such as Head of the World Language Department at an American international school in Thailand. She has experience teaching Advanced Placement (AP) Chinese and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), reflecting her commitment to effective language instruction.
In 2017, Ms. Vicky shared her insights on the future of Chinese education in Thailand during an interview with DaAi TV. Since 2019, she has been involved with the World of Chinese Magazine as an overseas editorial committee member, contributing to discussions on language education. She has also conducted more than 30 teacher workshops and lectures at various institutions, including those in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.
In 2022, Ms. Vicky was honored with the Outstanding Leadership Award at the Education 2.0 International Conference, recognizing her efforts in international education.
Ms. Vicky is a lifelong learner who values personal and professional growth. She is dedicated to supporting the academic and personal development of TCIS students and embraces the belief that "education is the process of using life to influence life." She looks forward to bringing her passion and experience to the educational community at TCIS.
Hsing Yun (Jamie) Peng
Ms. Jamie (HsingYun Peng) has been teaching Chinese in Thailand for 16 years, since 2006. In the first 8 years, she taught in 2 universities and a public school. In 2014, she started teaching at TCIS. Ms. Jamie grew up in Taiwan, was educated in Traditional Chinese, and majored in Chinese language and literature at university. This background has equipped her well with the knowledge and skills to teach Chinese. Ms. Jamie has extensive knowledge of Chinese culture and literature as well as the teaching techniques and approaches for Chinese as second language students. Ms. Jamie has two Master’s degrees, one in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from National Taiwan Normal University and another in Bilingual Education from Rangsit University.
Hsiu-Hua (Jane) Tseng
Ms. Jane completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Chinese Literature from Soochow University (東吳大學) in Taipei, Taiwan. She successfully passed the Certification Examination for Proficiency in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. Ms. Jane has been a Chinese teacher at TCIS since 2001 and has accumulated a wealth of teaching experience, especially teaching native speakers. She received the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Overseas Community Affairs Council Republic of China in 2018. Teaching is Ms. Jane's passion, and seeing her students making progress every day is what makes her happy.