Meet the New Teacher – Alexandra Alford – Primary Year 3 Teacher

Meet the New Teacher – Alexandra Alford – Primary Year 3 Teacher

Introducing our new Year 3 teacher – Alex Alford


Alexandra (Alex) trained and qualified as a teacher 13 years ago in Birmingham in the UK and completed a PGCE SCITT course in inner city schools.

“I initially went into education after working with development aid agencies for children, I wanted more direct interaction, working with kids as opposed to just working for kids. I really like working with kids.

Two years after qualifying in the UK, I moved to Kuwait where I worked my way up the ladder to SLT level at The British School of Kuwait. That is where I met my husband and retired from the Army accepting a job in Brunei at the Hornbill School, back in the classroom as a teacher where I taught the children of the famed Gurkha regiment as well as children of other serving personnel.  After a year or two in Brunei, we decided to start a family. My son Arthur, who is now 5 and going into Year 1 next year, was born in Brunei. I kept up with the Army theme teaching the children of service personnel in Germany, and as the army withdraws and schools close, we decided to return to South East Asia.

My husband is also training to be a primary teacher and our son is starting Year 1 at Bangkok Patana School. We really enjoy rollerskating and I recently did a course in meditation and mindfulness. I am also doing some online courses including a TEFL. I just finished the Middle Leadership Course in the UK and the MPQML.

I think it is really important that a teacher must be able to relate to kids or it won’t work. You need to be a good listener, be kind, understanding, caring, nurturing and consistency and fairness. Be motivated and organised – you need to be as a teacher. It helps to be funny and you need to be flexible, positive and encouraging.

Year 3 is a really important year for the children as they move from KS 1 to KS 2 – my job is to make them as comfortable and as happy as they can be. They come in a little bundle of nerves and worry and I want to send them out confident and happy, having had an ace year and learning loads.

I want to make sure they come out buzzing and confident at the end of Year 3 with all the skills they need to know for the next years.  I want them to reach their potentials.

I will do the best I can for them and get the best out of them. They will be safe and happy, and I will care for them as if they were my own. I do look at them like I am borrowing them on a daily basis.

Learn about all our new teachers here: https://www.patana.ac.th/new-teachers-2019-20/

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