Michael Anderson
International School Director
B.Sc (hons), PGCE
Dear Parents/Carers.
My name is Michael Anderson and for 25 years I have been working at international schools in Asia. I have derived considerable enjoyment and growing insight about educating children and how to create happy school communities made up of local and expatriates in countries including Laos, Thailand and China. By looking back on my educational journey; firstly, as a classroom teacher and for the past 15 years as a headmaster or deputy headmaster, allow me to share with you some of the qualities and skills children need to possess forming the foundation for a successful international school. These include:
- High literacy proficiency in several languages
- High mathematical, scientific and computing proficiency
- Open-mindedness, cultural appreciation and respect
- Life-long recreational activities involving various arts and physical activities
- Ability to readily adapt to changing circumstances.
I recently spent the past three years setting up Heathfield International School in Vientiane, Laos. This involved designing the campus, and afterwards, attending to the challenges of recruiting staff, writing polices and procedures, communicating with stakeholders and the joy of welcoming students, parents and staff. Managing a school and witness it grow from having a handful of children to becoming a thriving institution was incredibly joyful and enriching.
Previously, I spent two years assisting with the founding of Eton House International School in Wuxi, China. It was during this time that I acquired a lasting passion for China including a deep interest with its myriad of cultures, customs, languages, arts, famous landmarks, along with institutions such as schools, universities, sporting and cultural centres of excellence.
Thailand is where I maintain a home with my Thai wife Geow, who also works in international schools. Having worked as the senior administrator at several excellent international schools in Bangkok including St. Stephen’s IS and Heathfield IS, I have acquired a soulful appreciation of the richness of Thai culture, language and way of life.
Life-long happiness, above all else, underpins my educational philosophy. Whenever challenges are presented, and there are many setting up an international school and attending to daily management issues, for me it all comes back to the fundamental premise of happiness and what needs to be done. This involves diligent work, endless hours of perseverance, collaborating with colleagues, confronting disappointment with positivity, modifying goals and being willing to try again. When success is achieved, it should be celebrated and shared. I strongly endorse open communication and being transparent with all stakeholders. Accountability is important, along with acceptance and appreciation. I have learnt that there can be multiple solutions to a problem and to find solutions, it involves reaching out to all parties within the school community. During times of stress, I like to take a step back and spend time reflection. This may involve thinking, reading a book, going for a run or cycle, even playing the guitar – all hobbies of mine – it brings clarity and enables me to make good decisions.
Leadership of schools is multifaceted, though for me, as mentioned in my introduction, it all comes back to the tenant of happiness.
I look forward to meeting everybody associated with MIS and continue the creation of an acclaimed school achieving its goals underpinned by its mission statement and values, focusing on high standards in a safe and happy environment. Ultimately enabling students to become lifelong learners able to thrive in an ever changing world.
Li Jiali
EDUCATION BACKGROUND
Native speaker(CHINESE)
Master Degree in Chinese International Education of Huaqiao University
- English Major Level TEM-8
- High school English teacher qualification certificate, 4 years of Cambridge children’s English teaching experience.
- Thailand teacher qualification certificate, 12 years of Chinese teaching experience in Thai elementary, junior high and high school.
- Hanban “Excellent Chinese Teacher Volunteer”in 2013
- Awarded “Thailand Model Chinese Teacher of the Year” in 2020
- Once served as the head teacher of the Chiangmai province of Hanban, and was received by Premier Li Keqiang as a representative of outstanding teachers.
- Served as the Chinese principal In Kwangtong school for 7.5 years, with fruitful results and rich management experience.
- For 11 consecutive years, organize and organize the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK\YCT) for more than 1,000 students every year.
- Good at applying to top universities in China for students
文华国际学校的开办彻底解决了旅泰华人子女的学业无法与国内衔接的问题,也是泰国华文教育从外语教学转变为母语教学的里程碑式标志。我们将东方教育哲学与西方教育理念相结合,让学生能够自由发挥个性和特长。以沉浸式的教学模式在纯中文语境的模式下学习中文,探索新的教学模式构建新的教学体系,帮助学生形成正确的世界观、人生观和价值观。
文华国际学校旨在通过有挑战性的课程让学生自觉把控自身学习的状态与进度、培养学生对学习的信心和责任感。同时,文华开设的具有学术高度的中国和英国国际课程为学生提供了通往成功所需要的优异学术能力和语言水平。在文华,我们教育并培养学生成为一个独立的学习者和一个具有批判性思维的思考者
The opening of the Mandarin International School has completely solved the problem that the Chinese children living in Thailand cannot connect with their domestic studies in China. It is also a milestone sign of the transformation of Chinese education in Thailand transfer from foreign language teaching to mother tongue teaching. We combine Eastern educational philosophy with Western educational philosophy, so that students can freely display their individuality and expertise. Learn Chinese in a pure Chinese context with an immersive teaching model, explore new teaching models to build a new teaching system, and help students form a correct world outlook, outlook on life and values.
Mandarin International School aims to allow students to consciously control their own learning status and progress through challenging courses, and to cultivate students’ confidence and sense of responsibility in learning. At the same time, the academically advanced UK Curriculum and Chinese curriculum offered by MIS provide students with the excellent academic ability and Language proficiency needed for success. At MIS, we educate and train students to become independent learners and critical thinkers
Teachers have borders, but education has no borders. Globalization needs globalized language training, globalized vision, globalized personality, globalized thought process, and globalized education. MIS Mandarin International School was born to meet the demand of such times and shares that global vision, combining the modern concept of oriental wisdom and western education philosophy together. Through leveraging an immersive English and Chinese bilingual curriculum, supplemented by excellent teaching credentials and teaching experiences, with an entrepreneurial spirit in mind, we bring to children a unique educational experience to help them grow to be competitive individuals.
Kindness
A renowned Chinese educator Mr. Tao Xingzhi said, “Health is the starting point of life, and also the starting point of education.” Dante Alighieri, the Renaissance pioneer, also said, “Love is the seed of virtue.” I could not have agreed more. Shaping a moral character and awakening the kindness within a child’s heart is the first and foremost point that education needs to address. To be compassionate is to shine lights onto hearts of others, not just one’s own. Kindness conquers all. MIS Mandarin International School’s mission is to spread kindness and plant moral flowers all around us.
Independence
Love and respect go hand in hand. Every child is unique in his or her own existence–talents, hobbies, and strengths. In order to maximize a child’s proactiveness and allowing them to be more assertive, education needs to give children the independent space to develop. Hence, MIS Mandarin International School has established measures around cultural immersion, infrastructural development, management coordination to help children to be more proactive in managing their education, life, and capabilities, helping them to maximize their highest potentials.
4C’s
Who will dominate the new world? In this informational 21st century, “communication”, “collaboration”, “critical thinking”, and “creativity” are essential skills to possess. MIS Mandarin International School utilizes innovative teaching methods and dynamic community events, to help develop their collaborative spirits, igniting sparks amongst cultural exchanges to craft a unique mindset and increase innovative capabilities. At the same time, the school engages in an open mentality, encouraging children to question, to communicate, to imagine, and to express themselves.
Exploration
Amongst today’s technologies, students not only need knowledge to open their minds, but they also need to have an exploratory spirit. There is a Chinese proverb: If you don’t hike, you don’t know how high the sky can be; if you don’t go deep into the stream, you don’t know how thick the earth can be. Bold assumptions and diligent verification of such assumptions can lead to fulfilling life’s challenges. MIS Mandarin International School leverages STEAM education as the basis of the curriculum, crossing limitations of various subjects, to provide an exploratory foundation for children that are passionate about exploration. We want children continuously to try, to experiment, to accumulate experiences, and to become talents with comprehensiveness scientific research capabilities.
Global Vision
The world has become a global community and it is important to have a global view. Vision drives the height of the future. Be tolerant of diversity; tolerance is a virtue. MIS Mandarin International School aims to provide a multifaceted platform that combines a blended curriculum of Chinese, Cambridge English, and Thai to help children to become multilingual and become winners at the beginning of the race. The established long-term collaborations with various universities are also enablers for exchange programs in China and study abroad opportunities in Europe and America.
Persistence allows one to walk further; a thinker conjures up new ideas; a reader extracts reasons through sundry readings and applies these reasons after the accumulation of knowledge. Education is a lifelong journey and its pursuit shall be endless. We strive to be virtuous, studious, practical, and innovating as our march on the journey continues.
Ms Tanyalak Srisawat
School Director
M.Ed. from Ramkhamhaeng University.
Ms Tanyalak Srisawat (Kru Tonhom) has a Bachelor’s Degree of Engineering from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, a Graduate Diploma in Teaching Profession at Chandrakasem Rajabhat University, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration at Ramkhamhaeng University. She has worked at MIS as the School Director since 2021.
Since Kru Tonhom graduated in the Teaching Profession in 2008, she has accumulated experience teaching and has developed many teaching courses for many years. It inspired and motivated her to improve Thailand’s education, so she enrolled and graduated in Educational Administration in 2011 and started her new career path in school management. She had managed many private schools, vocational colleges, and bilingual schools. She developed many Start-Up schools’ curricula and performed duties as founding College Director when she was at a vocational college. Now it’s still new to her for performing duties School Director in an international school. However, it is a challenge that she is ready to work hard to develop the quality of Mandarin International School to be an international school with educational standards that are internationally accepted.