With international experience spanning four continents, meet our English Teacher Katie Keen

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU ARRIVED IN ABU DHABI

I’ve been teaching English for 16 years, with 12 of those as Head of English in three Nord Anglia schools in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North America!

I studied Literature and Cultural Histories, and then moved on to complete my Postgraduate Certificate in Education in English, Drama and Media Studies before I began my career in the UK. My first role was in a challenging school, where I quickly learnt the importance of creating ‘high quality’ learning environments. I discovered that children needed innovative teaching and learning practices, to ensure they flourished and had a personal desire and drive to achieve. Shortly afterwards I was awarded a ‘Raising Achievement Champion’!

Then I had the opportunity to join Nord Anglia’s first bilingual school in Vietnam, as the founding Head of English, and it felt like a role that I was really destined for. After four wonderful years, I moved to join the founding team as Head of English at Nord Anglia International School Dubai. In addition to working with an inspiring team there, I helped the school achieve outstanding academic success, guiding students to celebrate some of the best IGCSE and IB results in the UAE.

WHAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT JOINING NAS ABU DHABI?

I love the fact that despite having only lived in the Middle East for four years, I actually feel like I’m coming home. I’m so excited about joining NAS Abu Dhabi and having the privilege to work and grow in such an amazing building with world-class facilities and teachers. However, by far the greatest thing I am looking forward to is being involved with this exciting adventure in another founding school and creating a community.

The pandemic brought to the forefront the importance of wellbeing for ourselves and those around us, and perhaps even more so, our international community. During this time I learnt the value of yoga and mindfulness and these have become my hobbies and an area I have integrated into the classroom.

Having been part of several amateur drama groups in my teens and ‘treading the boards’ for ten years – which I thoroughly enjoyed – the theatre is my other happy place. However, I am more often found nowadays in the audience or supporting our talented youngsters in school productions. When my mind wanders, I find myself once again performing on stage or on a blockbuster film set!

WHAT DO YOU FEEL MOST PASSIONATELY ABOUT IN EDUCATION?

My first passion is undoubtedly being in the classroom and learning with my students about my students. As I see them grow and develop in confidence - taking risks and asking questions – I get inspired to do the same with my teaching. Alongside my students, I’m passionate about exploring new ways to collaborate, think critically, be creative and build effective, transferrable skills in communication.

Ultimately, high quality teaching is about personalisation and ownership, creating curricula that is progressive, ambitious and student-centred through choice. That’s central to my passion - I have to know how my students learn. I’m currently researching new ways to effectively deliver and encourage enquiry-based learning (exploration, high-level questioning and real-world connections) in the English classroom.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ONCE THE SCHOOL OFFICIALLY OPENS IN AUGUST?

I’m most looking forward to preparing our students as global citizens, ready for the challenges of further study worldwide. It’s an attribute that I nurture and is personally close to my heart as someone who has lived in four distinctly different countries. I believe a classroom should be a place of safety and belonging, and in recent years I have committed myself to the integration of Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity in the English classroom.

In relation to this, I am passionate about researching and introducing authors to my students who reflect, and relate to, the diverse, enriching, multi-cultural community of international schools. I love that my subject asks students to think outside the box and relate texts to the society in which they live, and the wider world they will explore.

Want to learn more about the incredible team at our school? Let's introduce you to our Executive Principal, Liam Cullinan.