October 30th 2013

Supporting Statement for Sean Thompson To whom it may concern, It gives me great pleasure in providing a supporting statement for Sean Thompson. Sean Thompson worked at Makuhari International School from September 2011 until April 2012. In my role as Deputy Head and Head of Curriculum I was his direct line manager. Sean initially contacted the school to work as a substitute teacher alongside his study but we were fortunate enough to convince Sean to join us in as a Grade 6 homeroom teacher when an unexpected availability arose. Through taking this role with our first graduating class who were challenging both academically and socially, Sean proved himself a both a talented, reliable and hardworking teacher. In the following months Sean took the class through exam preparation to graduation with great skill and the excellent grades our graduates achieved were in no small part down to his efforts. As a teacher Sean has many strengths. He is child centred and builds excellent relationships with pupils and staff and he is formal and appropriate with parents, with many appreciating his excellent Japanese skills. His I.B. inquiry based approach was evident in his approach to and his attention to detail with all his planning was always impressive and catered to all learning styles. Whilst his curriculum strength of Information Communication Technology (I.C.T.) was abundantly clear, what always impressed me the most was that Sean was always willing and able to contribute to every area of school life. His organization for and tireless energy throughout our first Grade 6 residential trip was just one example of his commitment to the children under his care. As an I.C.T. specialist, Sean very much led the schools development in I.C.T. as the key member of our I.C.T. team and gave teachers much professional development and expertise above and beyond his expected role. He integrated technology into the curriculum appropriately and introduced concepts such as blogging, using Voice Thread and video technology to his students. He also shared, without any hesitation, initiatives from his own private study (such as Moodle) with the school and colleagues. As a colleague Sean was a friendly and popular member of the staff who was well respected and admired. He came prepared to all meetings and is not afraid to share his opinions which are usually positive and forward looking. When decisions did not go his way, Sean would duly knuckle down and do what was required. He was always open to the opinions of others and took constructive advice willingly. A person always looking to better himself and pursue Professional Development at every opportunity, he is indeed a Lifelong Learner in every sense of the word. I would recommend Sean to you without hesitation and consider him to be an asset to any future employer. Yours faithfully, Nicholas Gunn B.A., P.G.C.E., N.P.Q.H. Deputy Head of School deputyhead@mis.ed.jp