Jeff Morey
I grew up in Canada where I also studied to be a teacher at the University of Calgary. Upon graduating I moved to Japan for ‘a year or two’ of teaching internationally. 26 years later I am still teaching abroad at UWC Thailand. Through my travels I have also taught in England, Taiwan and a quick 2 year repatriation to Canada to find out that I was more suited to shorts and t-shirts year round.
Being outdoors has always been a big part of my life. At UWC Thailand, a school that sees the merits of outdoor learning, I feel lucky to have met with other like minded educators who are eager to rethink what a classroom is. Having the permission and encouragement of the school to get outside of the traditional four walled classroom has opened my eyes to so many possibilities for deepening connections to our environment while maintaining a curriculum focus.
Though I have had experience teaching all ages in the primary school setting, for the past 5 years I have been working with Grade 1 students. I value building strong relationships with my students and encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones. Learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable is an important mantra with our young learners. For many, a reading lesson in the jungle (with ants!) or taking their math lesson to the beach (…so sandy!) can gently reconnect students with nature while simultaneously developing a sense of stewardship of those spaces.
Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my wife and son at the beach or in our backyard chatting and chilling out. I also enjoy pretending to be a rock star with my buddies, preparing our band for local gigs and parties a few times each year. Travelling has also always been a major component of my life and I always look forward to new adventures with my family during the school holidays.
