Teachers
KAIS's teachers are the foundations of our educational environment. The educators at KAIS are carefully chosen for their dedication to building intellect, curiosity, and academic success in their students. Our staff is a diverse and exclusive mix of lifelong professional educators from around the world. All of our teachers are native English speakers who hold teaching certification and extensive experience in their field of expertise from their home countries. They are at KAIS because they believe that international education can simultaneously be both academically rigorous and creatively inspiring.
Staff Profiles
-
Jonathan Yaffe Principal
Jonathan Yaffe was raised in California, where his interests bridged both literature and science. He is a graduate of one of the top universities in the U.S., the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Education. Mr. Yaffe is also a published poet, founded the UC Berkeley Poetry Slam, and has competed in many international poetry competitions. Prior to his role of principal at KAIS International School, he taught poetry at UC Berkeley in California and UPTC University in Colombia, and was most recently the Academic Coordinator at Kikokushijo Academy. Jonathan speaks four languages and has been to over seventy countries.
-
Charles Knudsen Headmaster
Charles Knudsen has been living and teaching in Japan for over ten years. He served as the Head of Curriculum Development of the returnee program at Shibuya Junior and Senior High School (Shibu Shibu) until April, 2005. He is a classical pianist and the author of an English language text, Stranger than Fiction, published by Naundo. Mr. Knudsen is the father of two boys, Leo and Andy, and resides in Tokyo. In his spare time, Mr. Knudsen enjoys playing the piano and reading. Mr. Knudsen is also the principal at Kikokushijo Academy.
-
Thomas House Assistant Principal of Academics
Thomas House was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He studied at Southern Illinois University, where he majored in Secondary English Education. Mr. House taught at a local high school in rural southern Illinois before moving to Tokyo six years ago. He was most recently the Academic Coordinator at KAIS. He enjoys designing multidisciplinary curriculum and is an avid baseball player.
-
Misako Horikawa Director
Coming Soon
-
Christopher Colucci Athletic Director and Head of Social Studies Department
Coming Soon
-
Elspeth Dick Director of Math and Science
Coming Soon
-
Em Bettinger Yoga Teacher
Em is a popular Tokyo-based yoga instructor known for her classes at Sun & Moon Yoga and KAIS International School. Prior to moving to Japan, Em performed and taught contemporary dance to both children and adults in the UK. She started teaching dance at the age of 15 as an assistant at the dance school she was attending. She was introduced to yoga through her dance studies at The Laban School for Contemporary Dance and Middlesex University and yoga became her passion while living in Tokyo. She is currently training to be a Health Counsellor with a specialty in nutrition.
-
John Moore Organic Gardening Teacher
Coming Soon
Working at KAIS:
We are always looking for vibrant, creative, dedicated geniuses to join our team. We require a teaching or master’s degree, at least 3 years of applicable classroom experience, and a passion for international education. Please send a cover letter, resume, and a recent photo to: apply@kaischool.com
