Our teachers all hold Master's degrees or above, have international experience and are credentialed and qualified to teach the International Baccalaureate program. All have taught their subject matter for at least four years. We exchange the newest teaching methods with universities in Europe to reinforce the academic rigor of the Middle School. Graduates from these universities visit our school and assist in our classrooms.  Our teaching assistants speak English and German.

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Julia Mumme - Homeroom Teacher of Grade 8 and Teacher of Math

I was born and raised in Rinteln, Germany and studied at the Heinrich-Heine University in Duesseldorf, Germany. I lived in New Zealand and Australia before finishing my studies as a Gymnasium level teacher for mathematics and biology. I am enjoying teaching at GAIS.

Katharine Schatzler - Homeroom Teacher of Grade 7 and Teacher of English

Hello! I was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and studied French immersion throughout my elementary and secondary school years. I graduated secondary school with an honors bilingual degree and continued my linguistic and literacy studies in post-secondary education. I graduated from Laurentian University with an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree and then received an Honors Bachelor of Education degree from Lakehead University with focused teachable subjects of English Literacy, Language Arts and French as a second language. I've taught grades 4 through 8 for the past 7 years and continued my education by receiving a Specialist degree in teaching a second language. I also worked cooperatively with a group of Language Arts teachers to develop new programs and curriculum that are now applied in schools throughout Ontario. In addition, the past 2 years, I worked with second language teachers developing Literacy lessons which emphasized inferencing and higher-order thinking/communication skills. As a result, I had several opportunities to demonstrate and model these lessons to other teachers and School Board administrators. I believe in life-long learning and look forward to working and continuing my education at GAIS.

Amanda Afshar - Homeroom Teacher of Grade 6 and Teacher of Spanish and Humanities (English)

¡Hola! I have lived, studied, and taught in the U.S. State of Illinois most of my life. I received my Bachelor's of Science degree in Elementary Education from Illinois State University with endorsements in Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language, Spanish, Language Arts, and Humanities. I was a classroom teacher in a Spanish Bilingual Education program for the last 6 years and worked with students from grades 1-6. At the same time, I continued my studies and completed my Master's Degree in Educational Administration, as well as completed the technology training courses offered by Smart Board, Inc. I worked as the District Bilingual Program Advisor, the building data/technology training representative, and taught Grade 5 my last 2 years in Illinois. I am excited that my move to the Bay Area has brought me to GAIS.

Alex Norwood - Teacher of Math and Science

Hello! I was born and raised in Canada where I had recieved two degrees from Queen's University and University of Toronto. As an educator my goal is to apply my academic expertise and my learning experiences to dedicated global citizens. Since then, I have had four years of teaching experience in four different countries (Japan, Canada, Mexico and England) covering a breadth of topics ranging from ESL, science and mathematics. I am excited that my international experience has brought me to the Bay Area to work within the framework of the IB curriculum at GAIS. I am a big advocate for life long learning through academia and personal experiences, and I am looking forward to educating and preparing young dedicated global citizens at GAIS.

Eva Chase - Teacher of German & Art

I was born and raised in Erfurt, Germany, where I discovered my passion for teaching and foreign cultures. I studied in Basel, Switzerland, Montpellier, France and primarily in Freiburg, Germany, where I completed a Masters’ degree in teaching foreign languages, religion and geography. I have taught middle and high school for five years, mostly in Germany but also in France and India. Since I strongly believe that learning is not restricted to the classroom, I also led outdoor activity programs that promote teamwork and responsibility. Now, I am looking forward to moving to the Bay Area and exploring the world together with students from GAIS.

Nicole Mueller - Teacher of French and Humanities (German)

„Bonjour“ and „Güetun Tag“! No worries, I don’t expect anybody to understand the second phrase, as it is in the dialect of my mother tongue, Swiss German. I grew up in Switzerland in a region that is considered to be at “the foothills of the alps”, but I would say I am a real mountain girl. I love the mountains with all its sheep and cows, but I also love the sea. Now, I live up in “the city”, meaning that the mountain girl has moved to San Francisco. Of course, the surrounding of this place is very different from Switzerland, but I love it all the same.
I studied German, French and English to get my Master’s of Art in Secondary Education. While studying, I taught at a Middle School in Berne and for my end-of-studies internship, I came to GAIS in Menlo Park. I fell in love with that nice school on my first day and not in my wildest dreams would I have dared to imagine that one day, I could work there as a teacher. But, sometimes dreams do come true. So here I am: the French and Humanities teacher.

Amy Nathan - Teacher of Music

I grew up in Canada and earned my Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Toronto. My primary instrument is the flute, although I have also enjoyed playing others. I completed my teaching diploma in New Zealand, where I continued to teach Music for three years. I also taught for one year in Canada. I have taught band, orchestra as well as general music throughout my teaching career. I recently completed a course in the Orff Schulwerk approach to music education in San Francisco. I am really looking forward to bringing a new and exciting Music program with me to GAIS!

Janine Weers - Teacher of PE

„Moin Moin“! Here I am the new Head of PE from the north-west of Germany!
I was born and raised in a very small town and moved to Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, to pursue what I always wanted to be: a PE and English teacher! It may sound a little weird but I always loved going to school – the place in my small hometown where all my friends were and all the excitement happened! I graduated from the University of Oldenburg and came to California the first time to work as an AuPair and immediately fell in love with this beautiful place on earth! California ist he perfect place for a person who loves sports: running tracks, race bike tracks, basketball-, soccer-, volleyball- , ... fields, surfing spots, swimming, hiking and even skiing in the mountains! The perfect place to combine all my hobbies and follow my favorite sport: Basketball! I got my first teaching job at two different High Schools in Oldenburg where i have been working for three years before I got the oppurtunity to move to the Bay Area and work at this IB school. Now I am looking forward to taking advantage of these awesome PE facilities and explore it!

After-School Teacher

Zeinab Mukhaiche - After-School (Hort) Teacher

My name is Zeinab Mukhaiche. I was born in Beirut (Lebanon) but was raised in Baden-Wuerttenberg (Germany). I received my Child Development Diploma (Erzieherin) in Stuttgart 2003. I taught in a Preschool for a couple of years in Germany. Between 2006 - 2008 I was an AuPair in the Bay Area and during this time I fell in love with this country. That's when I decided to work as a teacher in an international school here in America. I am glad to be a part of the GAIS and very excited about this opportunity.

Katharina Hromas-Wood - After-School (Hort) Teacher