Ellen Claessens

Grade 1

I was born in Belgium and began my international experience at the age of 9. Due to my parent’s work, I lived a few exciting years in Lima, Peru, and later moved to and graduated high school in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. I then returned home to Belgium where I obtained the equivalent of a Bachelors’ degree in Teaching and a Masters’ degree in Special Needs and Remedial Teaching.

I taught in a special needs school for children with mental handicaps and severe behavioural problems in Belgium for nine years before arriving at IST in July, 2005, to work as an Early Childhood Student Services Teacher. In January of 2007, I started teaching Grade One at IST and am still doing so.