Teachers

In Derek's own words.... Roaming Schoolhouse is #BestJobEver. Originally, I got involved to save this invaluable service from closure, initially for his own children but now after 11 years of involvement, I have lost count of the number of children that have spoken English, had fun and made friends through our classes and camps. 700? 1,000? With CELTA and Jolly Phonics training as my qualifications, there's nothing I like to see more than the look of dawning realisation on a child's face.

With the move of RSH becoming an association in 2022, Derek stepped back from his day-to-day duties of running RSH, and became president of the association. People with questions on RSH classes, camps or administrative details, should contact Gillian, Jennie, or Pardiese, on team@roamingschoolhouse.com

Gillian joined us in 2013 from Germany and was appointed Head Teacher in March 2014. She has taught at all levels in the UK, as well as having trained with OFSTED and advising on literacy and languages in Ealing. She hails from Chalfont St Peter in Bucks. In 2020, with her move to Germany and semi-retirement, she became Head of Online Content and Camp Director for RSH.

With the move of RSH becoming an association, Gillian also took on management responsibilities for the association, in her capacity as Camps and Online Content manager.

Jennie joined Roaming Schoolhouse in 2011, becoming Head Teacher in September 2020. She has two Master’s degrees in Education, with specialisms in applied linguistics and children and young people’s worlds. She also teaches IELTS preparation to young adults and is a qualified CELTA teacher. Originally from England, Jennie lived in Austria for five years before moving to France. Her bilingual daughter has just graduated from university in England. When not teaching, Jennie enjoys baking, knitting or sewing at home, and swimming with her diving club.

With the move of RSH becoming an association, Jennie also took on management responsibilities for the association, as the Pedagogical Manager.

Pardiese joined us in late 2019, to help with the administrative side of RSH. With a Bachelor’s in International Relations/ Economics and an MBA, she started her work life as an English teacher in Japan, moving on to work with both small and large businesses before coming to RSH. Pardiese also teaches English to engineering students, and occasionally fills in for RSH classes and camps. As the mother of 2 bilingual children, she certainly knows what RSH parents are going through in the choices they face for their children’s education. Originally from the US, Pardiese has also lived in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Japan, before coming to France 22 years go. When not working for RSH or teaching, Pardiese is very involved in singing classical music, singing with both the Paris Choral Society and the American Cathedral choir.

With the move to RSH becoming an association, Pardiese took on the role of Administrative Manager within the management team.

Alison joined us in 2020 after teaching in Italy for over 30 years. She is a qualitifed Cambridge examiner and is teaching some of our CE, CM and collège classes this year. She loves the challenge that each new school year brings and she is never happier than when she is in the classroom. She comes from Devon, a county still close to her heart. Italy is a great country in which to explore her passion for history but Paris is providing fresh insights and is a wonderful city for another hobby – walking. She has two grown up, bilingual children.

Jodie is a PGCE qualified primary school teacher from Birmingham, England. She joined the RSH team in 2021 after moving to Paris to teach. In addition to teaching classes, Jodie is our Exam Prep Coordinator and Communications Coordinator in charge of running our social pages. She has a Bachelors of Science in Sociology and Criminology, which led her on a trip around South Asia, teaching children English. In her free time she likes to paint, travel, swim and bake.

Jill is a writer, teacher, and environmental activist from Massachusetts, USA. She has a B.A. in English and is a passionate writer of short stories, poems, songs, and novels. She is currently querying her debut YA fantasy novel, and her day jobs include teaching English to adults and children and writing for the Paris-based magazines INSPIRELLE and Bonjour Paris. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and hanging out with her cat. This is her second year with Roaming Schoolhouse, and she is looking forward to teaching CE and CM classes and co-hosting the Writing Workshops.

Oliver first joined RSH in 2023, working at the camps and now is with us as a teacher!

Born and raised in South Carolina, he graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South, with a BA in French. After moving to France in 2021 to work as an English language assistant with TAPIF, he continued working with children as an English tutor and became involved in concert promotion and organization with TIME (The International Music Exchange).

In his spare time, Oliver enjoys playing football and tennis and discovering new music. Having been a choirboy in his youth, he remains dedicated to singing at the American Cathedral in Paris.

Louise is a CELTA-certified teacher, thrilled to be returning to Roaming Schoolhouse this year. She is teaching MAT/CP, CE, and CM/exam prep this year and loves helping children discover new ideas and build confidence in English. She is currently pursuing a  master’s in Cognitive Sciences at the Sorbonne and Université Paris Cité. Originally from Seattle, she enjoys technology, music, and traveling whenever she can.