Just after we first met, we backpacked through Europe and soon after, started our Masters’ degrees in Education. We started teaching a few months after we married in August 2002. We started our teaching careers in Savannah, Georgia and we learned so much as educators those first few years.
In July 2005, we embarked on our first international teaching post in Lima, Peru at Colegio Roosevelt – The American School of Lima. We were trained in the MYP and DP and our own teaching philosophies fell in line with the IB programme. We also fell in love with Peru. In Peru, we decided to begin our family, and with a wild start to parenthood, Maximo was born.
In August 2009, we moved to Kobe, Japan to teach at Canadian Academy. The school was just beginning to implement the PYP and MYP and we were confident that we could be assets to their team. We have learned so much living in Japan and about the amazing culture, although there is always more that remains a mystery. Again, we expanded our family, and welcomed Lola in 2010.
In 2016, we moved again… and we are currently in China at the International School of Beijing. We have learned so much about developing programs and systems, standards based grading, social emotional learning and continue to grow as educators and leaders. China is an amazing country with high expectations around education that continues to push our thinking and has provided us with amazing opportunities.
We decided to stay in international education to continue to learn: how to continue to hone our craft as educators and provide the best educational experiences to our students. We are curious and reflective and think about how education looks in different contexts and cultures, and to provide a diverse and rich experience for our children. We are constantly learning from amazing colleagues, experiences, diverse professional development opportunities, research based on contemporary teaching and learning practices and from many different students and their families.
Please explore our pages to learn more about us!
John & Julie Lemley 
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