Rachel Zewde

HS/IB Math

This will be my first year at ICS and, writing this the day before the school year starts, I think I can sum up my current emotions as nervous excitement! Unlike many of the new teachers this year, I am not facing the challenge of living in Ethiopia for the first time: I worked in Addis Ababa from 1990-1992 and also for the last five years, both times as Head of Secondary Maths at Sandford International School. I was also privileged, two years ago, to be given the opportunity to work on the editing team for the new Ethiopian Curriculum Math textbooks for Grades 9 to 12.

However, my years in Ethiopia have not been filled entirely with teaching and editing. Having two energetic children (now aged 19 and 8) means that there has always been more to my life than simply work. We love travelling and have explored many wonderful places in Ethiopia and beyond.

Life before teaching? Well, it was a long time ago!! I grew up just west of London, then went to University in Durham, from where I graduated with an Honours degree in Maths with Russian, learnt to row (until the morning when we had to break the ice on the river before we could put the boat in), and played badminton for the University (a warmer option). From Durham I moved south again to Bristol University to study for my teaching qualification.

I have been teaching Math for 25 years now, both in Ethiopia and in the UK, always working with a wide range of students in terms of both ability and age, gaining much valuable experience in GCSE, IGCSE, A-levels and IB. There has never been a moment in these years when I have thought “I would like to try a different career”. In teaching, every day is different, with new challenges and the opportunity to learn, and try out new ideas. As I join the staff here at ICS, where I will be teaching Algebra 1 to students in Grades 8, 9 and 10, and IB Math Studies and Higher Level Math, I look forward to the next phase of my own education as a teacher.