Mei Chen - Our Team

Heather Gibbs, originally from Long Island, New York has called Asia home for the last 14 years.  After graduating with honors from City University of New York, Brooklyn College, she spent 4 years in Thailand teaching primary students before settling in Hong Kong which she has called home for the last decade.  When she is not teaching, Heather can be found disappearing into a good book, eating Thai food, doing yoga or playing at the beach with her husband, her 4 year old daughter and her dog.

Heather believes strongly in being a life-long learner and continues to remain a dedicated student of education in addition to being a teacher. Heather has completed her Post Graduate Certificate in Education from University of Nottingham, a Post Graduate Certificate in Early Years Education and a Master’s Degree in International Education from the University of Sunderland.

Over the course of her career, she has developed a holistic approach to education which is no doubt a reflection of her experience in the leading curriculums present in Hong Kong and international education.  She has worked and trained as a certified IB teacher within The Carmel School of Hong Kong and the Victoria Educational Organisation, a Common Core teacher within the American Common Core system and trained as a Project Based Learning Leader at the American International School of Hong Kong where she worked as the Early Years and Elementary School Literacy Chair.  Heather believes strongly in a student-centered approach to education which focuses on empowerment, agency and nurturing what intrinsically motivates students so a life-long love of learning can be created.

Heather is thrilled to be joining Bloom Academy as the Literacy Coordinator and cannot wait to share her passion and love of stories, reading and writing with Bloom KKCA Academy.

Connie’s passion in language and literature leads her to various areas, from advertising to translation studies, and eventually to bilingual education. She has taught in private bilingual schools, ESF schools and other international schools in Hong Kong, with curriculum experiences over Chinese immersion, IB PYP Chinese and Chinese as a foreign language. Connie holds a MA in Translation from Hong Kong Baptist University and a MED from The University of Hong Kong. She also finishes her PGDE from Education University of Hong Kong, where she is trained in special needs education with a focus on supporting students with challenges in Chinese reading and writing. She is experienced in one-on-one and small group learning support, as well as classroom lead teaching for all Primary grade levels.

With a firm belief that students’ well-being is the foundation of education, Connie is dedicated to research and design engaging Chinese lessons with appropriate differentiation strategies. She has also applied her training from art and music therapy to help channeling students’ emotions, and actively integrated multi-sensory and multimedia tools in her classes to motivate learning. In her spare time, Connie enjoys books and movies, hiking and cycling. She is looking forward to taking her students to the bigger classroom outside — parks and trails, art venues and local communities — to experience and explore the beauty and creativity shaped by languages and culture.

Levent has extensive experience in tech education and digital production which he developed through his previous career working in the Los Angeles film industry and his current career as an educator. As an Apple Distinguished Educator, Levent brings a deep understanding of a multitude of educational technology disciplines into his practice. His primary vision as an educator is to cultivate creativity and innovation within his classes.

In his teaching, Levent emphasises creativity by utilising design and creative processes to engage students in Project-Based Learning. He fosters a learning environment that celebrates failure, mistakes, and reflection as a pathway to success, and encourages students to think outside the box.

Demonstrating exceptional leadership in his field, Levent has led full school technology integration initiatives, as well as developing and leading school-wide professional development, and spearheading the vision for new K-12 technology implementation for faculty and students. He employs the SAMR, TPAC, and Triple E models for technology integration to develop authentic and holistic uses of technology that promote creativity and innovation. Levent shares his knowledge with students and peers alike. He is a firm believer in the power of innovation and creativity to transform the learning experience and he looks forward to empowering his students and colleagues to reach their full potential and succeed in the 21st century as part of the Bloom Community.

Levent holds a Master's Degree in Learning, Design, & Technology, along with a Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Arts, and numerous teaching qualifications and certifications.