Nathan O'Brien - Our Team

Monal is a seasoned teacher with experience teaching young children for more than 10 years, in local and international school settings. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with second class honor as well as PGDECE from the Mumbai University. Monal has also recently obtained her certification course in Kindergarten Principal from the Hong Kong Baptist University.

Monal was raised in Mumbai, India and has called Hong Kong home for more than 15 years. Growing up in India, she has developed a long lasting love for music, dance, Bollywood movies and a respect for culture, religion and diversity.

She is passionate about shaping young minds and leaving a positive impact on children to be lifelong learners, and has always enjoyed being around younger children. It is the educator's responsibility to recognise each student's strength and weakness to help them meet their full potential, and Monal is always trying to create a classroom environment conducive for all to grow physically, socially, mentally and emotionally.

Outside the classroom, she is passionate about cooking and is aspiring to be a vegetarian cooking blogger soon. Three years ago, Monal was introduced to meditation, and today, she lives by the strength of meditation and strong positive thinking.

Malahat grew up in Iran and developed a passion for education through over a decade of diverse teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Guilan, Iran, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of East London. Her educational background is further enhanced by TESOL certifications from both the University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKUSPACE) and Trinity College London.

In her extensive teaching career, Malahat has specialized in Mathematics and English as a Second Language. She is well versed in various phonics curricula, including those from Cambridge and Trinity. Malahat has made significant contributions to international kindergartens and primary schools, skillfully implementing the British curriculum in subjects like Math, Literacy, Art, Cooking, Music, and even Yoga.

Malahat's expertise extends to supporting students with diverse learning needs. While at ESF - Bradbury Primary School in Hong Kong, she excelled in providing learning diversity support. Her approach focused on tailored academic, emotional, and social needs education, implementing individual education programs, and assisting students in integrating effectively into mainstream classes.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Malahat has a rich palette of interests. She is an avid fan of music and sports, particularly Yoga and Pilates, and is an accomplished culinary expert. Her literary interests are varied, encompassing history, psychology, education, and novels. Central to Malahat's philosophy of education is creating an inclusive and nurturing learning environment, fostering each student's unique strengths and interests, and inspiring a lifelong love for learning.

Shu Chen is an expert in several Chinese dialects. A native Mandarin speaker, she is also proficient in Shanghainese and Cantonese as well as English. Her skills and passion in language learning led her to a career in education where she can share the beauty of Chinese culture with non-Chinese as well as Chinese students.

After her Bachelor of Science degree in business at Benedictine College, Shu obtained her Post Graduate Diploma in Education and Master of Education from the Hong Kong Baptist University. She taught Mandarin for 8 years in local Hong Kong secondary and international schools, as well as Liberal Studies for secondary students. Well-trained in the IB teaching system, Shu was also a grade-level teacher who incorporated interdisciplinary learning across various subjects. She was most recently Year Level Head at the Singapore International School Hong Kong overseeing curriculum planning, designing assessments, and developing immersion programs in cultural studies.

Over her decade-long teaching career, Shu observed how a student’s l environment can impact their mental development. She believes that successful positive learning is best achieved by teaching students to be self-motivated to pursue knowledge and become inquisitive learners through asking questions. Shu’s students practice learning-by-doing to reinforce active recall of their knowledge and language in real-life situations and to acquire critical thinking skills to analyze different situations they might encounter.

Shu is currently working towards her Doctoral Degree in Education with research on the development of Chinese curriculum. She is excited to join Bloom to share her love for Chinese language, history, and rich cultural heritage.