Erin Jennings

Email: erin.jennings@sjajeju.kr | Instagram: @erinjenningsedu

My name is Erin Jennings and I am thrilled to be on the kindergarten team again this year. I am originally from the east coast of Canada, but I have been living in Jeju for a long time. It is a second home to me now. My husband is a Jeju native and we have two children. We love living in Jeju with such close proximity to the ocean and other natural wonders.

I have over 15 years of experience teaching in a variety of educational settings in Korea, Canada, and Argentina. Over the years, I have taught students from age 3 to age 65, but I have a true passion for teaching kindergarten. As an educator, I am dedicated to creating a positive classroom environment where children can learn and grow through exploration and inquiry. I am interested in whole child development, helping children find balance and socio-emotional well-being. I look forward to creating a deep sense of community at SJA and seeing the incredible development our students will experience over the course of this year.

Seok Min (Jayden) An

Email: jayden.an@sjajeju.kr | Instagram: @mr.seokmin_edu

Hello! My name is Seokmin An. Students call me Mr. Seokmin. I joined SJA Jeju in the middle of the first school year, since then I have always been happy to be a member of this community and also with the youngest students in school.

I graduated from Holy Angel University in the Philippines, with a Bachelor of Secondary Education (major in English). Prior to studying in the Philippines, I studied Computer Science at Hanyang University in Korea. I love working with the youngest learners at school, so I am studying early childhood education as my Master’s degree. I think Early Childhood is the most important for children’s growth so I am very grateful to be able to support our young learners and I am looking forward to  having an amazing and exciting year! 

Thank you!

Bryan Schiele

Email: bryan.schiele@sjajeju.kr  | Instagram: @mr_bryan_edu

Hello! My name is Bryan Schiele and I am thrilled to be starting my 12th year as a teacher and my 6th year at St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju with the Early Childhood Team as a Kindergarten Teacher and 2nd year as Early Childhood Team Lead. I was born and raised in Colorado, which is where I spent my whole life until I embarked on my international teaching journey. I earned a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado State University and hold an Early Childhood K-3 Teaching License from Washington D.C.

I believe in fostering a classroom community that promotes and models positive relationships, healthy communication, and kindness above all else. I aim to create a positive classroom climate that is safe and nurturing while still maintaining high expectations that give every student the chance to grow and reach their full potential both in and out of the classroom. Within the field of education, I’m specifically passionate about early literacy skills, social-emotional learning, and academic leadership.

My international teaching career began in France, where I taught EAL to students from Kindergarten to Grade 3. I then moved to Seoul, South Korea where I taught Kindergarten for 6 years and fell in love with Korea (and my wife, Hyunjoo!)  prior to joining SJA Jeju in 2020. We have been living in Jeju with our two all-black cats ever since and we absolutely love it here. After many years of living in busy Seoul together, it feels nice to now be settled into the calm and peaceful lifestyle that Jeju offers. In my free time I enjoy playing guitar, watching sports, and traveling as much as possible. I am looking forward to another great year here at SJA Jeju! 

Heather Kim

Email: heather.kim@sjajeju.kr

Hello! My name is Heather Kim. This is my third year at SJA as an assistant teacher. I recently moved back to Korea from Canada and am very happy to get this wonderful opportunity to work here at SJA. I majored in English Literature and taught English for more than 10 years at English academies in Korea. My students ranged from kindergarten students to adult students at companies. While I was in Canada, I missed being a teacher so this is really exciting to be back in this field.

I have visited Jeju several times in the past but this is my third year living here. Hopefully I can explore this beautiful island and visit as many places as possible. So far, living here in the GEC area is quite peaceful and relaxing.

I believe my experience as an English teacher will be helpful to encourage and support our students to be the future global leaders. I am grateful to be part of their journey.