JHJGubbels / About Me /
Resume

Jac Gubbels - He/Him - 44 - An open-minded and collaborative colleague, creative system-thinker, committed to the success of all learners. Chess player, art and design lover. Extremely lucky to be married to a super smart Mathematician - Proud father of two amazing, internationally educated children already in University.

For nearly two decades, I have passionately guided secondary school students in cultivating resourcefulness, creativity, and perseverance by fostering a systematic approach to design and creative thinking. I firmly believe that student achievement and motivation flourish through productive social interactions, and nurturing these connections stands as the paramount responsibility of any educator.

In my classroom, I empower every student to take ownership of their learning and put themselves in their 'zone of proximal development' (Vygotsky 133). I achieve this through purposefully designed, inclusive activities that feature "low floors and high ceilings," ensuring accessibility while offering ample opportunities for advanced exploration. Preferring a coaching role, I actively facilitate learning through a constructivist approach, where each individual learner contributes to the collective knowledge and growth of the group.

To effectively prepare future generations for an increasingly dynamic world, I advocate for educators to emphasise transferable competencies (Approaches to Learning) at least as much as traditional subject knowledge and skills. By consistently integrating teamwork into the learning routine and explicitly teaching effective collaboration strategies, we equip young people for success beyond the classroom. My experience consistently demonstrates that this holistic development is best achieved through authentic project-based learning within interdisciplinary contexts. And with reflection serving as a cornerstone of the learning process.

Employment

2025-Present: Curriculum Developer, MYP Projects, International Baccalaureate Organisation, The Hague, The Netherlands.
2021-Present: Teacher of IB MYP Design and IB DP Design Technology, United Nations International School Hanoi, Vietnam.
2020-2021: Teacher of Research & Development, Pontes Pieter Zeeman, The Netherlands. At this Dutch public secondary school, I was tasked to establish the structure of an elective in which students from grades 9 to 12 initiate authentic R&D projects for real-life clients from the local business community.
2017-2020: Teacher of IB MYP Design, Canadian International School, Singapore. As part of the Design Technology department, I significantly contributed to the development of a curriculum with authentic, often service-based, MYP Design units and to a systematic approach to assessment for learning in these units.
2015-2017: Head of Learning Technologies, Suzhou Singapore International School, Suzhou, China. In this role, I was responsible for all IT services and Learning Technologies. This was a school-wide leadership position that allowed me to help improve the service levels of the IT team and coordinate the effective implementation of technology for learning.
2014-2015: Teacher of IB MYP Design, Suzhou Singapore International School, Suzhou, China. In a setup with separate food, material, computer and graphic design courses, I was responsible for delivering the Graphic design course in high school, but also active in the kitchen and workshop with younger students.
2010-2014: Head of Subject IB Design Technology, Luanda International School, Luanda, Angola.
2008-2010: Teacher of IB DP ITGS + IT Consultant, The Koç School, Istanbul, Turkey.
2005-2007: UX Designer, Software Architect, Project Lead, eFocus Strategy and Web Design, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Professional Development

2025: Design for Belonging Conference, UNIS Hanoi - Drazin, DeLashmutt, Gomez-Galvez
2025: Novak Education - Universal Design For Learning (UDL) by Jennifer DeLashmutt, Hanoi;
2025: Thinking Collaborative - Adaptive Schools Foundation, Hanoi
2024: Compass Education - Teaching & Learning for a Sustainable World: A Systems Thinking Approach, Hanoi
2022: Lead Inclusion - MTSS and RTI in Inclusive School (Short course).
2022: Taaleem IB Workshops - Category 2 workshop IBDP Design Technology.
2022: Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL - Fundamentals of Sheltered Instruction: Featuring the SIOP Model.
2021: Sea Change Mentoring - Advisory On-Demand.
2021: SENIA International - Supporting Inclusive School Communities.
2021: Circulus Institute - Adult Social Emotional Learning.
2019: IBO - Category 3 workshop MYP Projects, Singapore.
2016: IBO - Category 3 workshop MYP Creating Authentic Units, Suzhou, China
2016: INTASE World Educational Leadership Summit, Singapore
2014: Learning2 - Learning 2.014 Asia at NIST in Bangkok, Thailand
2012: TripleA Learning - Differentiation: Meeting the needs of all learners.
2010: IBO - Category 2 Workshop MYP Technology, Brussels, Belgium
2010: Apple Education Leadership Series - Learning with Apple. Apple Inc., Istanbul
2009: IBO - DP Regional Workshop Experienced ITGS Teachers, IBSCA, University of Oxford

Education

1999: Titus Brandsma Lyceum, Gymnasium Beta, The Netherlands
2007: Utrecht University, Master of Artificial Intelligence, The Netherlands
2011: University of Sunderland, Professional Graduate Certificate in Education, United Kingdom