Staff

Mr. Jason Wan

Mathematics Classroom Teacher

Mr. Jason Wan is a Chinese-Canadian who comes from Toronto, Canada. He has lived in Japan since 2013 and has been teaching since 1999. He obtained his teaching license from the University of Western Ontario in 2002, and his previous experiences include teaching at a Japanese university and a private high school. His favorite thing about Japan is its convenience and politeness. In his free time, he enjoys basketball, music, and gaming.

Dr. Soulef Batnini

Learning Support Coordinator
Classroom Teacher

Dr.Soulef Batnini is an Irish-Tunisian citizen who was born and raised in Ireland. She eventually moved to Tunisia with her family where she spent most of her teenage years studying in a French/Arabic education system. She is trilingual and speaks English, French and Arabic fluently. In addition, she also speaks Japanese at an intermediate level, and is now learning Spanish.

Dr.Batnini graduated form the University of Tsukuba in 2015 with a PhD degree in Kansei, Behavioural and Brain Sciences, in the field of Sciences of Mental Disorders.

She is a highly dedicated, passionate, and professional educator who is PGCEi certified and abn EAL teacher holding a Trinity Cert TESOL. She is experienced working as a Learning Support Teacher and collaborating with her colleagues as a team. Dr.Batnini has previously worked with EAL students, gifted students, challenging and learning disabled students in International/ IB Schools. During her free time, Dr.Batnini enjoys scuba diving, camping, and exploring nature.

Mr. Luigi Mondino

Classroom Teacher
Club Director

Mr. Mondino joined TIPS in 2017. He holds an MA in Philosophy from the University of Turin, Italy. He has been working in International education since 2010 when he moved to China. He has worked in International and Chinese schools and taught a variety of subjects to all grades with a focus on Middle School.

Prior to moving to China, he worked as a private tutor in Italy for 6 years.

His interests include Karate (third degree Black Belt in Shotokan Karate), long distance running, journalism, writing and filmmaking

Mr. Kurtis Tomlinson

Science Classroom Teacher

Mr. Kurtis Tomlinson is from Toronto, Canada and teaches science, PE and complementary courses at TIPS. He received his Honors Bachelors of Science in 2016 and his Bachelors of Education in 2017 from the University of Toronto. Since then, he has been living in Japan where he has been working as an educator. In his free time he enjoys playing sports and exploring new places in Japan.

Ms. Saki Koh

Classroom Teacher
Student Council Sponsor

Ms. Saki Koh is a Korean-Japanese who grew up in Australia. She received her BA in Anthropology and Peace Studies in 2015 and a Master’s of Education in 2018. She first joined TIPS as an intern in 2017 and has returned as a classroom teacher since 2020. Some of her favorite things include art, music, watching movies and traveling.

Mr. Nikolai Jessen-Petersen

Classroom Teacher

Mr. Jessen-Petersen (J-P) is a Danish-Japanese who was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and then lived most of his life on the east coast of the United States. He received his Bachelor of Psychology in 2014, his Master's of Education (International Education) in 2019, and second Master's of Education (Special Education) in 2022. He holds his Teacher's License from the District of Columbia in Special Education (K-12). He is currently in his fifth year at TIPS, where he started as a volunteer, then a tutor, then a support teacher, and now for four years as a classroom teacher. In his free time, he likes reading, learning, and playing sports.

Mr. Nabi Nazari

Classroom Teacher

Mr. Nabi Nazari is from Afghanistan and has lived in Japan for almost four years. He got his bachelor's in Business Administration in 2015 before joining the Afghan Ministry of Education as an education policy officer in 2016. His interest in Inclusive Education brought him to Japan to pursue his master's in International Education, focusing on Special Needs Education. He graduated from the University of Tsukuba in 2021. Before joining TIPS, he worked with an international school in Tsukuba for more than one year.

Mr. Shane Cook

Classroom Teacher

Mr. Shane Cook is an American who grew up on the East Coast of the United States. He has a degree in Special Education, with a focus in Elementary Education. He has a Master's of Education in Instructional Design. He holds his teaching certification from the Florida Department of Education in Elementary Education (K-6) and Special Education (K-12). He is endorsed in English for Speakers of Other Languages and Autism. Mr. Cook worked in America for over five years as a Special Needs Teacher, Intervention Specialist, and Autism Coach. He enjoys learning about the ocean and exploring new cultures.