Secondary Science Teacher
Meet Mr. Grimmer, our dynamic and passionate Secondary Science Teacher at Leipzig International School. With a career spanning the globe, from New Zealand to Singapore, and leadership roles in science education, Mr. Grimmer brings a ton of experience and a lot of energy to our classrooms. Known for hands-on learning and his dedication to sparking scientific curiosity, he’s become a strong part of our LIS community since joining us in August.
Read with us to learn more about Mr Grimmer’s journey.
Can you share a memorable moment in your teaching career that is definitive of your passion for education?
Grade 9 students learned how to piece together a bicycle powered water pump and this turned into a service project to help farmers in N. Thailand irrigate during the dry season. It was a culmination of physics, teamwork, problem solving and authentic service. I hope to do something like this here in the near future too. Watch this space. Here is a link to an amateur media film generated from the experience. Cool right?
What is something about you that your students might be surprised to learn?
I used to be a competitive downhill mountain biker and have broken 12 bones, not including fingers and toes.
How do you help students become global citizens and lifelong learners?
I display a sincere interest in topics, vocabulary, key concepts and skills that students are learning about. I aim to be equally sincere in building a rapport with students and as I was once told that students won’t care what you know until they know that you care. I try to get students excited about learning in their science classes.
I was once told that students won’t care what you know until they know that you care.
Mr Grimmer
What do you love most about being part of the LIS community?
I love it that so many students here have grown up together and accept each other for who they are. I love the determination of LIS students to get better. I love the energy of LIS students both within the classroom and outside it. This is an authentic community.
If you could teach any subject (even something fictional), what would it be and why?
An urban gardening class in which we build vertical gardens, hydroponic and aquaponic systems and build systems to grow and harvest edible algae like spirulina. In an aquaponic system, you grow lettuces by circulating water through a tank of fish. The excrement of the fish feed the plants, the plants filter the water and at the end you grill the fish and eat it with a homegrown salad. Let’s make this happen?
LIS prides itself on being Courageous, Inclusive, and Proud—which of these values resonates most with you, and why?
I like to see students be proud of their achievements. All students in the middle and high school are on a learning continuum and they are unlocking tools and strategies that allow them to level up in small and insignificant as well as larger ways. My Grade 6 students are building resilience and learning how to collaborate and the confidence they build is evidence of their growth. Grade 9 students are building strategies to manage their time as well as remember and articulate their understanding of complex scientific ideas. LIS assessment philosophy encourages students to strive for personal and academic growth and teachers are encouraged to emphasise growth in learning. I think all of this fits under the umbrella of “pride” best.