Matthew Collis

I am an experienced senior secondary teacher currently employed at the Australian International School in Sharjah (since 2018).  I also have had extensive experience teaching senior secondary Business Management, Music, Humanities and ICT. 

My career commenced at Fairhills High School in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, where I taught Mathematics and Music to students in grades 7 through 11 from 2013 to 2015. The school’s reputation for challenging student behaviors provided me with a fertile ground to develop robust classroom management strategies and engage with students who required more tailored approaches to learning.

In 2016, I transitioned to Goulburn Valley Grammar School in Shepparton, approximately 200 km north of Melbourne, where I continued to teach Mathematics to grades 7 through 11 until 2017. This institution, known for its exceptional external examination results, allowed me to refine my content knowledge at higher levels and maintain stringent standards of reporting and administration. My tenure here also afforded me invaluable insights into the private/Grammar school culture, along with its unique nuances and expectations.

Following my tenure at Goulburn Valley Grammar, I embraced an opportunity at the Australian International School (AIS) in Sharjah, UAE, where I have been serving since 2018. At AIS, I initiated my journey by teaching IB Economics and successfully completed the associated IB training. From 2018 to 2022, I primarily instructed senior students in IB Economics and Business Management. Notably, during the Covid-19 pandemic, I guided approximately 70 Year 12 students through the new and challenging online teaching environment. One of my students achieved a remarkable grade of 7 in IB Economics (HL) and was accepted into Cambridge University to study Economics.

In 2022, I made a strategic decision to shift my focus to teaching lower grades, from 7th to 10th, with the aim of further refining my pedagogical skills and nurturing foundational knowledge. This has enabled me to tailor my teaching methods to meet the varied learning needs of younger students, thus enhancing my instructional capabilities.

I have a Commerce Degree and Master of Teaching attained in my home town of Tasmania, Australia.   Most of my schooling was completed at The Hutchins School, an Anglican private school in Hobart, Tasmania.