Rachel Alderson

BFITS | 2025 in Review: A Bright Year of Progress, People, and Possibilities • BFITS | Teach in Thailand & Be More... BFITS reflects on a year of growth, learning, and community across Thailand—highlighting teachers, students, training, milestones, and meaningful moments that shaped 2025.

We end today’s series of with a reminder that the right moment doesn’t always come early 🙏

Some journeys don’t begin straight out of university. Some begin with a leap of faith—years later, in a new country, chasing a dream that never left.

That’s the story of Rachel Alderson 🌟

After 17 years in retail management in the UK, Rachel knew she was ready for something more—something with meaning, purpose, and a connection to her passions.

With a degree in English and Classical History and a long-held dream of teaching abroad, she packed her bags and moved to Thailand in 2018.

She was 38.

It was bold. It was scary.

But it was the beginning of something beautiful.

What started as a “maybe one or two years” plan turned into seven—and counting.

Her first role, teaching conversational English at Saipanyarangsit School (SPR BFITS Program), taught her patience, resilience, and how joy fuels learning.

She then moved to Panyapiwat Institute of Management Demonstration School (SPIM BFITS Program) as an M3 (Grade 9) EP teacher, where students still reach out years later for grammar help at university.

And for 5 unforgettable years, she led as Head Teacher at St. Joseph Convent School (SJC BFITS Program) in the heart of Bangkok, guiding both the EP and ICEP programs—and proudly hosting the first-ever TEDx event between SJC and BFITS.

Now, Rachel serves as Program Manager for six BFITS partner schools across Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, and Surat Thani.

Each day brings something new—challenges to grow from, opportunities to learn, and stories to shape.
Her journey reminds us all:

It’s never too late to rewrite your story.

You don’t have to settle.

You can pivot. You can leap.

And when you do it with heart, you just might discover your purpose in the most unexpected place.

Here’s to Rachel 🧡

A leader who proves that it’s never too late to chase meaning—and never too early to make an impact.

🇹🇭

It was a pleasure meeting our new BFITS teachers today! 🌟

The energy and enthusiasm in the room were incredible — a great first step into a fun and fulfilling teaching journey in Thailand 🇹🇭

Thank you to everyone who joined my session on emotional resilience as part of our BFITS Thailand Professional Development series 🌟

It was a pleasure to share practical strategies that support not just our students—but also ourselves as educators. Resilience is something we all need, and I hope today’s session offered tools you can take with you into the classroom and beyond.

Let’s continue building a brighter, more balanced teaching journey—together 🇹🇭

I'm excited to join our upcoming BFITS workshop to talk about something close to all of us—emotional resilience.

As educators, we face challenges daily, and learning how to bounce back stronger is a skill worth building.

Hope to see you there this May 7 at 12:30 PM as we grow together, one mindful step at a time 🇹🇭

Just 3 days to go… and it’s time to reveal our speakers! 🌟 Our upcoming BFITS PD workshop sessions are packed with insights, strategies, and inspiration—led by three of our very own education leaders 💡

🧠 12:30 PM | May 7 (Wednesday)
Bouncing Back Stronger: Building Emotional Resilience
Speaker: Rachel Alderson, BFITS Program Manager

📚 9:00 AM | May 8 (Thursday)
Spark Engagement: Active Learning Strategies That Work
Speaker: Marjorie Mabini, BFITS Program Manager

🤖 12:30 PM | May 8 (Thursday)
Smarter Teaching: How AI Can Support Your Classroom
Speaker: Giselle Alano, BFITS Assistant Director

Mark your calendars—it’s almost time to go LIVE! 🚀 🇹🇭

This week was a wonderful training week for the new class of BFITS teachers, led by James Tovey. It’s been really impressive to see so much talent all growing together in one room under James’s expert guidance. Thank you to Angel Ha for being a recruitment superstar. And of course, congratulations all the new teachers who are ready to take on their new challenges. 💫🚀