Johnny Nicolakakis

Aristotle once noted that "educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all." I've always found these words to be encompassing of my core philosophy — one that shapes how I approach both my professional life in the classroom and my private life outside of it. To me, educating the heart means developing confidence and competence alongside curiosity and character. In the classroom, this translates into a collaborative environment where students are encouraged to engage with and learn from both the curriculum and their classmates.

Outside of this, it drives me to remain someone who continues to reflect and grow, both personally and professionally. This ethos has led me to pursue a range of personal and professional goals, which I'm grateful to say include teaching multiple subjects to students of different age groups across several countries, both in person and online. Alongside this, I have completed a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instructional Development, where I developed a novel theoretical framework focused on optimising curriculum sequencing, with the intention of extending this work into my PhD in the near future.

Ultimately, I strive to keep developing both my mind and my heart, while inspiring my students to pursue the same balance in their own learning and lives. Working with me, colleagues and students can expect a calm, supportive presence—someone who communicates clearly, adapts easily across different contexts, and enjoys the challenge of taking the lead when needed.

English and Math Teacher / Course Developer at Jade Class Education (2022-07 – Present)

Design and deliver English and Mathematics courses for international school students in China, including structured lesson content, assessments and interactive online instruction across topics from Essay Writing and Literary Analysis to Scientific Report Writing and Algebra.

Math and Science Teacher at Raffles American Int. School (2022-07 – 2023-01)

Taught Grade 5 Science, Grade 8 Algebra, and Grade 12 Pre-Calculus, Trigonometry and Physics, with responsibility for curriculum planning, lesson development and assessment. Beyond subject teaching, served as a homeroom teacher, football coach and inter-school Head of House.

• Grades 5, 8 & 12
• CCSS curriculum

Math Teacher at Krugersdorp High School (2021-01 – 2022-07)

Taught Grades 8–10 Mathematics and served as Head of the Grade 10 Advanced Mathematics (IEB) programme. Alongside homeroom and football coaching responsibilities, I later returned from January–May 2026 as a temporary Mathematics teacher when the school required additional staffing.

• Grades 8, 9 & 10
• CAPS curriculum

English Teacher at SongQuingLing Int. Kindergarten (2017-12 – 2019-01)

Volunteered as an English and homeroom teacher, developing and delivering age-appropriate lessons and learning activities tailored to young learners' developmental needs, while supporting their broader learning, participation and development within the classroom.

• Ages 3-6
• EYFS level

M.A in Curriculum Development – European Int. University (2024 – 2026)

PGCE in Secondary Education – Two Oceans Institute (2021-09 – 2022-06)

TEFL in English as Foreign Language – i-to-i Academy (2019-09 – 2020-06)

B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering – University of Pretoria (2015-09 – 2020-06)

HSK 2019 in Mandarin – Mandarin House (2019 – 2019)