Long Talk – Mr. Thomson

In a part of an ongoing series here at PantherNation, various teachers from around the school will be interviewed. Although we see our teachers every day, and they are one of the most important parts of our academic lives, it is not often that we have time to get to know them outside of the classroom. This series aims to do just so.

Mr. Thomson is an IB chemistry teacher here at ISB, well loved by his students for his passion for his subject as well as the love he has for his students. His students describe him to be, “a teacher who pushes his students above and beyond just what they learn inside the classroom. Someone with a clear passion for the subject he teaches, and who makes his own students feel the same!”

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Spending time with my family, reading, listening to music, SCUBA diving, travel, following my sports teams, eating good food while hanging out with friends.

What is a skill you wish you had?

I wish I could weld, actually.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?

That’s a big question with a long answer – but the short version is that I was inspired by many wonderful teachers in my younger years and wanted to do the same. In college I became a coach and teaching assistant and really enjoyed sharing my love of chemistry with students. Twenty-four years later and I still love my job.

If you could teach another subject what subject would you teach?

Poetry, of course! One of my all-time favorite poems is “If” by Rudyard Kipling.

Darin Sumetanon