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Name and a little bit about you:
Hi, I’m Sam Bingham. I have been an English and History teacher for 8 years.
Where is “home” for you?
Home is a place called Louth – a North-Eastern County in Ireland (the smallest). Specifically, I’m from a town called Ardee. It is quite a rural place– everyone knows everyone else! I have four siblings and two parents who still all live there. I’ve been abroad for five years now (London, Luton, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi – this is my second year in the city).
What do you do in Abu Dhabi?
Running, lots of running. Hunting for great restaurants or going to the movies with my friends. I also have a weakness for quiz nights.
Tell us something that few people know about you:
I dabbled in journalism for several years, locally. I was a moderately okay middle-distance runner and have Leinster (a province in Ireland) medals for 800m, 1500m and 3,000m.
What is your favourite thing about being a part of the BIS Abu Dhabi community?
The staff, students and parents have been very welcoming. I feel part of something wholesome.
What do you enjoy most about living in Abu Dhabi?
It would be quicker to list the things that I don’t enjoy.
Anything else you would like to share?
Looking forward to getting to know everyone.
Sam Bingham, English Teacher
A few weeks ago, as part of our IB DP Language programme, Year 12 students in the French Ab Initio and French B classes united to celebrate Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday). Originally a catholic event welcoming the ritual fasting of Lent, Mardi Gras is celebrated in France with festive parades and sumptuous public celebrations.
At BIS Abu Dhabi, students came together to not only recognize the festivity but rejoice at the opportunity to share and learn about the international traditions fostered within our community. With the help of Monsieur Depose and Mademoiselle Merchadier, the French DP classes baked tasty treats, including crepes, waffles, brownies, and traditional beignets!
As a teacher at BIS Abu Dhabi, I have the privilege of watching students grow — not just academically, but as young people finding their path in a complex world. One thing I’ve learned time and again is this: success doesn’t come from rare moments of brilliance — it comes from the quiet power of habits.
Research tells us that up to 40% of what we do each day is driven by habit, not active decision-making. That means the routines our students form — the way they begin their morning, how they handle a setback, whether they choose to read or scroll — are shaping who they become.
I was really touched by Áine’s newsletter piece last week, posing the question: ‘What would I tell my younger self?’
I spent some time afterwards thinking about my own parenting journey, and what it’s all been about, now that my two are adults and have ‘flown the nest’. Parenting isn’t easy for any of us, and that’s true even if you’re an experienced school leader – at home, I’m just Dad.
The British International School Abu Dhabi (BIS Abu Dhabi) was deeply honoured to welcome Her Highness Sheikha Shamma Bint Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan to its campus on Thursday, 17 April 2025. Her Highness, President & CEO of the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA) and The Climate Tribe, is a distinguished entrepreneur, thought leader, and researcher with a deep commitment to sustainability, climate change, and gender equity.
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