Science teacher, and Resident Boarding Supervisor, Ms Kyley Mitchell has lived around the world, but has found real chemistry with Wesley.

PROFESSIONALLY, WHAT WAS YOUR ROUTE TO WESLEY?
I spent the first 10 years of my career teaching in the UK at a range of schools. From there, I moved to Bangkok as Head of Chemistry in a British international school where I worked for six years. And then on to Wesley.

WHAT DO YOU WANT STUDENTS TO TAKE AWAY FROM A YEAR IN YOUR CLASS?
There is joy in being challenged. Chemistry can be a tricky subject, but I want students to see challenge as something to lean into rather than avoid — and to understand that learning is a process, not a performance.

WHAT MOMENT IN YOUR TEACHING CAREER HAS STAYED WITH YOU THE MOST?
Moments that stay with me tend to be quiet ones rather than milestone achievements — a student who suddenly understands a concept they’ve been wrestling with, or someone returning later to say that a conversation, lesson, or piece of encouragement made a difference.

WHAT SMALL CLASSROOM MOMENT MAKES YOU QUIETLY THINK: ‘THIS IS WHY I DO THIS’?
It’s when students begin explaining ideas to each other without prompting — when the learning shifts from being teacher led to student owned. Seeing students gain confidence in their thinking and help others along the way is incredibly rewarding.

WHAT’S A PLACE YOU’VE VISITED THAT LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION ON YOU?
I’ve been so lucky to have travelled to so many places, but the one with the greatest impact was going to Uganda. I led excursions there on three occasions while working at a school in the UK, partnering with a charity to bring education and healthcare to remote areas. We helped to fund the building and maintenance of a remote primary school, spent time training local villagers to install their own water filters, ran human rights programs in schools and advocated for inmate welfare in prisons.

WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
I had all manner of ambitions as a child but during my teenage years I wanted to be a volcanologist. I find them both fascinating and awe-inspiring and did study several units during my undergraduate degree related to volcanology. Although I didn’t pursue it in the end, I still love volcanoes and have travelled to many of them across the world during my life.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2026 edition of The Wesleyan. To read more, click here.