Maren Toom

Maren Toom, a teacher since 1986, has been teaching Estonian language, culture and literature for grades 1-12 at ISE for 22 years – since January 1999. She has been an International Baccalaureate (IB) teacher since 2000. Teaching and sharing Estonian culture and literature are her passions and she is always eager to introduce Estonia for students and visitors and share its special culture, traditions and history.

She was born in Tallinn, graduated Tartu University (a university steeped in history, founded in 1632) as an Estonian and Finno-Ugric philologist and a teacher of language and literature (MA). She lived in Denmark and studied for one year in a folk high school. Later she graduated Tartu University as a teacher of English and completed her studies in school administration.

At Tallinn University she trained as a translator and editor of English to Estonian. For her MA thesis in Education she received cum laude. As she teaches all grades at ISE, she has qualifications in all IB levels: PYP, MYP and Diploma, and also as a teacher of host country studies. Her most interesting training was in Oxford, a workshop for IB Diploma literature teaching course.

She has been a language editor for a county newspaper. She has taught Estonian, Finnish and English in a small countryside school, in one of Tallinn’s English biased schools and language courses for adults. She has published three books of traditional Estonian riddles. She has also been an examiner of the state language for the Estonian Citizenship and Migration Board and is an IB Language A Estonian examiner. In 2007, she taught in Bristol Consolidated School, Maine, USA (School to School project). At ISE she has also served as MYP Community Service Coordinator (1999-2004) and IB Diploma CAS coordinator. She laid the foundation for the annual tradition of organizing an Estonian Day at school, where Estonian culture, music and folklore are introduced to any and all.

She is a board member of Nõmme Women`s Shelter, loves animals, nature, botany, theatre, literature, folklore and music. Her hobbies are gardening, renovating an old farmhouse, handicrafts, Estonian cultural heritage, and collecting vintage dishes and kitchenware.

She is married and has 4 sons.