Ben Raikes

Ben Raikes grew up in England and took a philosophy degree at the London School of Economics. He has been teaching for 18 years. He started his career in Hackney, East London, as a primary school teacher. In 2009 he moved to New York with his family, and taught for three years in charters schools in the city. In 2012 he ran a program called 'Film in Action' at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem. Children would watch films from around the world and hold discussions about them. He joined TSCU in 2013 as the 6th grade science teacher. Throughout his career he has maintained his interest in philosophy, using the techniques of Philosophy for Children to try to create a 'community of inquiry' in all his classrooms.

He is a keen bird watcher and botanist, as well as a lover of poetry. He likes to cycle and go camping. In the far off days of his youth he was a DJ, and is still known to dust off his records from time to time to get the party started.

Follow Ben @benedickraikes