What makes great professional development? We spoke with Justin Hardman, the founder and Director of 21st Century Learning, about professional development for international educators. Since 2012, 21st Century Learning has connected more than 20,000 K-12 educators with a wide variety of face-to-face and online professional learning opportunities. Beyond professional learning, Justin has a passion for supporting schools in better-integrating technology into school programs with a focus on ...

Transitions are a given when you are an international educator.We did a different style show here with David asking all the questions as he interviewed Audrey and Mark Forgeron about their recent return and transition to international teaching. Audrey Forgeron is a 30-year, nine-country international teaching veteran. She has taught Health and PE, French, Information Technology, and Film. She has recently transitioned from teaching to life coaching. Mark Forgeron has spent 40 years...

We so enjoyed our first chat with Michael Nachbar, Executive Director of the Global Online Academy (GOA) that we asked him to come back for a second interview! Just as before, Michael tackled our questions with vigor and showed an incredible depth of knowledge. We are curious about the concept of “future-proofing” education, so it made sense to consider Michael’s take as a future-focused thinker. With that in mind, our guiding question was: “What does online learning look like going forw...

Who is growing a media empire based on international teaching? Who loves going to recruiting conferences? And who writes entire books in a weekend? The answer, of course, is our fellow podcasting buddy Greg Lemoine. Greg wrote a follow-up to his award-winning (we awarded it a gold star) first book, “Finding the Right Fit: Your Professional Guide for International Educator Recruiting Fairs and Amazing Stories of a Teacher Living Overseas.” His second book is “International Teaching: The B...

We always say, "Do your research!"In this show, David and Audrey share some fabulous resources from our Library, adding their own insights. Here are links to the resources:International School Community Blog - New Teacher Orientation Is Now Underway: 14 Must Haves AIELOC Resource pageWall Street Journal - Teachers Are Burning Out on the Job: Student Behavior and Mediocre Pay Are Taking Their TollGOA summer playlist 2024 and insights blogThe Economist - The Rich World’s Teachers Are Incre...

Fellow podcaster and big-time travel blogger Caroline Makepeace joined us to share tips and insights when traveling with children. Caroline and her husband Craig usually report their travel wisdom through platforms like Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, Forbes, and the Today Show. Hence, we count ourselves fortunate to be able to tap into Caroline’s wisdom, as family travel is a significant part of being an international educator!Caroline Makepeace is the co-founder of two successful online pu...

How do you tame your curiosity and limit your questions when talking to a man who sings opera, speaks five languages, and consults with hundreds of organizations ranging among the fields of education, financial services, beauty and fashion, non-profits, and the arts? This was our task when interviewing Dr. Derrick Gay on the topic of helping school communities flourish. Dr. Gay is a globally recognized intercultural competency strategist dedicated to fostering cultures of dignity and re...

Are you a small school wishing you could expand your course offerings? A student who has always wanted to explore a new area of study? Or maybe a teacher longing to teach about a passion topic area that is not offered at your school? Well, look no further!The Global Online Academy, in operation since 2011, addresses all of these issues. The Academy partners with schools around the world to offer over 60 courses, many of which introduce students to areas of study to which they may not otherwis...

What is bullying? What are the roles we see in a bullying situation? What can we do to help reduce the incidence of bullying in schools and on social media and to arm students with the social skills to help them avoid becoming victims? Alain Pelletier joined us for this episode to talk about his work in schools to raise awareness around bullying. Alain is a professional Canadian public speaker. Since 2008, he has given over 1400 conferences, presentations, and workshops on bullying to ov...

We were so happy to interview fellow podcaster Nick DeForest! One of our wishes has been to have a guest who could explain what co-curricular programming looks like at international schools after school and on weekends. Nick, with his GLOBETROTTIN’ ADs podcast and website, is at the center of a global network of athletic directors and activity coordinators. As such, he can speak to what this programming looks like in international elementary, middle, and high schools. Nick DeForest ...

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, and belief system could have a champion? Well, they do! It’s the Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color, founded by Kevin Simpson. Kevin joined us to speak to his efforts through AIELOC to expand DEIJ learning in international schools. Kevin is a native of Flint, Michigan. He owns and operates KDSL Global, an international education consulting company launched in 2016 in the USA a...

This was a special episode as we caught up with some of our previous guests who are finishing either their first or second year of international teaching. As expected, they had many lessons and tips to share! Tonya Busse joined us from Kingston, Jamaica. Jessica Simmons connected from Abuja, Nigeria. And Mel Idema and Cole Savage dialed in from Abu Dhabi. You can listen to their individual interviews if you missed them. Mel & Cole, a married couple in their second year were on for Ep...

"Mr. Data, make it so" For the non-Trekkies out there, meet Chris Smith, academic data analyst.Chris joined us to speak about the importance of using data to improve multiple aspects of our schools. Through his 25 years in international education, Chris noticed schools and educators collecting data but seeming overwhelmed by it or needing help knowing what to do with it. So, he began coaching, teaching, and consulting with schools and educators to help them discover what...

We all -- students and teachers alike -- long to belong. Douglas Beam from Global Online Academy joined us to share his insights on the importance of working to build a sense of belonging for students in our schools. He also discussed his doctoral work on gender and sexual minorities in international schools. Douglas has been a teacher and leader in schools in Europe, Asia, and North America and currently works at GOA as the Associate Director of Member School Engagement. He has tau...

It is such a treat to reconnect with a former student and to discover where their life has led them. In this episode, we reconnected with Claire Gaul, a student from our Saudi days. Claire and her husband, Jamel, teach at their third international post, a school in China. They shared so many great insights that you might have to listen to the episode twice to take them all in!Claire is originally from California, and Jamel was raised in Alsace in a Tunisian/Algerian family. They enjoy t...

Can you feel the energy in the air? This was a zinger of an episode! Kam Chohan, the Executive Director of the Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS), joined us for this episode.  With a background in education and leadership, Kam Chohan is a learning leader who brings insight, wisdom, and compassion to the role. She demonstrates the ability to build meaningful, lasting relationships that contribute to personal and organizational development and improvement. Kam is a...

Warning: Show contains critical amounts of meaty information!  Ken Shelton joined us to discuss how schools can effectively design and implement new programs. He used DEIJ as a case study for managing the change process.  Ken Shelton is an award-winning educator and international keynote speaker addressing critical issues from multimedia literacy to cultural intelligences to Artificial Intelligence. Ken has over two decades of experience and an MEd specializing in Ed Tech and New Media Design...

What keeps international school heads awake at night? What all-important areas of decision-making currently occupy their thoughts? What trends in international education are they focused on? To find out, we again reached out to the very well-connected Laura Light, Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of International Education.  Laura joined AAIE in 2021, bringing in years of experience working alongside school heads and senior leadership, supporting the critical task of...

International teacher consultant Jacqueline Mallais joined us once again from Guadalajara, Mexico, for this episode.  Jacqueline is a former international teacher and school leader with over 20 years of experience in six countries on four continents. Since heading overseas in 1996, she has helped numerous teachers secure amazing opportunities abroad. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, and now living in beautiful Guadalajara, Mexico, Jacqueline offers her consulting services to teachers looking...

Who is the go-to resource for the lowdown on the current state of international school recruiting? Thanks to an introduction from super-connector Laura Light, we were fortunate enough to connect with one of the best-placed people for answers to our recruiting questions. Pauline O'Brien is the Global Recruitment Business Strategy Development Director at International School Services (ISS).  We peppered Pauline with questions to help our listeners deepen their understanding of where things...

Are you going recruiting? Is your résumé up to date? Are you prepared for your interviews? If not, maybe you’d better see V! Yes; that’s the tagline for Valeria Laitinen, an international school principal who moonlights as a consultant helping educators prepare for the international recruiting process. She can help with all aspects of the job-seeking endeavor, from A to Z.  We covered several topics in this episode, including:  Valeria’s experiences as part of a diplomatic family (we are...

Audrey and David dive into the blog post “Profiling Schools, Cities, and Countries” to bring listeners’ attention to the importance of planning for their next move. The post provides criteria for comparing and ranking schools, cities, and countries to help you be more objective when 1 - planning which schools to apply to and then 2 - comparing job offers when they come in.  These tools should prove to be super helpful as you go through the processes of setting your priorities, researching...

!Hola a todos! You are in for a real treat today. We were fortunate enough to speak with Michael Adams, Executive Director of the TRI Association. This is an association of schools in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and the Caribbean. Michael embodies the spirit of community, connection, and sharing that supports the TRI mission. He also represents yet another current and ex-HOS that is genuine, dedicated, and wise in their leadership. Starting with his own Going Global Story and then...