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When was the last time you paused to reflect on your life as an international educator? What lessons have you learned so far both in the classroom and from your experiences living overseas?

Whether or not you have taken the time to look back on your overseas teaching life so far, you are sure to gain some insights and ideas from this, the first episode of my two-part conversation with the wise, thoughtful, über-intentional David Carpenter as he reflects on his life, experiences, and “lessons learned” in his extensive foray into international education.

David is a retired international educator who started his overseas career in 1990. He worked at several international schools before finishing up his career in SE Asia. David partnered with Jeff Utecht to start the Shifting Our Schools podcast and with Mark Hofer to start the EdTech Co-Op podcast. David now works with Audrey Forgeron to co-publish the Educators Going Global Learning Hub and Podcast. David continues to live internationally enjoying his retirement with lots of art, adventure and travel. His biggest hope is to one day become a grandfather.

Our guiding question for this show was: “What are some of your lessons learned as an international educator?”

Some of the topics covered include:

• Methods and tools to reflect and document one’s learning
• Recruiting
• Transitions
• Raising Children Overseas
• Followership and Leadership
• Instruction and PD

Resources shared in this episode:

David shares so many resources and related episodes that we've exceeded the character limit here! So we've created this Google Doc with all of his helpful suggestions. Access it at this link. It is well worth the extra click!

David's Contact Information:

Instagram: @clubcarp15

LinkedIn

This episode was recorded on November 24th, 2025.

Categories: School Life | PD | Parenting | Recruiting | Pedagogy | Followership

Support the show

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Text us with topic or guest suggestions!

Advisory programs. It seems we either love them – or dread them. The same goes for our students. David and Audrey have encountered a lot of different advisory programs over the years and at various schools, but never one that is as comprehensive and as in tune with all of its stakeholders as the one at the International School of Bangkok. In this show we chatted with Andy Vaughan, Dean of Students at ISB and head architect of their advisory program.

Andy is a Kiwi who has been living overseas with his family for the past 20 years teaching and leading in South East Asia. Currently working as the High School Dean of Students at International School Bangkok, Andy was previously the Athletics Director at ISB and in the past has taught Physical Education, Science, Health and Outdoor Education. He is passionate about establishing systems in schools that proactively ensure we support student well being to ensure all students feel like they belong and are cared for.

Our guiding question was: “How can schools create effective advisory programs?”

Here are some topics covered in this episode:

• Definition and Purpose of an Advisory Program
• The Importance and Benefits of Having an Advisory Program
• Possible Settings and Locations for Conducting Advisory Sessions
• Key Participants in Designing the Advisory Program
• Scheduling: When Advisory Sessions Typically Occur
• Insights and Lessons Learned from Designing and Implementing Advisory Programs

Resources shared in this episode:

CASEL for SEL

RULER Approach for SEL

Geelong Grammar School - Positive Education/Psychology approach to wellness

Mario Platform

Wellness@ES - One approach to integrating wellness at the elementary school level

Supporting Episodes:

The Role of Dean of Students -- A Key Piece of the SEL-Academics Puzzle: Meet Andy Vaughan (Ep 83)

Fostering Lasting Change in Schools: Four Factors to Consider, With Jim Reese (Ep 81)

Get Well Soon(ish)! Laying the Groundwork for Much-Needed, Sustainable, Holistic Wellness Programs. (Ep 75)

Service + Learning + Trip = Deep Understanding: Creating Teachable Moments with Kimberly Haley-Coleman of GlobeAware (Ep 97)

Record

Support the show

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Teachers know great professional development when we see it. It resonates and makes sense. It is actionable, preferably right away. Implementing ideas from PD improves our practice and our students’ learning. We know it when we see it—but what is the best way to plan for it? And how do organizers, participants, and school leaders know it made a difference?

This episode focuses on the Project Zero Classroom Summer Institutes that our guest, Jim Reese, helped coordinate for many years. Before listening, we recommend our first interview with Jim for an overview of Project Zero and its mission.

Jim lives in Washington, DC. After a long career teaching in international and U.S. schools, serving as Director of Studies and founding the Professional Development Collaborative at Washington International School, he now works as a consultant. He has long been affiliated with Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Guiding Question: “What are some ways to make the learning experiences at professional development conferences more apt to be integrated into the teaching practices of participants?”

Main Topics:

• How PD conference organizers can ensure better participant follow through in applying their learning to their practices
• How teachers can make the most of conferences and design a pathway to carry their learning into their classroom practices
• How school administrators can support their teachers attending PD conferences to make the most of their learning
• What professional learning might look like going forward

Related Resources:

Greg Moncada Episode 94 interview on “Appraising Teacher Performance”

Harvard Project Zero Website

Jim Reese Episode 81 interview on “Fostering Lasting Change in Schools”

Justin Hardman Episode 65 interview on “Teacher Professional Learning”

Washington International School Summer Institute for Teachers (WISSIT) Website

Jim's Contact Information: LinkedIn

Recorded April 14th, 2025.

Categories: PD | Leadership | Trends

Support the show

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Are you lucky enough to work at an international school that offers service learning travel opportunities for students and staff? Many schools organize “weeks without walls” — immersive experiences that blend service, experiential learning, and travel. In this episode, we dive deep into all three as we speak with Kimberly Haley-Coleman who works with individuals, schools and organizations to design short-term volunteer abroad programs.

Kimberly shares valuable tips and practical insights on how international schools can strengthen their programs to create more meaningful learning experiences for students.

Kimberly is the Founder and Executive Director of Globe Aware, a U.S.- and Canada-based nonprofit that has mobilized volunteers for short-term service projects in more than 25 countries since 2000. With a background in international business and finance, Kimberly has held leadership roles at organizations including CNBC, Space Services International, and Investtools.

Kimberly holds an MBA in International Business, an MA in Art History, and a BA from Emory University. A multiple patent holder and SMU Guest Lecturer, she has received the Texas Business Hall of Fame Award and serves in leadership and advisory roles with IVPA, UN ECOSOC, and numerous international service and community development organizations.

Our guiding question for this show was, “How can international schools foster the global awareness and citizenship of their students through service learning trips travel service learning programs?”

Some of the topics covered include:

• Defining “service learning” and “global awareness”
• What “travel” service learning entails
• What some learning objectives look like in action
• How schools can optimize their current "Week Without Walls" programs
• Tips for planning your own travel volunteer experience
  
  

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Global Aware - https://www.globeaware.org/

Connect with Kimberly:

Globe Aware website | LinkedIn | Other social media platforms: @globeaware

This episode was recorded on October 28, 2025.

Categories: Experiential Learning | Service Learning | Travel

Support the show

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

I have a question for you: Who can benefit from life coaching? If you ask Audrey or me, our answer is “Everyone!” When I first learned about life coaching many years ago, it was within the business world, with corporate leaders having executive coaches. Over time, however, life coaching has expanded to offer its benefits to a much broader audience.

Audrey and I felt that, as soon-to-be or current international educators, you would benefit from a show about how valuable life coaching can be for you. Thankfully, here at Educators Going Global, we have a resident life coach in Audrey Forgeron.

Audrey is a 34-year veteran of living and teaching overseas who has now rebranded herself as a life coach specializing in Mental Fitness for International Educators. She loves connecting with people and spreading the love and joy of international education to anyone who will listen! She is also a co-host of this podcast.

Our guiding questions for this show were, “What is life coaching?” “What is Audrey’s approach?” “What services does she offer?” And “How is all of this connected with international education?”

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Forge Your Best Life - Audrey’s life coaching site

Audrey’s Contact Information:

LinkedIn

This episode was recorded on April 11th, 2025.

Categories: Wellness | Life Coaching

Support the show

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

We all want to feel valued and included, just as we are. So do our students. And yet, it can be a challenge to create and sustain a supportive, inclusive, equitable environment — especially in diverse international school settings.

In this important conversation with Maymouna Sakho, we discussed what it really means to foster belonging, the practical realities and opportunities for inclusion in international schools, and the steps school communities can take to better understand, value, and support neurodiversity.

Founder and CEO of Sakho Learning Consultancy, Maymouna is dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations to innovate through embracing and implementing equitable and inclusive practices and systems. Her passion for this work stems from her experience growing up between two cultures. She is a connector of people and ideas and loves to engage in conversations about inclusion and serving others, particularly children, to reach their fullest potential.

Maymouna has served as Chair for the SENIA International Africa Board, mentor for the AIELOC Aspiring Leaders of Color Program, co-founder/co-trainer for AIELOC’s Learning Support Affinity Group and on MSA and CIS Accreditation Evaluation Visiting Teams. As Head of Elementary Student Support at the International School of Dakar she was instrumental in developing an inclusion program for 300 elementary students. Currently, Maymouna is a Middle School Principal in the Middle East.

Guiding question: “How do international schools create and support a community where inclusion and neurodiversity are understood, valued, and supported for true equity?”

Topics addressed:

• Defining inclusion, neurodiversity and equity
• Supporting Belonging
• Student Support Services
• Maymouna's consulting, coaching and collaboration practices
• Current opportunities and barriers seen in international schools as they seek to expand support of inclusion and neurodiversity
• AIELOC and its mentoring program

Resources mentioned:

Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color - AIELOC

Kevin Simpson of AIELOC Interview

Contact Information: LinkedIn, Sakho Learning and Consulting

Recorded: July 15th, 2025.

Categories: Student Support | School Life | Curriculum

Support the show

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Teacher evaluations can vary wildly—sometimes they are regularly scheduled; at other times they happen at the last minute before the school year ends. These appraisals typically involve an administrator observing a classroom lesson, which can feel contrived and stressful, resembling a mere "check-the-box" exercise. Frequently, the focus centers on teacher behaviors rather than examining the impact on student learning outcomes and the actions contributing to those outcomes. In this episode with Dr. Greg Moncada, we delve into the teacher appraisal system and explore how it can be transformed to prioritize student learning, better align with the school’s mission, and more effectively support the professional growth of educators.

Greg is the Head of Harare International School (HIS) in Zimbabwe and was previously the founding director of the Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST), the Qatar Foundations’ new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) school. Prior to his leading role at HIS and QAST, Dr. Moncada started new schools and programs throughout his career, including a progressive middle school based on the “This We Believe’ model and district-wide STEM programs in Elementary, Middle, and High School settings. Dr. Moncada specializes in developing student-centered learning models, progressive learning models, and multiverse organizational structures between schools and organizations. With more than 30 years of experience, Greg has held teaching and leadership positions in International schools in Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, as well as in the United States. Greg holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Minnesota, an MA in Leadership from Lehigh University, PA, and an MA in Science Education from Louisiana State University.

Our guiding question for this show was: “How can teacher appraisal systems be designed to ensure improved student learning?”

Some of the topics covered include:

• Greg’s perspective on the term “teacher appraisal system”
• Separating the code of conduct from teacher appraisal
• Aligning teacher appraisal and professional growth with other structures
• Differentiating for roles other than teacher, such as counselor, instructional coach, and athletic coach
• Supporting staff members to step out of their comfort zones
• Administrator appraisal and professional growth
• Head of School appraisal and the role of the school board

Greg’s Contact Information: LinkedIn

Recorded on Jul

Support the show

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Could blending global awareness with local relevance enhance our students’ ability to develop true global understanding and empathy?

Our guest, Erin E.H. Austin models this “glocal” approach. Erin is a U.S. National Board Certified French teacher, an author and an NEA Foundation grant reviewer who presents nationally on Global Education, mentors National Board Certification candidates and serves on the board of a yoga-based non-profit in Wisconsin whose mission is to bring yoga to those with financial or geographic barriers.

Guiding Question: “How can international educators deepen their classroom efforts to 'go global’ with their students?”

Resources:

Erin shared so many helpful resources that our word count exceeded the limits for the podcasting apps' show notes! So we've compiled them in this Google Doc for those who would like to further explore these ideas.

Recorded: July 11, 2025.

Categories: Curriculum | Global Education | Teacher Entrepreneurs

Support the show

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.