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  

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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

This episode wa

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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

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

A short episode to celebrate the culmination of our third season. Special thanks to all of our guests, to David for providing the beat, and to ChatGPT for creating the rap lines. Enjoy!

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

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

Screentime is something we all need to be mindful of—the more time on our devices, the less time we spend socializing, moving, or sleeping. And those hours can add up fast!

Our guest, Patrick Green, is a leading voice in digital wellness with over two decades of experience helping international schools, parents, and students build a balanced, healthy relationship with technology. He blends research-backed strategies with his real-life parenting experience to help families manage screentime while strengthening meaningful connections online and offline.

A former Middle School teacher and Education Technology Coordinator, Patrick has led initiatives in digital citizenship and purposeful online learning. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Certified Innovator, and YouTube Star Teacher. Patrick is the author of Classroom Management in the Digital Age and 50 Ways to Use YouTube in the Classroom, with his new book, Winning Screentime, launching soon.

Our guiding question was: “What tips do you have for parents as they seek to raise mentally healthy children in this digital age?”

Topics covered:

• Comparing digital citizenship and digital wellness
• Patrick’s approach to working with parents/caregivers and different school populations
• Constructively approaching technology use while avoiding techno-panic 

Resources mentioned in the show:

Patrick provided many helpful resources. To save space in the show notes, they are linked in this Google doc.

Patrick's Contact Information: 

Winning Screentime - Patrick’s website

LinkedIn

YouTube: Youtube.com/pgreensoup

Recorded on July 28th, 2025.

Categories: Wellness | Digital Wellness | School Life | PD | Parenting

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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 thinking of recruiting for a school in Latin America? If so, how much do you know about the region? 

In this episode we learn a great deal about Latin America by interviewing Mark Webber of the Webber’s Ed recruiting agency. Mark answers lots of questions like, “When is the main recruiting season? What are some of the less-tangible benefits of working in Latin America? And what is school life like?”  

Mark Webber began his career in education as a Theatre, Debate and Public Speaking teacher in Texas and moved into international education in 2001 after backpacking the route of Che Guevara throughout South America. He has taught IB Theatre and served as a Director of Fine and Performing Arts in Venezuela, Malaysia, Sudan, and Mexico, where he decided to start his own consulting company, which quickly turned into a boutique recruitment company for international schools in Latin America in 2012/13.

Mark has continued his teaching of Debate and Public Speaking as the founder of the Mexican Debating league, coach of Team Mexico for the World Schools Debating Championships (2011-2017) and owner and operator of an online Debating Academy. Since leaving Mexico, he has lived in Colombia and Costa Rica and is now back in Mexico, living in Chiapas with his lovely wife, who is a Head of School, and their two little dogs. Webber’s Ed-Teacher Talent has been named the Best International Schools Recruitment Agency for Latin America every year since 2019, except for 2022 when no award was given.

Our guiding question for this show was: “What does recruiting for schools in Latin America entail?”

Some of the topics covered include:

• Approaching your Latin America recruitment focusing on individual schools and countries
• Some commonalities to school life
• Salary and benefit packages
• Nuts and bolts of recruiting in Latin America 
• Trends
• Lots of “under the hood” insights!

Resources Mentioned in the Episode: 

Webber’s Ed

Blog Post - Why Do Educators Come to Latin America?

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

This episode was recorded on October 27, 2025.

Categories: Recruiting | School Life | Travel | Finances

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

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

How does your school support new students? Do your students lead the way as transition ambassadors? And wouldn’t it be great to have help with this process?

In this second episode, Lina and Amy unpacked SPAN's Student Ambassador Guide, which you can access to help incorporate the program into your current transition support efforts!

Amy worked for 17 years in Venezuela and Malaysia. She is currently the SPAN Resource Lead. She is passionate about schools caring for the needs of the full community and has integrated transitions care into her various roles. She has a B.A. in Youth Ministry, an MEd. in Curriculum and Instruction and is a Youth Mental Health First Aider. Amy enjoys meeting people, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Lina previously served as a Counselor and Wellness Coordinator in Chile. She is now working on her PhD in Psychology, focusing on suicide prevention in international education. Lina likes to explore the outdoors, stay active, and spend time with friends, family and her dog. She believes in the power of embracing our full humanity through life’s inevitable changes, which are also an opportunity for growth.

Guiding Question: “How can schools build or enhance a Student Ambassador Program rooted in positive transitions-care?”

Recorded: July 13, 2025.

Resources:

Safe Passage Across Networks - SPAN

Safe Passage (Book) by Dr. Doug Ota

International School Counselor Association - ISCA

Life Without Nico by Andrea Maturana

Amy: Finding My Voice, LinkedIn

Lina: linapaumgarten.com, Instagram, LinkedIn, LINDEN Global Learning & Support, 

Categories: Transitions | School Lif

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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 seek to belong. It’s a human need. If you’ve moved schools, you know transitions can be tough. Thankfully, the Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN) program, created by Dr. Doug Ota, provides a transitions care framework for schools. In this episode, we spoke with Amy Shuflin and Lina Paumgarten, developers of resources for SPAN.

Amy worked for 17 years in Venezuela and Malaysia. She is currently the SPAN Resource Lead. She is passionate about schools caring for the needs of the full community and has integrated transitions care into her work in various roles. She has a B.A. in Youth Ministry, an MEd. in Curriculum and Instruction and is a Youth Mental Health First Aider. Amy enjoys meeting people, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Lina previously served as Counselor and Wellness Coordinator at Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile. She is now working on her PhD in psychology, focusing on suicide prevention in international education. Lina likes to explore the outdoors, stay active, and spend time with friends, family and her dog. She believes in the power of embracing our full humanity through life’s changes, which are inevitable -- and an opportunity for growth.

The guiding question was: “How can schools build or enhance a program rooted in positive transitions-care?”

Topics covered:

• An overview of SPAN 
• Supporting arrivers, leavers, and stayers
• Reasons why schools need transitions care programs and practical strategies 

Recorded: July 13, 2025.

Resources mentioned:
International School Counselor Association - ISCA
Life Without Nico by Andrea Maturana
LINDEN Global Learning & Support
Safe Passage Across Networks

Lina’s LinkedIn, Instagram, linapaumgarten.com

Amy’s

Support the show

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

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

There’s nothing quite as inspiring as learning from a great role model. If you aspire to become an international educator, our guests today—Hannah and Jared Keen—will truly impress you as they share invaluable insights, backed by their careful planning and resourcefulness. Join us to hear their story and learn what it takes to thrive in the highly competitive world of international school recruiting.

Side note: Did you listen to episode 87 with Diane Jacoutout of Edvectus in which she she shared tips for first-timers to international recruiting? If you missed it, do check it out: It wil set you up for this interview with the Keens.

Jared and Hannah have been teaching in US public schools for 10 years. Jared teaches Language Arts and Social Studies while Hannah has taught in Primary English & Spanish Dual Language programs across all subjects. 

The Keens thrive on exploring new places and are eager to expose their two young boys to other education opportunities while also immersing them in cultural environments that broaden their worldview. 

Our guiding questions were: “What makes you so keen to go global? What steps are you taking to become international educators?”

Topics covered include:

• Exploring the experiences, skills, and character strengths that inspired Hannah and Jared to consider international teaching. 
• Reflections on how our “Thought Experiment: Is International Teaching for Me?” blog post helped clarify their motivations and readiness for this career path.
• Insight into how they developed a purposeful recruiting plan, including steps taken and resources utilized.
• How working with an expert recruitment consultant is shaping their approach and easing their concerns.
• Discussing their openness to various regions of the world, and how they weigh various options, including leveraging resources like our blog post and spreadsheet, “Profiling Schools, Cities and Countries” .
• Focusing on the needs of their young children while also honoring their extended family's feelings towards their desire to teach internationally. 

Jared and Hannah’s LinkedIn In Information: Jared | Hannah

Resources Mentioned:
Is International Teaching For Me? Blog Post
Profiling Schools, Cities and Countries Blog Post

Recorded on August 21, 2025.

Categories: Recruiting | School Life | Travel

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

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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 new to international education? If so, imagine sitting down with a trusted guide to get helpful tips on what to expect during recruiting and onboarding—and red flags to watch for. Someone with years of experience working with both teacher candidates and hiring schools.

Incredibly, we found such a person. 

If you listened to our first interview with Diane Jacoutot of Edvectus, you are familiar with her candor and willingness to share her wisdom around recruiting. In this show, Diane led us through what can be a minefield for folks new to this process – and even, TBH, for international teaching veterans.

After a career in computer development at IBM, Diane got her start in recruitment bringing international teachers to US state schools. She has founded two international school recruitment companies including Edvectus. 

Diane believes in ethical, transparent recruitment and founded Edvectus to solve the biggest problem she encountered: Teachers don’t know what they don’t know about teaching overseas. 

Our 3 guiding questions were: 
What can first-time international teachers expect during the recruitment process? We explored this in segments. 

1. young educators with limited teaching experience 
2. mid-career teachers with solid experience
3. seasoned veterans nearing retirement from their home country systems.

What common red flags should candidates watch out for during the international school recruiting process?

If a teacher lands at a school that is poorly managed or different from what was portrayed during recruitment, how do you suggest they address the situation?

Some of the topics covered include:

• What educators can expect when recruiting internationally for the first time
• Red flags to be aware of during recruiting 
• The importance of timing when you apply to schools
• What to expect from onboarding and orientation at your new school
• Real-life examples of experiences teachers may face in transitioning to their new schools

Resources mentioned:

Diane’s EGG blog post on how the pandemic changed recruiting

Diane’s First EGG Interview “The Deets on All Things Recruiting” 

Edvectus

Diane’s Contact Information: LinkedIn

Recorded on September 9, 2025
Category: Recruiting 

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

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