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!

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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.

Who can benefit from life coaching? If you ask Audrey or David, our answer is “Everyone!” When we first learned about life coaching many years ago, with corporate leaders having executive coaches. Over time, however, life coaching has expanded to offer its benefits to a much broader audience.

We 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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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.

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!

Email us with comments or suggestions at [email protected]

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.

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

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 [email protected]

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 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!

Email us with comments or suggestions at [email protected]

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.

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

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 [email protected]

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 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!

Email us with comments or suggestions at [email protected]

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.