In this week's episode, I had the pleasure of welcoming Iyabo Tinubu for her very first podcast interview. In our conversation, she opens up about embracing her duality as a British-Nigerian, her early years as an international educator, her work as a DEIJ leader, transitioning from the classroom to administration, and much more! To learn more about Iyabo's work, you can follow her on LinkedIn.

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In this week's episode, I had the chance to chat with Dr. Darnell Fine, who shared about his childhood in Atlanta, his early years as a teacher, and his growth as a DEIJ leader within the international school ecosystem. To learn more about Darnell's work, you can follow him on LinkedIn.

BIO:

Dr. Darnell Fine is the newly appointed High School Principal at Singapore American School (SAS). With academic credentials including a bachelor's degree from Brown University, a master’s from City University of London, and a doctorate from the University of Southern California, his career spans teaching, leadership, and global consultancy. Prior to joining SAS, Dr. Fine spent four years at the American School in London.His deep commitment to high-quality instruction, building strong relationships, and extensive recognition as a global thought leader in education make him a remarkable leader. He has consulted with the International Baccalaureate on curriculum review, developed advisory lessons for Emory University, and supported diverse applicants with the Council of International Schools. Additionally, he has worked with international school leadership teams to enhance systems that benefit all students.

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In this week's episode, I welcomed Mike Tinoco to the podcast to talk about his early journey, finding his community through beatboxing, his new book "Heart at the Center", the power of nonviolence pedagogy, and much more! To learn more about Mike's work, you can visit his website at miketinoco.com or follow him on Instagram (@mikenotmister).

BIO:

Mike Tinoco (M.Ed.) is a public school teacher, nonviolence practitioner, and author whose work advocates for creating classrooms and schools that center interdependence, shared needs, and liberation from violence. He is a certified Kingian Nonviolence and Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) trainer who has given dozens of workshops and talks in schools, universities, and educational organizations. His first book, Heart at the Center: An Educator's Guide to Sustaining Love, Hope, and Community Through Nonviolence Pedagogy, explores a holistic approach to nonviolence in the classroom.

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This week's episode features Yasmine Sadri, who opens up about her early upbringing, being the daughter of Iranian immigrants in Belgium, transitioning from journalism to the education field, her evolution as an activist for refugees and young people from other marginalized communities, and much more! To learn more about Yasmine's work, you can follow her on Instagram (@yasmineandworld) and LinkedIn.

BIO:

Yasmine Sadri is a builder of bridges, using her background in media, international relations, humanitarian work, and education to promote peace and justice for children and other vulnerable groups worldwide. Currently at the International School of Geneva, Yasmine is an advisor, coach, and facilitator for several international institutions including the United Nations where she trains leadership from all over the world in transformative DEI. She is the daughter of two Iranian parents who left Iran in 1979. Since high school, Yasmine has been advocating for increased understanding of and support for Iranian youth and stories. Her thesis was on the depiction of Iran in United States media, shedding light on the different ways media are used to paint an image of countries and their people, often creating distance between citizens worldwide.

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In this week's episode, I had the honor of interviewing my good friend Khamisa Haugen, who opened up about her early life as a refugee from South Sudan, adjusting to life in the United States, the ups and downs of her mental health journey, discovering her voice as an international educator, and so much more! To learn more about Khamisa's work, you can follow her on LinkedIn.

BIO:

Khamisa Haugen holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and Development, with a minor in Sociology, and completed a Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and Counseling. She also holds a Professional Diploma in Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, and Counseling and is pursuing DEIJ Certification through the AIELOC/SUNY program.

As a former refugee from South Sudan, her journey through displacement and resettlement has shaped her deep commitment to mental health advocacy and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ).Throughout her career, Khamisa has worked with vulnerable populations, from adults with disabilities to students in international schools. Her work, including roles at UWCSEA East, focuses on fostering resilience, inclusion, and well-being. Khamisa’s professional goal is to integrate her mental health training with DEIJ work to create environments where everyone can thrive, personally and professionally.

Khamisa provides counselling services focused on addressing thoughts and emotions, helping clients break free from unhealthy patterns, and managing moods and behaviors for both adults and adolescents. Her therapeutic approach is inclusive, structured, and flexible to meet the client's need. She believes building genuine therapeutic relationship and fostering empathy are crucial to achieving desired outcome in therapy. Khamisa is passionate about supporting clients through challenging life events, relationship issues, mental health concerns, self-esteem challenges, anxiety, life transitions, time management, and more. She skillfully integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and in-person Hypnotherapy interventions, tailoring her approach to meet each client's unique needs.

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In this week's episode, I had the honor of interviewing Bennie Kara, who shared about growing up with Indian parents who were immigrants in East Africa. She also opens up about her career as a teacher and school leader, her transition into consulting, her growth as a DEIB trainer, and navigating life as an adoptive parent in a multiracial family. To learn more about Bennie's work, you can visit the Adhara Education website at adharaeducation.com and the Diverse Educators website at diverseeducators.co.uk. You can also follow her on Instagram (@_benniekara_), Bluesky (@benniekara.bsky.social), and LinkedIn.

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In this episode, I was honored to have Nawal Qarooni on the podcast to talk about her early upbringing, developing a love for literacy and family storytelling, her book "Nourishing Caregiver Collaborations", her life as a mother, and so much more! To learn more about Nawal's work, you can visit her website at nqcliteracy.org and follow her on Twitter/X (@NQCLiteracy), Instagram (@nqarooni), and LinkedIn.

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In this week's episode, I had the honor of interviewing Hannah Wilson, who is the co-founder of WomenED and Diverse Educators. In our conversation, Hannah opens up about her upbringing in Devon, UK, her interest in studying post-colonial literature, the origins of WomenED and Diverse Educators, and her process for building a diverse team of educational consultants who are committed to DEIB work. To learn more about Hannah's work, you can visit the Diverse Educators website at diverseeducators.co.uk or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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In this week’s episode, I welcomed Tricia Friedman to the podcast to open up about her early upbringing, exploring her queerness, the role of AI in strengthening our DEIJ efforts in schools, her podcasting journey, the inspiration behind her creativity, and so much more!  To learn more about Tricia’s work, you can visit her personal website at triciafriedman.com or the Ally Ed website at allyed.org.  You can also follow her on Twitter (@tricia_fried) and LinkedIn.

BIO:

Tricia Friedman is proud to be entering into her 21st year in education. She has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and has worked globally as a classroom teacher, service-learning coordinator, and as an instructional coach. For the first 15 years of her education career, she lived and taught internationally in six International Baccalaureate (IBO) schools in Europe and Asia, and also served as a  volunteer in the Peace Corps in Morocco. She loves exploring and curating conversations between educators that directly lead to change in the classroom, schools, and in the broader ‘culture of learning.’ As a proud queer educator, Tricia authors the Be a Better Ally  newsletter and podcast to continue the dialogue about what an LGBTQ+ inclusive school might be. In 2019, she moved to Canada and made a career shift to Consulting, Workshops, and Content Design for K-12 schools in the US and abroad. She now lives in Ontario with her wife and their adorable dog, Tashi, who reminds her that every day is a great day for a walk.

Tricia is the founder of AllyEd.org and the Director of Learning Content and Strategy for Shifting Schools.

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In this week's episode, I caught up with Dr. Jill Harrison Berg to learn about her early upbringing, her early years as a classroom teacher, the power of teachers as professional learning leaders within their school communities, and her personal experience at that Ghana ASCD International Educators Summit. To learn more about Jill's work, you can follow her on Twitter (@Teachers_Lead) and LinkedIn.

She has led and partnered on significant projects that advance the quality of teaching for local, state-wide and national institutions including the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Washington’s Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Educational Development Corporation (EDC), WestEd, the National Research Council and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, as well as several school districts throughout the U.S. She recently served as an inquiry coach and organizational learning consultant for Zaretta Hammond’s Culturally Responsive Education by Design Professional Learning Community. In addition to serving as a leadership coach to several school and district leadership teams, she is currently a senior advisor for the National Educational Leadership Institute, a leadership development program developed by Ghana ASCD for the Ministry of Education in Ghana.

Throughout more than 30 years working in educational practice, research and policy, Dr. Berg has written many articles on the topics of teacher leadership, teaching quality, instructional equity, leadership development and school improvement. Her regular column, “Leading Together,” in ASCD’s Educational Leadership magazine from 2018-2023, aims to heighten leaders’ attention to the complementary roles that teacher leaders and administrators can play as they co-perform leadership to improve their schools.

Dr. Berg is currently the author of three books, Improving the Quality of Teaching through National Board Certification (Christopher Gordon Press, 2003); Leading in Sync: Teacher Leaders and Principals Working Together for Student Learning (ASCD, August 2018); and Uprooting Instructional Inequity: The Power of Inquiry-Based Professional Learning (ASCD, January 2022). Dr. Berg earned her doctorate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education while working as a researcher with the Project on the Next Generation of Teachers. She also holds a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.Ed. from Lesley University, and was one of the first teachers in Massachusetts to become a National Board Certified Teacher (1998).

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