The International Classroom

Cat Chowdhary spent two hours marking 15 books. Her students didn’t read the comments. It made her rethink how to get students to act on feedback.

On The International Classroom, Alex Gray talks with Cat, an Abu Dhabi deputy head and author, about what makes a lesson effective. They discuss how to tell whether quiet, busy students are learning, plan backwards from a clear outcome, and keep the same ambitious goal while adapting the support students get.

Cat explains how she uses live marking to get students to find and fix their own mistakes. She also shares what she listens for before removing a scaffold, and one planning change teachers can try on Monday.

CAT’S NEW BOOK

Adaptive Teaching: Challenge for Every Learner, by Cat Chowdhary and Morgan Whitfield, is available to pre-order ahead of its 23 November 2026 release.

Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Adaptive-Teaching-Challenge-for-Every-Learner/Chowdhary-Whitfield/p/book/9781041241508

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/adaptive-teaching/id6785482278

ABU DHABI TEACHING CONFERENCE

Free teacher CPD on Saturday 30 January 2027 at The British School Al Khubairat. Check the organiser’s page for ticket updates: https://ae.linkedin.com/company/adtcuae

CAT’S OTHER BOOKS

Developing High Impact Teaching: An Evidence-Based Guide: https://www.routledge.com/Developing-High-Impact-Teaching-An-Evidence-Based-Guide/Chowdhary/p/book/9781032772653

So… What Does an Outstanding Teacher Do?

https://www.routledge.com/So-What-Does-an-Outstanding-Teacher-Do-A-Visible-Learning-Evidence-Based-Approach/Chowdhary/p/book/9781032206233

LINKS FROM THE CONVERSATION

Cat Chowdhary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cat-chowdhary-npqsl-ma-msc-ba-hons-pgce-95971253/

Morgan Whitfield on LinkedIn: https://ae.linkedin.com/in/morgan-whitfield

Responsive Teaching by Harry Fletcher-Wood: https://www.routledge.com/Responsive-Teaching-Cognitive-Science-and-Formative-Assessment-in-Practice/Fletcher-Wood/p/book/9781315099699

Visible Learning resources from Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/go/visible-learning-books

Follow The International Classroom for more conversations about teaching and how students learn.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deepeducationnetwork

Episode archive: https://www.deepeducationnetwork.com/podcast

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The DEEP Dispatch: https://www.deepeducationnetwork.com/newsletter

What makes a lesson successful—and how do we know the learning lasts?

Emily Folorunsho joins Alex Gray to explore high expectations, classroom relationships, teacher development and AI. A former Head of History and co-author of Succeeding as a History Teacher, Emily shares how moving from London to Dubai challenged her approach, and why some of her most exciting lessons taught her to look more closely at what pupils actually remembered.

We discuss:

• Seeing potential beyond a pupil’s starting point
• Moving from busy activities to lasting understanding
• Combining warmth, boundaries and academic challenge
• Protecting teacher judgement as AI becomes more capable
• Choosing CPD that changes classroom practice
• Making teaching sustainable and enjoyable

Alex also shares the AI planning workflow he is developing, while Emily raises a familiar dilemma: when technology saves us time, why do we give ourselves more to do?

GUEST AND RESOURCES

Connect with Emily on LinkedIn

Succeeding as a History Teacher — Emily Folorunsho and Laura Gladwin

The Learning Rainforest — Tom Sherrington

Principles of Instruction — Barak Rosenshine, PDF

Effective Professional Development — EEF

Teaching History journal — Historical Association

Claude · ChatGPT

MORE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSROOM

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What can a student still do six weeks after using an AI tool, without its help?

In this solo episode of The International Classroom, Alex Gray examines how schools are being asked to judge AI. He compares the GEMS Education and Napster partnership with Sir Anthony Seldon and Tim Bunting’s Public First report, and asks what usage and engagement figures can tell us about learning.

The episode covers young people’s trust in AI, teacher avatars and digital personas, consent, safeguarding, pupil data, and the move from Google Gems to Skills. Alex also considers what always-on AI relationships could mean for children.

He closes with a practical six-week check for a tool your school already uses or is about to pilot: name the independent learning you want to see, then decide how to check it.

Follow The International Classroom for more conversations about teaching, AI and what students learn.

- [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@deepeducationnetwork)

- [Spotify show](https://open.spotify.com/show/2zGUdthbVSYIYNRySzXUSY)

- [Episode archive](https://www.deepeducationnetwork.com/podcast)

- [DEEP Education Network](https://www.deepeducationnetwork.com/)

- [The DEEP Dispatch](https://www.deepeducationnetwork.com/newsletter

WHO’S DOING THE WORK?

Teacher Effort, Student Thinking & Back-to-School Reality

Two weeks into the new school year, one thing has become very clear:

I’m tired.

And that has led me to a more important question:

How much work am I doing in the classroom compared with how much thinking my students are actually doing?

In the first Sprint episode of Season 5 of The International Classroom, I reflect on the first two weeks back in school in Dubai — the speed of lessons, the pressure to fit new priorities into already packed classrooms, differences in student independence and written work, and how easy it is to slip back into familiar habits when time is tight.

The question I’m taking into the rest of the term is simple:

WHO IS CARRYING THE COGNITIVE LOAD?

Am I doing the explaining, organising, creating and thinking while students become increasingly passive?

Or am I creating enough space for them to read, struggle, retrieve, write, make decisions and think for themselves?

This episode also introduces the new direction for Season 5: shorter Sprints, recurring voices, long-form conversations when they matter, and real questions coming directly from what’s happening in schools.

🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE

• Teacher effort versus student effort

• Why the first two weeks back feel so intense

• How quickly we return to old teaching habits

• Fitting AI literacy and wider priorities into real lessons

• Student independence, writing and quality of thought

• Why teacher activity does not necessarily equal student learning

📱 DUXA

DUXA Tutors helps independent tutors manage students, lessons, payments and session notes from one place.

https://apps.apple.com/id/app/duxa-tutors/id6757354523

🤖 DEEP AI READINESS AUDIT

How ready is your school for AI?

The DEEP AI Readiness Audit helps schools examine current AI practice, confidence, governance and next steps.

https://audit.deepeducationnetwork.com

🧠 AI LITERACY WORKSHOP

Alex Gray and Matthew Wemyss are running a practical live workshop exploring AI literacy, human judgement and how schools can prepare staff and students to use AI well.

Saturday 3 October 2026

https://www.deepeducationnetwork.com/ai-literacy

🌍 DEEP EDUCATION NETWORK

https://www.deepeducationnetwork.com/

📲 FOLLOW

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/deepeducationnetwork/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@ticpodcast

LinkedIn — Alex Gray:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/

If this episode resonates, follow The International Classroom and send it to someone who has reached the end of Week 2 wondering why they are doing quite so much of the work.

Season 5 starts here.

Are your workplace wellbeing initiatives just a tick-box exercise? If your organization relies on free pizza and one-off yoga sessions to cure burnout, this episode is for you.

In this episode, Alex Gray sits down with Clare Martin, a former educator turned wellbeing and positive psychology expert. Clare breaks down exactly why traditional corporate wellbeing fails and how leaders can build sustainable systems that actually work. We explore the critical difference between mental health policies and proactive wellbeing, how to shift your mindset from "I should" to "I could," and why true psychological safety is the foundation of a thriving team.

CONNECT WITH CLARE MARTIN

Website: https://www.goldcresttraining.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-martin-coaching/

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSROOM

The International Classroom explores the intersection of education, technology, and leadership. Hosted by Alex Gray, a school leader and educator based in Dubai, the podcast features deep-dive conversations with global educators, innovators, and thinkers working to shape the future of teaching and learning.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL

🌐 Website: https://www.deepeducationnetwork.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deepeducationnetwork/

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💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/

Can AI help students learn more deeply — or does it just make it easier to avoid thinking?

Alex Gray sits down with Ryan Trattner, co-founder and CTO of StudyFetch, the AI learning platform that turns course materials into personalised flashcards, quizzes, summaries, study plans, and one-on-one tutoring through its AI tutor, Spark.E.

This conversation goes beyond the product. It's about the question now facing every classroom: what kind of learner does AI create, and where does the human teacher become even more important?

What we cover:

• Why the real question isn't whether students use AI, but how
• The behaviours AI tools quietly reward — and the ones they erode
• How StudyFetch designs Spark.E to encourage thinking, not shortcut it
• What schools get wrong when they try to "police" AI
• Where great teachers become irreplaceable in an AI-saturated world

Guest: Ryan Trattner, co-founder & CTO of StudyFetch (launched 2023).

Host: Alex Gray, The International Classroom Podcast — exploring how educators can lead with confident humility in a changing world.

If this episode made you think, follow the show and share it with an educator who needs to hear it.

What is the single most dangerous misconception schools have about artificial intelligence right now?

In this episode of The International Classroom, host Alex Gray sits down with educator, school leader, and edtech innovator Matthew Wemyss to unpack why siloing AI into computer science departments is a critical mistake. As tech giants embed predictive models directly into everyday search engines, AI has become ambient. Our students are interacting with chatbots by default, meaning AI literacy is no longer just a technical skill—it is an ethical, societal, and pedagogical imperative that touches every single subject.

Matthew shares his journey of building the AI Lit Kit (ailitkit.com), a revolutionary platform designed to help teachers seamlessly embed AI literacy into their existing lesson plans without increasing their workload. We also dive deep into the technical realities of "vibe coding," red-teaming for security, GDPR compliance, and why the human element must always come first in a digitized world.

Whether you are a school leader navigating AI integration, a teacher looking to build your confidence, or an aspiring digital entrepreneur, this conversation offers an essential roadmap for the future of education.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! It helps other educators find the show.

We talk about time like it's the most precious thing we have. We manage it. We protect it. We read books about it. But I've come to think we've got it wrong.

Time isn't the scarce resource. Attention is.

In this episode, I explore why attention — not time — is the most important thing we own, how modern life has structurally degraded our capacity to focus, and why giving someone your full presence might be the most generous thing you can do.

Drawing on Oliver Burkeman, Daniel Kahneman, and Cal Newport, plus honest reflections from my own life as a teacher, writer, and builder.

If you've ever been caught half-listening to someone you love, this one's for you.

—

This is a podcast about how humans learn and how we get better. Hosted by Alex Gray.

Can You Learn to Be Inspirational?

In this first-ever solo episode of The International Classroom, Alex Gray tackles a question that most of us assume has a fixed answer: Is inspiration a gift you're born with, or a skill you can build?

Prompted by a candid (and slightly humbling) conversation with his daughter, Ava, Alex explores why genuine inspiration has nothing to do with Instagram quotes or polished TED Talks. Instead, it’s about the "thousand small things" and the "walk" we choose to take every day.

Inside the Episode:

• The Inspiration Myth: Why we mistake charisma for character and how to pivot toward "genuine inspiration."

• The Research: Breaking down Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset through the lens of a modern classroom.

• The Paradox of Performance: Why "trying" to be inspirational is the fastest way to fail—and what to do instead.

  Modeling in the Age of AI: The rising value of authenticity and visible effort in an increasingly automated world.

Does starting a task with AI inherently mean you are cheating the learning process?

In this episode of The International Classroom, Alex Gray sits down with Ben Whitaker—co-host of Edufuturists, author, and "The Ideas Guy"—for one of the most deeply reflective conversations of the AIDUCATION26 conference in Bucharest. Ben openly discusses how he had to fundamentally reconsider his own stance on AI, shifting from viewing it as a "shortcut" to embracing it as an essential starting (or finishing) block for modern learners.

They also dive into the profound impact of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), exploring how AI can shift neurodivergent and EAL students from being a "secondary thought" to the absolute center of the educational conversation.

Plus, discover why Ben created physical AI Cards to force educators to slow down, why he abandoned ChatGPT for Claude, and why navigating the EdTech landscape right now feels a lot like being in the Big Brother house.

Jump to a section:

00:00 – Intro & Kicking off the Bucharest Conference

01:41 – The "Lone Wolf" Problem & Building the Edufuturists Pack

04:04 – AI Cards for Educators: Why We Desperately Need to Slow Down

08:53 – UDL & Radical Inclusion: Empowering "People of Determination"

12:41 – The "Cheating" Mindset Shift: Reconsidering Core AI Principles

14:17 – Beyond Prompt Engineering & Why Ben Switched to Claude

16:19 – Holding Opinions Lightly & The Value of Divergent Thinking

19:59 – If AI was a Reality TV Show (I'm a Celeb & Big Brother)

Key Takeaways from this episode:

The Cheating Misconception: Going to AI first doesn't necessarily mean you are short-cutting the work. Sometimes it is the perfect starting point; other times, it is the perfect finishing tool for proofreading and editing. We have to be willing to reconsider our rigid rules around its use.

Slowing Down in a Fast World: In an industry that rewards speed and constant output, sometimes the most powerful tool is a physical set of cards that forces you to stop, step back, and ask the deep philosophical questions about why you are using the tech.

Radical Inclusion via UDL: AI allows for personalisation at scale. By using it properly, we can build environments where learners with additional needs (or "People of Determination") are no longer an afterthought, but the central focus of lesson design.

The Death of the Lone Wolf: Trying to innovate in education on your own is exhausting. The strength of the EdTech wolf is the pack—we need communities to challenge our thinking and "sharpen the axe."

Connect with the Guests:

Alex Gray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/

Ben Whitaker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsbenwhitaker/

Don't forget to Subscribe for more conversations on the future of education, EdTech, and classroom innovation!

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