Get ready to learn a lot about international education as we interview three long-term veterans while sharing a few insights ourselves.

David Ross is a retired 58-year-old international educator. He began teaching elementary school in Los Angeles, then moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with his family to teach at ISKL for six years. He then took a one-year sabbatical with his family to bike across Europe and ended up in Saigon, Vietnam. He taught grade four for nine years at SSIS and coached middle and high school men’s volleyball. He enjoys SCUBA diving, free diving, playing in a band, pickleball, staying fit, and cooking. He has also been a proactive investor and proponent of financial literacy.

Rob Howe is a 56-year-old business professional and international educator. He began his career in the technology industry. After a 1.5-year sabbatical from work, he met his wife, an international teacher, and decided to become one. His first opportunity was in Jakarta, Indonesia, for two years at NJIS, teaching Grade 4. He returned to the USA, started a new career in sustainability consulting, and adopted two children from India. In 2014, he returned to overseas teaching. Posts included Beirut, Lebanon (Middle School) at the International College, Harare, Zimbabwe at H.I.S.(Grade 5), and Saigon, Vietnam at SSIS (Grade 5, Middle School). He participated in the Sustainability Council at each school and is an avid hiker, biker, gardener, and explorer. A passionate Quantum Stellar Initiative community member, he is also an active cryptocurrency investor.

Amy Hunt is is currently teaching Psychology and Science of Mind at Nueva School in the San Francisco Bay Area. After earning an MAT and spending a year in outdoor education in 1987, Amy left the US at age 25 to teach IB English in Addis Ababa, where she met her husband, Lee Fertig. They moved together to Rio, where Amy also began teaching IB Theory of Knowledge, got married, moved back to her beloved Minneapolis, had some kids, and took off back overseas, with more beautiful experiences in Barcelona, São Paulo, and Brussels before moving back to the US in 2020. A curious risk-taker and boundary-stretcher, Amy has taught many subjects and recently became a certified yoga therapist for mental health after 25 years of studying yoga. She reads a lot, loves murder shows and pickleball, takes hikes and cold plunges, and tries to coax her three 20-something children to fly the nest.

Our Guiding Question was, “What are some lessons learned from your careers as international educators?”

Here are a few topics covered in this episode:

• Personal and Professional: Big picture highlights and lowlights
• Strategies to make the most of one’s time overseas both personally and professionally
• Raising Children Overseas: Tips to support them in and

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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.

What makes great professional development? We spoke with Justin Hardman, the founder and Director of 21st Century Learning, about professional development for international educators.

Since 2012, 21st Century Learning has connected more than 20,000 K-12 educators with a wide variety of face-to-face and online professional learning opportunities. Beyond professional learning, Justin has a passion for supporting schools in better-integrating technology into school programs with a focus on strategy, leadership, and planning for systemic change. He was Director of Technology at Hong Kong International School and has led EdTech consultancy projects with many of the leading international schools in the Asia Pacific region.

Our Guiding Questions were, “What does the landscape of professional learning opportunities look like? What is the menu of offerings for educators to design personalized learning plans?”

Here are some of the topics covered:

• The mission of the 21st Century Learning company
• The learning pathways it provides for international educators
• Ways that educators can become PD providers
• A menu of professional learning offerings
• The role of Generative AI in professional development
• Some thoughts on how school leaders can design and implement professional learning opportunities for their communities
• Ways that schools can design PD programs that connect to student learning while working to gather data on their implementation, thus building in feedback loops for PD.

Justin’s Contact Information: 21st Century Contact Page | X: jahardman

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:Breathing Fire Into Web 2.0

The show was recorded on September 3, 2024.

Categories: PD | School Life | Wellness

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information or to subscribe to our newsletter!

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

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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.

Transitions are a given when you are an international educator.

We did a different style show here with David asking all the questions as he interviewed Audrey and Mark Forgeron about their recent return and transition to international teaching.

Audrey Forgeron is a 30-year, nine-country international teaching veteran. She has taught Health and PE, French, Information Technology, and Film. She has recently transitioned from teaching to life coaching.

Mark Forgeron has spent 40 years as a teacher, with 38 years teaching internationally. Nepal is now his 10th country, and he has always been a middle-level math teacher. Mark has enjoyed teaching in all regions of the world, always looking for a new and non-lateral location. He has served as a math teacher and math coordinator, a middle school coordinator, and a coach of middle school, high school, and community sports, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and track & field.

Our Guiding Question was, “What are some tried-and-true ways to prepare to transition to a new school and country?”

Here are some of the topics covered:

• Finances both in one’s home country and new country
• Documentation to do’s
• Packing - what goes and what stays
• Social Factors
• Emotional Experiences
• Orientation - School provided and doing one’s own

Audrey’s Contact Information: educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com, LinkedIn.com/in/aforgeron


The show was recorded on October 18, 2024.

Categories: Transitions | School Life | Wellness

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information or to subscribe to our newsletter!

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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.