School of Talk: Recent Episodes
School of Talk
School of Talk is an interview-style podcast for teachers, educators, and school leaders. We sit down with thought-leading experts to explore hot topics in education, teaching abroad, ed-tech, and so much more. Whether you’re an educator by trade or an educator by spirit, we’ve got something for you!
In This Episode of School of TalkIn this episode of School of Talk, join host Ryan as he interviews Adrian, the General Director of John F. Kennedy School in Querétaro, Mexico. Adrian shares his journey from a geography teacher in the UK to a leadership role in an American-curriculum school in Mexico. They discuss the power of education, the growth of international schools in Mexico, and the benefits of professional development for teachers. Adrian also explains why Mexico is an attractive destination for educators and the importance of maintaining a multicultural educational environment. Discover valuable insights into the evolving education landscape in Mexico and the opportunities it offers.Episode Highlights:
- Adrian's Journey to Mexico\
- Experience at an American School
- Changes in Mexican Education
- Growth of International Schools
- Mexico as an Emerging Destination for Teachers
- Professional Development and Recruitment
- Why is the IB so Attractive in Mexico Particularly
- Advice for Experienced Teachers and Anyone in School Administration
- Future of Education in Mexico
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On This Episode of School of TalkIn this episode of School of Talk, the focus is on Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and its connection to international education. Our host Ryan interviews Christopher McKenzie, Academic Director at Ajialuna Schools, who has spent 10 years in Saudi Arabia. Chris provides insights into the transformative goals of Vision 2030 and the critical role education plays in achieving them. He also discusses effective recruitment and retention strategies for educators in this rapidly evolving educational landscape.Episode Highlights:
- Focus on Saudi Arabia and Vision 2030
- Changes in Saudi Arabia Over the Last Decade
- Understanding Vision 2030
- Impact of Vision 2030 on Education
- Recruitment and Retention of Teachers
- Future Outlook and Mega Projects in Saudi Arabia
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On This Episode of School of Talk
In this episode of School of Talk Season 2, our host Ryan dives into the world of summer camps with Tom and Joel, the founders of International Education Camp. They discuss the immense value these immersive language camps bring to students and communities worldwide. Learn about the challenges and rewards of scaling their programs globally, the joy brought to underprivileged towns, and the life-changing experiences of both campers and counselors. Tom and Joel share how their camps foster a love for learning and promote cultural exchange, while also providing an unforgettable, fun-filled experience. Tune in to discover why these camps have been transformative for everyone involved, and get insights on what makes a great camp counselor.Episode Highlights:
- Introduction and Exam Season
- Meet the Founders: Tom and Joel
- Memorable Summer Camp Experiences
- The Role and Impact of Camp Counselors
- The Growth and Success of International Education Camps
- Recruitment and Future Vision
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On This Episode of School of Talk
Today's episode features Luisa Catalan, the IB Development and Recognition Manager in Mexico City. With more than two years of experience in the IB and her own background as an IB alumna, Luisa provides unique insights into why the IB's holistic approach to education is resonating globally. Whether you are a teacher, a school administrator, or a parent, this episode will shed light on the IB's mission to create a better and more peaceful world through education.
Episode Highlights:
- What is the IB?
- Why is the IB so popular?
- The IB's global growth
- The IB teacher training and professional development
- Upscaling current staff to align with the IB curriculum
- For teachers interested in the IB curriculum
- The IB experience as a student
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On This Episode of School of TalkKate Mulligan – a napping activist, diversity advocate, and innovator. Featured in BBC World Service and Yahoo News, she is the founder of Rest Space — a group that dares to revolutionize the future of workplace wellbeing through rest. Today we ask, could we see napping spaces in schools of the future?
Episode Highlights:
- Benefits of napping
- Historical and scientific evidence for napping
- Creating a suitable napping environment
- Napping in education
- Napping and charisma
- Napping and self-control
- Napping and teacher burnout
- Napping and academic performance
- Overcoming the stigma of napping
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On This Episode of School of TalkToday's episode features Ellie Baker and Joel Rosenblatt. Ellie Baker, an ex-school teacher turned award-winning business owner and coach for online teachers. Along with Joel Rosenblatt, a former actor, TEFL teacher, and now founder of an online tutoring business 'The English Habit'. Both sharing their insights on how to be a better online tutor, and also, how to grow your own online tutoring businesses.
Episode Highlights:
- What makes a great online tutor?
- Transitioning to online learning
- Creating personalized learning in a group setting
- Managing misbehavior in an online setting
- Transitioning to online teaching
- Building self-confidence as an online tutor
- The future of education
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TEFL 101: How to Qualify to Teach English Online & Abroad
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8 of the highest paying jobs in education
Today's episode is all about the wide range of roles in education that are surprisingly well paid. Although salaries and rates of pay for teachers can vary from state to state, there are opportunities across the country for people who want to work in education and find a high-paying job.
This episode outlines the top eight highest-paying jobs in education across a range of skill sets, from teaching and leadership to organization and student support.
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On This Episode of School of Talk
This episode features Courtney Brady. Six years ago Courtney decided to take a big leap. She sold all of her belongings and moved across the world to teach. It was THE best decision she’s ever made. Ever since that transition, she's been on a personal journey of continued growth to create the lifestyle of her dreams.
Today, Courtney is a teacher, blogger, traveler, digital nomad, holistic health advocate and Social Media Manager. She’s here to tell us a bit of her story and how teaching abroad propelled her into a world of freedom and adventure.
Episode Highlights:
- What inspired Courtney to sell her home, quit her job, and pursue a career teaching abroad
- How Courtney prepared to teach abroad and found a job teaching overseas
- The positive effects teaching in Asia had on Courtney’s life and sense of self
- Simple ways aspiring travelers can learn about teaching abroad
- Who to ask to get the best insight about visiting a new country
- Follow Courtney on Instagram @journeywith.court
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How to Receive Financial Support as an Aspiring Teacher
Today's episode is all about financial support for teachers. Whether you're an aspiring teacher looking to obtain your initial teaching license or are you a seasoned educator looking for funding to support your classroom endeavors we're breaking down available options to help you and your students to enjoy further education without breaking the bank.
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In This Episode of School of Talk
If you’re an educator, you are likely used to teaching a diverse group of learners. You probably have students with different backgrounds, interests, talents, and skillsets. You also likely have students with varying physical, developmental, emotional, and sensory needs.
But how can one teacher support a large group of learners? How can we ensure we’re meeting each student's needs and creating an inclusive space where all students have the opportunity to learn? How do we do all of this without working astronomically long hours to create multiple activities?
Well, today’s episode features Educational Inclusion Specialist, Shelley Moore. Shelley is a highly sought-after teacher, storyteller, researcher, and consultant. She has worked with school districts and community organizations throughout both Canada and the United States. You may know her from her Ted Talk, Under the Table - The Importance of Presuming Competence, or her video series, 5 Moore Minutes, which offers resources, research, professional development activities, and inspiration in 5-minute chunks!
Shelley’s research and work have been featured at national and international conferences and are constructed based on theory and effective practices of inclusion, special education, curriculum, and teacher professional development.
Today, Shelley joined the School of Talk Podcast to discuss inclusive education and teaching to all learners.
In today’s episode, you’ll learn…
- The most important thing educators need to know about inclusive education.
- The greatest barrier facing inclusive education and how to reframe your thinking to overcome this barrier.
- How to adapt lessons for all learners, without getting burnt out.
- What an inclusive lesson looks like in practice, and how it benefits all learners (from a real Grade 9 English classroom!)
- How school leaders can work to create more inclusive learning environments by incorporating collaborative learning, planning, or teaching opportunities into the fabric of the school
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On This Episode of School of Talk:
Interviews may feel stressful, but they are the best way for both parties to get to know each other. They are also the perfect time to ask questions to understand your teaching abroad experience.
We put together a list of ESL teacher interview questions you can ask in your teach abroad interview that will make your ESL journey a success. We put these questions into seven categories:
- At work
- Career
- Culture
- Getting There
- Housing
- Medical
- Money
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On This Episode of School of Talk
This episode features Ace Schwarz. Ace is a 6th and 7th grade Science teacher in Pennsylvania. In addition to being an educator, Ace is a passionate advocate of social justice and LGBTQ+ inclusion. In 2018 Ace came out as non-binary and began using the pronouns uses the pronounce they/them/theirs. They worked closely with HR and administrators to develop a transition plan for teachers and students. Due to this advocacy work, they were recognized as the 2019 Educator of the Year by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Ace shares resources on their website Teaching Outside the Binary to support LGBTQ+ students and teachers. They joined me on the podcast to educate us on creating LGBTQ+ inclusive classrooms and work environments.
Episode Highlights:
- Ace breaks down their definition of LGBTQ+ inclusive education as well as the intended goal or purpose of LGBTQ+ inclusive education.
- Ace gives advice to teachers who are making LGBTQ+ inclusive education a focus this year including how teachers can adjust their language, content, and the physical environment to support all students.
- Ace share’s their personal experience with how creating a safe space has impacted their school community.
- Ace explains what they see schools doing well and where improvements can still be made. Plus, they tell us one thing schools could do to make schools more inclusive.
Resources to create more inclusive learning environments:
- Ace’s Website: Teaching Outside the Binary
- GLSEN
- Stonewall: Creating an LGBT-inclusive secondary curriculum
- Action Canada Gender Galaxy
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Episode Highlights:
In today's episode, we break down five new trends in education and technology that are making education accessible to more schools:
- Nano Learning
- AI and Automation in the Classroom
- Immersive Learning Technology AR and VR
- Subscription Services for Lifelong Learning
- Remote Learning
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On This Episode of School of Talk
This episode features Adrienne Waller. Adrienne is the founder of Worldwide Educator and has been in education for 15 years in the US, Qatar, and China.
Adrienne holds multiple certifications in leadership, administration, teaching, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Adrienne’s company, Worldwide Educator, is an education consulting company focused on empowering educators to own their instructional genius while activating students. She is committed to racial equality, social justice, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice work both in the United States and globally. Whether helping to develop powerful DEI statements or facilitating conversations, she seeks to empower others to create safe spaces.
Adrienne and I chat about her experiences living and teaching abroad and she gives practical advice to others who are looking to experience teaching overseas.
Episode Highlights:
- What inspired Adrienne to teach abroad and how she landed her first international teaching job.
- How to select the perfect teaching destination for you.
- What to consider when seeking a destination to teach abroad.
- What to consider when applying to schools overseas.
- What questions teachers should ask hiring principals when interviewing and researching their destination.
- How to stand out in a competitive international education market.
- How and why you should build a network before you land.
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On This Episode of School of Talk
This episode features Dr. John Spencer. John is a former middle school teacher and current college professor on a quest to transform schools into bastions of creativity and wonder. He wants to see teachers unleash the creative potential in all of their students so that kids can be makers, designers, artists, and engineers. John explores research, interviews educators, deconstructs systems, and studies real-world examples of design thinking in action. He shares his learning in books, blog posts, journal articles, free resources, animated videos, and podcasts.
In this episode we discuss:
- Dr. John Spencer shares how he unexpectedly discovered a desire to be an educator after spending a day in the classroom. Transitioning from the non-profit world.
- John shares his passion for project-based learning (PBL), as well as simple ways educators can boost creativity and spark innovation in their classrooms.
- Where teachers can implement voice, choice, and creativity into their lessons, without making major changes to what they’re already doing. Small changes can lead to a big difference in how students think creatively and develop soft skills.
- How student-centered learning can actually free up a teacher’s time and allow them to connect with their students while simultaneously increasing student achievement, and allowing their learning to stick longer.
- How school leaders and principals can differentiate for their teachers the same way teachers differentiate for their students by offering choice.
- John discusses “failing forward” and why administrators and school leaders need to clearly give teachers permission to make mistakes.
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In This Episode of School of Talk
Today’s episode of SOT is all about alternative teacher certification programs, also known as ACPS. You might be familiar with traditional teacher preparation programs, you know, the kind where you head into a university or college campus, study for 4-6 years, and walk away a licensed teacher. But, did you know that there are alternative routes to getting a teaching credential? These programs were designed to license and certify teachers at an accelerated pace, and offer fewer barriers to entry compared to traditional eductor preparation programs. With the need for teacher in American continuing to grow, ACPs might just offer a solution to help get aspiring teachers into classrooms.
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On This Episode of School of Talk
This episode features Jocelyn Hellested. Jocelyn is a self-described travel junkie and education enthusiast. She quickly realized teaching online gives her the ability to travel and create a lifestyle full of work she loves while still having lots of time to explore! She believes in the importance of pursuing careers that fill us with purpose and allow us time to spend with the people and things we enjoy. She’s here to share a bit of her story as a travel lover and teacher.
In this episode we discuss:
- Creating a flexible schedule as a traveling online teacher.
- Maintaining a consistent routine while having enough free time to travel and explore.
- Enjoying freedom as an independent contractor, including the power to create your own schedule.
- Having autonomy over what and how you teach as an online teacher, including a range of subjects, ages, and class sizes.
- The benefit of forming connections with students without being bogged down with the daily tasks of a classroom teacher.
- How getting a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate allowed Jocelyn to keep her options open as she considered getting an in-person teaching job abroad.
- The amazing companies Jocelyn has worked for, including VIP Kid, Cambly, and Outschool.
- What resources you can keep in your backpack as an online teacher.
- Learn more about how China’s new private tutoring regulations affect foreign-based online tutors
- Follow Jocelyn on Instagram @teaching_Nomad24
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In This Episode of School of Talk
It’s 2022 and there have never been more options when it comes to career choice. With so many opportunities at our fingertips, we’ve been contemplating a big question - why teach? We know that teaching requires a lot of commitment, patience, intrinsic motivation, and passion. So, why do teachers do what they do? What makes someone choose this career path over another?
This week’s episode explores why someone would choose this career path over another. You might be surprised to learn about some of the unique benefits teaching has to offer - maybe this episode will inspire you to consider teaching!
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On This Episode of School of Talk
This episode features Dr. Jody Carrington. Jody has assessed, treated, educated and empowered some of our most vulnerable and precious souls on the planet. She is a child psychologist by trade, but Jody rarely treats kids. The answer lies, she believes, in the people who hold them. Especially when kids have experienced trauma, that’s when they need big people the most. Some of her favourites include educators, parents, first responders, and foster parents. Jody has shifted the way they think and feel about the holy work that they do.
Before Jody started her own practice and speaking across the country, she worked at the Alberta Children’s Hospital on the inpatient and day treatment units where she held families with some of the difficult stories. They taught her the most important lesson: we are wired to do hard things. We can handle those hard things so much easier when we remember this: we are wired for connection.
This all started when Jody received her Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from the University of Alberta. She completed a year-long internship with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police during that time, and worked alongside families struggling with chronic illness at the Ronald McDonald House. She received her Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Regina and completed her PhD there as well, before completing her residency in Nova Scotia.
Her first book, Kids These Days: A Game Plan for Reconnecting with those we Teach, Lead & Love, sold 20,000 copies in just three months. It is now on Amazon’s Best Sellers List. Her second book, Teachers These Days: Stories & Strategies for Reconnecting, was on Amazon’s Best Sellers List within the first 24 hours.
Dr. Carrington and sat down with us to discuss the biggest problem we face today - disconnection and how educators and school leaders can work on reconnecting.
Episode Highlights:
- How Dr. Jody Carrington got started in child psychology and how it lead her to work with adults.
- The impact the global pandemic has had on connection building within the education space, and how educators can focus on reconnecting.
- The power of acknowledgment and listening when forming connections.
- How proximity and technology are impacting our ability to connect.
- What the components of the global pandemic and the major factors faced by highly dysregulated children have in common.
- What school leaders and educators must remember when managing our most challenging cases.
- Why connection is necessary to formal learning and why students can’t learn without it.
- Why technological advances aren't the problem. It's how we use them.
- A reminder for teachers about how important their work is.
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In This Episode of School of Talk
This episode is all about culturally responsive teaching. If you’re passionate about making your school and classroom a welcoming place for all students, you’ll want to listen to this one. We’re breaking down what culturally responsive teaching is and how you can practice it in your classroom.
Episode Highlights:
- What is culturally responsive teaching?
- How can you be a culturally responsive teacher?
- Self-reflection and Assessment
- Building strong relationships
- Teaching for all cultures
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On This Episode of School of Talk
This episode features Christopher J. Nesi. Chris is a teacher, host of the podcast House of #EdTech. Technology and its role in education are his professional passion. Chris is on the cutting edge of education technology trends and he is a creative, detail-oriented, and tech-savvy educator who is never short on innovative ideas, energy, and the desire to get involved in a school community.
Episode Highlights:
- Chris shares how his father, who was a high school math teacher, inspired him to become an educator.
- Chris shares his definition of educational technology and offers his advice on where teachers can start with incorporating technology into their classrooms.
- What school leaders need to know about investing in technology for teachers.
- What teaching through the pandemic has taught us about educational technology and why school districts need to take this as an opportunity to shake up the system and challenge the status quo.
- Are we deserving students by not offering a virtual learning option? Is there a way we can bring some of the skills and tools we used last year into this year and beyond to support our learners?
- Why hybrid or virtual learning options might benefit some students as they can focus on learning at home in a more comfortable environment.
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This episode is all about the next generation of educators, Gen Z. Gen Z teachers are entering the workforce, and are already shaking up the world of Education. This episode outlines who Gen Zs are and the five key attributes this generation will bring to the classroom.
Episode Highlights:
- Who qualifies as Gen Z?
- 5 attributes that the new generation of teachers will bring to the classroom
- Digital savviness
- Inclusivity
- Mental health understanding
- Advocacy
- A great work ethic
- Want to read the extended blog post on this episode? Click here.
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This episode features Mia Townsend. Mia is a traveling teacher, mental health advocate, and avid traveler! She works as an ESL instructor both virtually and in-person across the globe. Having spent the majority of her twenties and a good deal of her teen years traveling, Mia is often asked what keeps her traveling and her response is always the same; she travels to find community.
Episode Highlights:
- What it’s like teaching in Japan, Thailand, South Africa, and Myanmar (Burma)
- How a love for travel inspired Mia to pursue teaching, despite never thinking she’d become a teacher.
- Tips for finding a community while living abroad including the country Mia highly recommends for solo female travelers.
- How to overcome fears related to traveling and living abroad - even if you are a solo traveler.
- What does a typical day look like for Mia as she teaches adults a second language abroad
- How learning a new language can benefit you as an ESL teacher.
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School of Talk is an interview-style podcast for teachers, educators, and school leaders. We sit down with thought-leading experts to explore hot topics in education, teaching abroad, online learning, and so much more. Whether you’re an educator by trade or an educator by spirit, we’ve got something for you!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/schooloftalk/message