Teachers know great professional development when we see it. It resonates and makes sense. It is actionable, preferably right away. Implementing ideas from PD improves our practice and our students’ learning. We know it when we see it—but what is the best way to plan for it? And how do organizers, participants, and school leaders know it made a difference?

This episode focuses on the Project Zero Classroom Summer Institutes that our guest, Jim Reese, helped coordinate for many years. Before listening, we recommend our first interview with Jim for an overview of Project Zero and its mission.

Jim lives in Washington, DC. After a long career teaching in international and U.S. schools, serving as Director of Studies and founding the Professional Development Collaborative at Washington International School, he now works as a consultant. He has long been affiliated with Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Guiding Question: “What are some ways to make the learning experiences at professional development conferences more apt to be integrated into the teaching practices of participants?”

Main Topics:

• How PD conference organizers can ensure better participant follow through in applying their learning to their practices
• How teachers can make the most of conferences and design a pathway to carry their learning into their classroom practices
• How school administrators can support their teachers attending PD conferences to make the most of their learning
• What professional learning might look like going forward

Related Resources:

Greg Moncada Episode 94 interview on “Appraising Teacher Performance”

Harvard Project Zero Website

Jim Reese Episode 81 interview on “Fostering Lasting Change in Schools”

Justin Hardman Episode 65 interview on “Teacher Professional Learning”

Washington International School Summer Institute for Teachers (WISSIT) Website

Jim's Contact Information: LinkedIn

Recorded April 14th, 2025.

Categories: PD | Leadership | Trends

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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.

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!

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

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.

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 educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

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.