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Educators Going Global

Educators Going Global

Written by: Audrey Forgeron and David Carpenter
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Our mission is to inform both veteran and aspiring international educators about working overseas - What it’s like and how it's changing, Where to find more information, Why "going global" is so attractive and How and When to work through the recruiting process. We do this via targeted episodes where we give informational interviews as well as sharing personal vignettes related to all aspects of international education. We work to tell the full story so you are really in the know about international schools. We invite you to travel, teach and connect with us!© 2026 Educators Going Global Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 109. What Prompts us to Go Global for the First Time? A Conversation With Dr. Ettie Zilber

    109. What Prompts us to Go Global for the First Time? A Conversation With Dr. Ettie Zilber
    Aug 7 2026
    Text us with topic or guest suggestions!If you spoke to 20 international educators and asked them what factors led them to taking the initial leap into international education, you would likely get 20 very different answers! And if you interviewed as many as 94, well, you can imagine the stories you would hear. Such is the task that Dr. Ettie Zilber set herself.Ettie joined Audey for this episode and shared the eight categories of catalysts, as she has dubbed them, that emerged from her doctoral research on this topic. She also shared many of the stories that her interviewees told her. We know you will connect with the 8 categories of Catalysts as well as with some of the stories.Before retiring from paid employment, Ettie enjoyed a long career in international schools in Israel, Singapore, Spain, Guatemala, China and the USA, serving first as an educator and then as a school Director.She served on the Boards of several Regional Associations and taught graduate courses for four universities which catered to international school educators. After doctoral research on Third Culture Kids, she published the book Third Culture Kids: Children of International School Educators. Other publications relevant to international schools include “Catalysts for a Career in International Schools,” “A Primer for Administrators applying to Proprietary Schools,” and many more, available on www.ettiezilber.comShe continues to conduct workshops on Cross Cultural Understanding at schools and other multi-national organizations.She lives in Arizona with her husband of 52 years, and enjoys visits with her children and grandchildren (one of whom is also a TCK/CCK). Guiding Question:“What are some factors that prompt teachers to leave their home countries and seek employment in international schools overseas?” Topics Addressed Included:Definition of terms (TCK, TCA, ACCK, CCA, multiracial/cultural children, Children of immigrants, Children of refugees, Children of minorities, International adoptees, Domestic TCKs, Educational CCKs, Self-initiated and Assigned Expatriates, push-pull factors of migration)THE BIG 8 - Eight factors that prompt people to decide to teach internationallyChildhood as a CCK (Cross-Cultural Kid)Grew up listening to family stories/seeing artefacts/had family history overseasInfluenced by teachers/colleagues or friends’ stories/artefactsReading/literature, TV about overseas Or desire to learn EnglishGrew up in multicultural environment (school, community)Early international travel experiences (independent of family)Intimate relationship/loved oneLife/labour/career status dissatisfaction How hiring schools can seek to leverage these factors in order to grow W4 Wanderlust in general and thus expand their candidate poolsContact Ettie:LinkedInResources Mentioned:Ettie’s Consulting Website www.ettiezilber.comEttie’s ECIS article on her research 0 ecis+INFOCUS_Ettie_Zilber(1).pdfRecorded on July 17, 2026#transitions | #internationaleducation | goingglobalSupport the showRemember 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.
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    58 mins
  • 108. On Being a Head Here and There: A Comparison Among Schools, with Lee Fertig

    108. On Being a Head Here and There: A Comparison Among Schools, with Lee Fertig
    Jul 3 2026

    Text us with topic or guest suggestions!

    What are international schools like? One way to find out is to compare them with schools in your home country.

    Since David and I both hail from North America, we thought it would be interesting to ask someone who has been a head of school in multiple oversea countries and in the U.S. to help us draw some of these comparisons. So we turned to Lee Fertig, who was a director in Brazil, Spain, and Belgium and is now the head of an independent school in California. Veteran International Educators, it will be fun for you to consider how closely Lee’s observations match yours; aspiring International Educators, I’m sure this look at the insider view will be enlightening for you.

    Lee talked about some of the similarities and differences he has observed among overseas and U.S. schools. While avoiding sweeping generalisations, he was able to give us a taste of some of the characteristics that can be found in either type of school, while also giving us a sense of what his current school, the Nueva School in San Francisco, is like. Lee is someone I would love to work with again – and after hearing this conversation, I’m betting you will want to work with him, too!

    Lee is currently the Head of the Nueva School in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has 40 years of leadership and teaching experience in a wide variety of educational settings including five international schools (in Ethiopia, Brazil, Spain, and Belgium), a leading independent school in New York City, and a voluntary integration public magnet school in Minneapolis. Lee has been training for the Principals’ Training Center (PTC) for many years, has taught in the College of Education at the University of Minnesota, and is a guest speaker on contemporary educational issues at a wide variety of community events. He provides consulting services for schools and educational organizations around the world in the areas of governance, development and fundraising, learning innovation, student support systems, and school-based continuous improvement.

    Our guiding question was: “What was your experience going from being a head of various schools overseas to becoming a head of an independent school in the United States with international aspects?”

    Here are the topics covered in this episode:

    • Moving from leading international schools to leading an independent school in the U.S.
    • Comparing the mission and identity of international schools with those in the U.S.
    • Similarities and differences in school culture or community life between international schools and Lee’s current U.S. school
    • Balancing local and global culture in international schools
    • Parent expectations
    • Governance and leadership expectations
    • Teacher recruitment
    • What the best international schools have in common

    Resources shared in this episode:

    Connect with Lee on LinkedIn

    Nueva School


    Show recorded on June 12, 2026.

    Categories: School Life | Recruitment | Transitions


    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.

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • 107. Transitions Life Coaching Scenario 2: "Why Isn't This Transition Going Smoothly? I've Managed it Successfully in the Past!"

    107. Transitions Life Coaching Scenario 2: "Why Isn't This Transition Going Smoothly? I've Managed it Successfully in the Past!"
    Jun 19 2026

    Text us with topic or guest suggestions!

    How would you respond to this statement: “Everyone can benefit from having a life coach”? It’s hard to argue with the idea that having a supportive, non-judgemental listener to share our journey with can be super helpful.

    This episode continues our series that centers on Transitions Coaching for International Educators. We have selected some realistic transition difficulties that could be – and have been – experienced by educators in the international school space. We want to emphasize that these are unscripted sessions where David is doing his best to represent real educators experiencing realistic situations related to transitions and Audrey is delivering the in-the-moment life coaching that could help to address the issues involved. Please be gentle with us as we seek to demonstrate the power of life coaching for those faced with a transition from a comfortable, known school-city-country-culture to a new and unfamiliar one. Whether you are currently experiencing your first transition or your umpteenth, we hope these episodes will be helpful – and that they may even prompt you to seek transitions coaching for yourself!

    Scenario 2: The “Why isn't this move easier after so many moves?” Moment.


    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.

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    29 mins
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