In all forms of school, there are some educators who really stand out as having “a way” with kids. Their ability to develop relationships of mutual trust and respect is second-to-none. Jeff Devens is one such educator. He has a way of putting everyone at ease.

Jeff joined us for another episode – not to talk about finance this time, but to talk about his day job – working to support students and parents in international schools. As Audrey noted in her introduction to the episode, get your notebook and pen handy as Dr. Devens shares so much helpful information!

For 29 years, Dr. Devens has worked in international education as a school psychologist, counselor, and classroom educator. Jeff completed his Ph.D. in School Psychology in 2006. His dissertation research focused on depression rates among international students.

Growing up on public assistance and the only one of five children to graduate from high school, Jeff uniquely appreciates the hurt, heartache, and angst that parents encounter when raising kids. His first book, A Parent’s Guide to Raising Kids Overseas, was released in 2018. Jeff’s wife, Nanette, is also an international educator. They have two children: Cylas, a college freshman, and Cora, a high school sophomore.

Our Guiding Question was, “Is parenting overseas different from parenting in one’s home country? What are some things to think about?”

Here are a few topics Jeff covered in this episode:

• What first-time overseas parents and students can experience with the start of school
• How family systems can change when living internationally
• The importance of community with the school at the center of it
• Cultural considerations and variations
• Stressed out students
• Parenting styles
• The importance of values
• Fostering life skills

Where to learn more:

The Facebook group Expat Financial Education run by Andrew Hallam
Jeff’s Book - A Parent’s Guide to Raising Kids Overseas

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

David’s Wellness@ES website which includes a section on Digital WellnessDr. Jonathan Haight’s Anxious Generation website and book of the same name

The show was recorded on August 30, 2024.
Categories: Parenting | School Life | Transitions | Digital Wellness

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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.

Join us for our second anniversary show as we review and celebrate all the incredible guests from this past year. Our review provides some insights for each interview that might lead you to return to shows you previously enjoyed – and to seek out those you missed – to take a listen!

We organized the episodes into the themes of:

• Recruiting and Transitioning
• International Teacher Experiences with Lessons Learned
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Belonging
• Technology/ Online Learning
• Leadership
• Future of Education
• International Families
• Standalone Topics - Professional Development & Reviewing Our Resource Library

The show was recorded on December 14, 2024.

Categories: Transitions | School Life | Travel | Recruiting

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

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.

We found Maxwell Carpenter globe-trotting into his first gig as an international teacher. We spoke to him about his experiences along the way.

Maxwell Carpenter is an IB Physics teacher at St George's British International School of Rome. He began teaching in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC after studying Physics, Math, and Education at Virginia Tech. He is interested in exploring interdisciplinary approaches to education, drawing from his interests in philosophy, mythology, history, and comparative religion. In his free time, he enjoys reading and collecting, drinking and sharing tea.

The Guiding Questions were, “What has your move to being an international educator looked like — from recruiting to onboarding to transitioning to orientation? Now, with a couple of months of international teaching experience under your belt, how goes it?”

Here are a few topics covered in the interview:

• Why go global?
• Recruiting using a variety of pathways
• Lessons from interviewing
• Emotional ups and downs
• Onboarding
• Orientation - school and personal efforts
• US versus International teaching comparison
• Life outside of school
• The reveal of Max’s new home and school

The show was recorded on October 19, 2024.

Categories: PD | School Life | Travel | Recruiting

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

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.