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Is it a good idea or a bad idea to raise kids overseas as international educators? The answer to that intriguing question became the basis of Ettie Zilber’s doctoral thesis and led to a lot of very interesting research. In today’s conversation, we delved into her results.

Dr. Ettie joined Audey once again for this episode and shared some of the stories that her many interviewees – which included adult EdKids, parents and counselors – told her. If you are an educator raising kids overseas, or the child of international educators, or even a staff member at an international school, these stories are sure to resonate with you!

Guiding Question:

“What are some of the pleasures and the perils of having international school families in an international school community?”

Topics Addressed:

• Ettie shared a bit about her research/what got her interested in this topic
• The unusual dynamic that forms when educators with families decide to go work at an international school outside their country?
• Pleasures:
  • Educator parents and their children are all part of the same community and school culture. Everyone knows each other.
  • Same schedule: Families spend a great deal of time together, developing a very strong bond.
  • Kids get to observe their parents at work.
  • The parent-teachers are vested in making this the best school possible for their kids.
• Perils:
  • Too many overlaps (social and school-related) at times. This can be particularly problematic when the "whole community is privy to a familial problem".
  • Awkward social dynamics, especially when parents are in an administrative role.
  • Kids behaviour and grades are often closely scrutinized.

Recorded on September 2, 2026

Categories: school life | families

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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.

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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 3: "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" After years abroad, you’re considering returning to your home country—or at least wondering about it.

Episode recorded on May 19, 2026.

Categories: School Life | 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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How does being a student in an international school shape a person? There are many ways, and of course, each person’s experience will be different. One result of having the experiences that students gain through their international education is that they become a teacher in an international school. From there, they may move on to become an administrator or a school head - or even the head of a whole association of schools! This has been the pathway of today’s guest, Dr. Michael Adams.

Michael has been living, teaching, leading and raising a family in the warm atmosphere of Colombia for many years. So many, in fact, that he now considers Colombia to be his home. Join us as we discover what shaped Michael into the person he is today – and the humanitarian venture that he is now sponsoring as a result!

Dr. Adams is a long-time LATAM leader, educator, administrator, colleague, and friend!! More importantly, he is a very proud husband (going on 36 years with Clara Rico), father of three adult boys (David, Nicolas, and Tomas), and grandfather of two amazing little boys (Eduardo and Lucas)! After growing up as a TCK in Tokyo, Japan, attending ASIJ, and then going for his undergrad degree and graduate school in Texas, Michael has spent the past 33 years in Colombia and Mexico, an experience that has made him the person he is today: a true global citizen!

Guiding question: “How has being a student – and then an educator – at international schools shaped who you are today?”

Topics addressed:

• Michael’s background as a student and then an educator in international schools
• What led Michael to become an educator, then a leader in international schools, and finally the head of a regional organisation of international schools
• Why Michael has such a huge affinity for Colómbia
• How Michael’s experiences of getting help fostered his desire to give back
• The origin story of the Solidarity for Colómbia fundraising campaign
• The importance of Service Learning experiences for students of international schools

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Link to Donate to Solidarity for Colómbia

TRI Association

Contact Information:

Michael on LinkedIn

TRI Association Contact Page

Recorded on September 15, 2026.

Categories: School Life | 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.