39. What Does it Mean to Be an International Educator? We asked Sandy Sheppard to Share Her Wisdom on This Topic. Artwork

Educators Going Global

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!

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39. What Does it Mean to Be an International Educator? We asked Sandy Sheppard to Share Her Wisdom on This Topic.

November 24, 2023 • Audrey Forgeron and David Carpenter • Season 1

Sometimes we happen to read articles and blog posts that ring true to us. Occasionally, we may even think, “Hey, this author could be talking about me and my experiences!” Well, guess what? I had this sensation when reading an article in TIEonline entitled “My Identity as an International Educator.” The article really nailed the character strengths, dispositions, and experiences of individuals who “go global” to teach.

I shared the article with Audrey and said, “Let’s get the author, Sandy Sheppard, on the podcast” to help our listeners further build their understanding of what it means to be an international educator. Fortunately, Sandy said yes to our request for an interview.

There were many takeaways from our interview with Sandy. One that may not become apparent to many of us until we have been “away from home” for a while is the extent to which international educators are “different.” We discussed these differences and how they impacted Sandy when she repatriated to New Zealand and attempted to resume her teaching career “back home.” If you have tried something similar, you may be able to connect with how she felt about what ensued.

Sandy is an international educator who was born and raised in New Zealand. Sandy embarked on her international career three decades ago in Jakarta, Indonesia. Presently, she serves as an Elementary Principal in the vibrant city of Yangon, Myanmar. Sandy has raised two children internationally and advocates for the profound impact of high-quality international education in shaping future global citizens poised to enact positive change in the world.

Our guiding question was, “What does it mean to be an international educator?”.

Sandy touched on many themes that we know our veteran international educator listeners will be able to connect with!

This episode was recorded on October 3, 2023.

Contact Information: LinkedIn | Instagram: Sandy Lee Sheppard

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

My Identity as an International Educator article in TIEonline.

Categories: School Life | Transitions

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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.

People on this episode

Audrey Forgeron

Co-host

David Carpenter

Co-host