Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE

In this week's episode, I had the privilege of talking to Lauren Kelley, who shares about her early upbringing, the lasting influence of her late father, her life as an international educator, discovering her passion for DEIB work, and so much more! To learn more about Lauren's work, you can visit the ACS International Schools website or follow her on LinkedIn. BIO: Lauren Kelley is currently the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Lead for ACS International Schools, a group of three schools based in the UK. During her 12 years with ACS, Lauren has focused on social emotional learning, with an explicit focus on positive identity development, celebration of others and social justice as a primary teacher, director of a humanitarian project and now as Chair of the ACS DEIB Council of fifty students and staff from across the organization. Lauren is passionate about the inextricable link between wellbeing and DEIB, and the vital need to include students in all decision-making. Above all, Lauren believes there is always a way through love and that storytelling is the door needed to reach it. Lauren was born and raised in Metro Detroit, USA and holds a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Michigan State University. Lauren lives with her husband, Reggie and their two young children in the UK.

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In this episode, I had the honor of welcoming Dr. Mary Ashun to the podcast to talk about her early childhood, life as a school leader, her thoughts on building a sustainable pipeline for African teachers, the inspiration behind her creative endeavors, embracing her identity as a Ghanaian-Canadian, and so much more! To learn more about Dr. Mary's work, you can visit her website at maryashun.com or follow her on Twitter (@ashundr) and LinkedIn.

BIO: A transformational leader with over 30 years experience in the Education, Scientific Research, Publishing and Non-Profit Sectors, Dr. Mary Ashun's pivot for the last 20 years has been on education design and it’s necessary partnerships with technology and community. Her key projects have involved the design of pan-African and international strategies for increased literacy; effective teaching; targeted training and mentoring of individuals to deliver collaborative projects for educational success. Providing affordable education is a passion of Dr. Mary's. As a result of this, she collaborated with a team of like-minded people to build a school in West Africa (His Majesty's Christian School), that would build upon this vision. Based in Asamankese (so that the literacy development project could be used as a platform), this school is modeling best practice in education delivery in rural sub-saharan Africa. Dr. Mary is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the OSE (Office Of Strategy Execution) of Ghana International School in Accra, Ghana. In January 2013, Dr. Mary co-organized TEDxSixteenMileCreek under the topic "RE-Imagine; videos are available on YouTube. She conceived the idea for TIME Conference - a gathering of educators in Accra, Ghana, the Visiting International Educator Program - the hosting of international educators at GIS for capacity building in the area of International Mindedness and arTRyx, the multidimensional display of student creativity in the Arts. She has written and had performed, 3 musicals: Prince of Egypt: A GIS Adaptation, Dancing Queen: A tribute to ABBA & Tales From Motown: A tribute to Motown Records. Dr. Mary writes for various audiences and her books are available on Amazon under my official name (Mary Ashun), and two pseudonyms - Asabea Ashun and Abena Apea. She created a book show for Rogers TV Mississauga called Book 'Em TV which was aired from September 2011 - February 2012. Her first serious novel, "Tuesday's Child was a Quarter finalist in the 2010 Amazon/Penguin Writing Contest and her second novel - Mistress Of The Game- was a Quarterfinalist in the 2011 Amazon/Penguin Writing Contest. York University's HUMA1970 uses Tuesday's Child in their 'World's of Childhood' Class. Dr. Mary intends to leave this world a better place for our children...

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In this episode, I welcome Maymouna Sakho to the podcast to learn about her early upbringing in the Bronx, embracing her Senegalese heritage, her journey from classroom teacher to school leader, the current state of inclusion and learning support services in international schools, and much more! To learn more about Maymouna's work, you can either visit her company website at https://sakholearningconsult.my.canva.site/ or you can follow her on Twitter (@AdjaMaySakho) and LinkedIn.

BIO:

Maymouna Sakho is an educator, advocate, leader, supporter, and connector of people and ideas, who is passionate about serving others - particularly children - to reach their fullest potential. She currently serves as the Head of the Elementary Student Support Department at an international school in Africa. Prior to becoming an educator, Maymouna served as a financial and budget analyst, program director, student advisor, coach, and mentor. She holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus on nonprofit/financial management from New York University and a Master of Education from CUNY City College with a focus on Inclusion/Special Education.

Maymouna's passion for working to create equitable and inclusive spaces comes from her experience of growing up betwen two culutres, having to learn a new language and system and find a place and voice for herself.Maymouna is the founder of SLC - dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations to innovate through embracing and implementing equitable and inclusive practices. She also serves as a mentor of the AIELOC Aspiring Leaders of Color Program, co-leads AIELOC's Learning Support Affinity Group, and chairs the SENIA Africa Board.Outside of her professional life, Maymouna is passionate about spending time with her famly and friends, traveling to new countries, cooking and exploring new places to eat and working with individuals with a vision and desire to contribute to the ever changing African landscape through education and advocacy.

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In this week's episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Shamari K. Reid to learn about his early years in education, what it means to be human, the power of self-regard, his new book "Humans Who Teach", and much more! To learn more about Dr. Reid's work, you can follow him on Twitter (@shamarikreid) and LinkedIn. BIO: Dr. Shamari Reid (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Reid completed his doctoral work in Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition, he holds an M.A. in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language and TESOL from New York University, and a B.A. in Spanish and Education from Oklahoma City University. As a scholar, Dr. Reid’s work explores how Black trans and queer youth and their communities sustain themselves amidst oppression, as well as how we can collaborate with these communities to better transform schools into sites of equitable opportunities for Black LGBTQ+ youth. His dissertation, which explores the agency of Black LGBTQ+ youth in NYC’s ballroom culture was awarded the 2022 Dissertation of the Year Award by the Queer Studies SIG of AERA. In addition to working with Black LGBTQ+ communities to reimagine schools, Dr. Reid’s work examines radical love as a moral imperative in social justice education and as a path toward culturally sustaining school communities, which he explores in his recent book, Humans who teach: A guide to centering love, justice, and liberation in schools.

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For this week, I had the honor of welcoming Adika Crémet to the podcast to talk about her early upbringing in New Zealand, navigating life as a Third Culture Kid, the ups and downs of her journey as an international educator, and so much more! To learn more about Adika's work, you can follow her on Instagram (@adikakaycremet), Twitter (@CremetAdika), and LinkedIn. BIO: Adika Crémet is living in Hanoi, Vietnam and serves as the early years team leader and homeroom teacher at the United Nations International School (UNIS) of Hanoi. She has been teaching for the past 20 years in New Zealand, Scandinavia, Denmark, and China and travelled around the world. Adika is a passionate advocate for TCKs (Third Culture Kid), inquiry-based learning, early childhood education, diversity and inclusion in schools. She hopes for a better understanding on being a global citizen and international education for the community of learners around her as she makes these her goals wherever she goes.

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In this episode, I had the honor of sharing virtual space with Rosa Alo, who shared about her Samoan heritage, growing up in New Zealand, finding her purpose as an international educator, and discovering a love for podcasting. To learn more about Rosa's work, you can follow her on Instagram & Twitter (@readswithrosa) or subscribe to the "Reads with Rosa" podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. BIO: Rosa Alo is Samoan Aotearoan but currently lives and works in Japan as a teacher at Seisen International School. Her podcast, "Reads With Rosa" is a space to share stories and amplify Pasifika and BIPOC voices, as well as chat about all her favorite things: education, books, and the creative arts.

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In this episode, it was an honor to chat with Aisha Thomas to learn about her early upbringing in Bristol, transitioning from a career in law to education, the birth of her organization and book, "Representation Matters", and living life with dyslexia. To learn more about Aisha's work, you can visit the Representation Matters website at repmatters.co.uk or follow her on Instagram & Twitter (@itsaishathomas). BIO: Aisha Thomas is the founder of Representation Matters Ltd and a former assistant principal responsible for diversity, equity and inclusion. Aisha provides training on race in education at the University of Bristol, the University of the West of England and in schools nationwide. In 2018, she presented a documentary for the BBC investigating the low number of Black teachers in Bristol, and in 2019, Aisha delivered a powerful TEDxBristol talk called ‘Why Representation Matters’.

Aisha is currently working on a number of local and national projects, including Beyond the 26, which collects stories and experiences from Black and minority educators in Bristol. She also contributed to a series of videos on allyship for BBC Teach.

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In this week's episode, I had the honor of interviewing Kanako Suwa, who shares her life as an international educator and her journey as a third culture kid living in Japan, Taipei, and Boston. She also breaks down the nuances and complexities that she has experienced in her identity journey as a queer, multilingual Japanese woman. To learn more about Kanako's work, you can visit her website at kanakosuwa.com or follow her on Instagram (@kananovels), Twitter (@KanakoSuwa), and LinkedIn. BIO: Kanako Suwa (she/her) is a queer Third Culture Kid working as an EAL coordinator in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Originally from Japan, she uses her experiences of growing up abroad and learning English as an additional language to connect with her students. She has a bachelor ‘s degree in bilingual education and an M.Ed in international education. Kanako is also on the board of ELLSA, one of SENIA ‘s partner organisations, and hopes to build a bridge between special education and multilingual education so that students who are dual-identified can receive the support they need. She is also the creator of a self paced course on TCKs for international school teachers on the EduSpark platform. She is passionate about advocating for queer students, students of colour, TCKs, and multilingual students. Her motto as a teacher is “be who you needed when you were younger” – a belief she carries into every interaction she has with students and teachers alike. Kanako is an avid reader of young adult and new adult books and posts reviews on her Instagram (@kananovels).

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In this week's episode, it was an absolute joy conversing with Joel Llaban to learn about his early upbringing in the Philippines, discovering his love for education, his life as an international educator, the state of DEIJ work in international schools, and so much more! To learn more about Joel's work, you can visit the International Schools Services website at iss.edu or follow him on Twitter (@JoelJrLLABAN) and LinkedIn. BIO: Joel Llaban is a learner and an international education leader who is committed to our collective work for the transformation of international education grounded on anti-racism and DEIJ. Prior to his current role, he was a Learning Specialist, Instructional Coach, and schoolwide DEIJ Lead at The International School of Kuala Lumpur. Joel has been in education for 20 years. He worked at the International School of Brussels, International School of Beijing, and Cebu International School as a classroom teacher, department coordinator, and accreditation coordinator. He has led schoolwide initiatives in curriculum, assessment, professional development, innovation. Joel has been involved in accreditation as a team evaluator during team visits representing NEASC and CIS. He leads various professional learning for international schools and organizations. Joel serves in the advisory role of the CIS Board Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Anti Racism. He is also a member of the Editorial Team of The International Educator. Joel holds a Master of Education in International Education Administration from Endicott College in Massachusetts and a Certificate of International School Leadership from The Principals Training Center. He is a proud member of  AIELOC and Diversity Collaborative. He is a dog parent to Frida, a poodle, and Asgier, a schnauzer.

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In this episode, I chat it up with award-winning podcasting duo of Chey Cheney and Pawan Wander, better known as Chey & Pav to learn about their individual educator journeys, their introduction to podcasting, how podcasting has help to elevate their teaching practice, and the release of their new book, "Amplifying Your Practice". To learn more about Chey & Pav's work, you can visit their website at cheyandpav.com or you can follow them on Instagram & Twitter (@cheyandpav). BIO: Pawan (Pav) Wander is an elementary school teacher with 15 years of experience hailing from Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. Currently, she is teaching a Grade 6/7 split class, integrated with the Home School Program. Pav gratefully teaches in the same neighbourhood where she grew up and went to school, and has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be able to work with students in such a familiar community. Pav loves to teach Science and Math, and enjoys combining the two subjects into extracurricular activities that she leads with students. Pav has run programs in Robotics, Engineering and Coding at the schools where she has taught, and has loved watching students, especially females, thrive in areas of STEM. Thriving on listening to books and researching new pedagogies and themes in education, Pav loves learning about new ways of reaching and engaging with students, especially surrounding areas of podcasting, audio and video editing, as these are areas she is new to! Pav has an Honours degree in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University in Toronto, and completed her teaching certification from D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York. Fitness and athletics have always been important to Pav, and she endeavours to include as much physical activity in her day as possible!

Chey Cheney Is a middle school teacher with 20 years of experience, originally from Ottawa, Ontario. He currently teaches Grade 8 in Toronto, Ontario and engages in coaching and leadership work with students in the school beyond instructional time. Passionate about ELA, Chey infuses a teaching philosophy that centres around student agency, student voice and a strong commitment to social justice. Inspired by the works of Kylene Beers, Desmond Cole and Barry Schwartz, Chey is always looking for a way to embed technology in the natural flow of learning. He actively cements a consistent dynamic that ascends from consumer, engager and creator in the learning opportunities he curates. With a vast athletic background, Chey has coached elite level sports to the most fundamental community recreation leagues. He aims to form a physical education and competitive sports culture that centres on a holistic approach dedicated to inclusion and entry points for all students to enjoy and flourish in the physical education experience. In addition to his Teachers degree Chey has a History Honours Degree, a History Teaching specialist and an Adolescent Reading Specialist.

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