We all want to feel valued and included, just as we are. So do our students. And yet, it can be a challenge to create and sustain a supportive, inclusive, equitable environment — especially in diverse international school settings.

In this important conversation with Maymouna Sakho, we discussed what it really means to foster belonging, the practical realities and opportunities for inclusion in international schools, and the steps school communities can take to better understand, value, and support neurodiversity.

Founder and CEO of Sakho Learning Consultancy, Maymouna is dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations to innovate through embracing and implementing equitable and inclusive practices and systems. Her passion for this work stems from her experience growing up between two cultures. She is a connector of people and ideas and loves to engage in conversations about inclusion and serving others, particularly children, to reach their fullest potential.

Maymouna has served as Chair for the SENIA International Africa Board, mentor for the AIELOC Aspiring Leaders of Color Program, co-founder/co-trainer for AIELOC’s Learning Support Affinity Group and on MSA and CIS Accreditation Evaluation Visiting Teams. As Head of Elementary Student Support at the International School of Dakar she was instrumental in developing an inclusion program for 300 elementary students. Currently, Maymouna is a Middle School Principal in the Middle East.

Guiding question: “How do international schools create and support a community where inclusion and neurodiversity are understood, valued, and supported for true equity?”

Topics addressed:

• Defining inclusion, neurodiversity and equity
• Supporting Belonging
• Student Support Services
• Maymouna's consulting, coaching and collaboration practices
• Current opportunities and barriers seen in international schools as they seek to expand support of inclusion and neurodiversity
• AIELOC and its mentoring program

Resources mentioned:

Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color - AIELOC

Kevin Simpson of AIELOC Interview

Contact Information: LinkedIn, Sakho Learning and Consulting

Recorded: July 15th, 2025.

Categories: Student Support | School Life | Curriculum

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.

Teacher evaluations can vary wildly—sometimes they are regularly scheduled; at other times they happen at the last minute before the school year ends. These appraisals typically involve an administrator observing a classroom lesson, which can feel contrived and stressful, resembling a mere "check-the-box" exercise. Frequently, the focus centers on teacher behaviors rather than examining the impact on student learning outcomes and the actions contributing to those outcomes. In this episode with Dr. Greg Moncada, we delve into the teacher appraisal system and explore how it can be transformed to prioritize student learning, better align with the school’s mission, and more effectively support the professional growth of educators.

Greg is the Head of Harare International School (HIS) in Zimbabwe and was previously the founding director of the Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST), the Qatar Foundations’ new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) school. Prior to his leading role at HIS and QAST, Dr. Moncada started new schools and programs throughout his career, including a progressive middle school based on the “This We Believe’ model and district-wide STEM programs in Elementary, Middle, and High School settings. Dr. Moncada specializes in developing student-centered learning models, progressive learning models, and multiverse organizational structures between schools and organizations. With more than 30 years of experience, Greg has held teaching and leadership positions in International schools in Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, as well as in the United States. Greg holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Minnesota, an MA in Leadership from Lehigh University, PA, and an MA in Science Education from Louisiana State University.

Our guiding question for this show was: “How can teacher appraisal systems be designed to ensure improved student learning?”

Some of the topics covered include:

• Greg’s perspective on the term “teacher appraisal system”
• Separating the code of conduct from teacher appraisal
• Aligning teacher appraisal and professional growth with other structures
• Differentiating for roles other than teacher, such as counselor, instructional coach, and athletic coach
• Supporting staff members to step out of their comfort zones
• Administrator appraisal and professional growth
• Head of School appraisal and the role of the school board

Greg’s Contact Information: LinkedIn

This episode wa

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.

Could blending global awareness with local relevance enhance our students’ ability to develop true global understanding and empathy?

Our guest, Erin E.H. Austin models this “glocal” approach. Erin is a U.S. National Board Certified French teacher, an author and an NEA Foundation grant reviewer who presents nationally on Global Education, mentors National Board Certification candidates and serves on the board of a yoga-based non-profit in Wisconsin whose mission is to bring yoga to those with financial or geographic barriers.

Guiding Question: “How can international educators deepen their classroom efforts to 'go global’ with their students?”

Resources:

Erin shared so many helpful resources that our word count exceeded the limits for the podcasting apps' show notes! So we've compiled them in this Google Doc for those who would like to further explore these ideas.

Recorded: July 11, 2025.

Categories: Curriculum | Global Education | Teacher Entrepreneurs

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.