17-Jan-24
Listening as a leader is different than listening as a friend or colleague. In this Pearl, Erika offers advice for those new to leadership… ..more |
Go For It
By Katherine Benson
Mar 2024
Join us as we delve into the stories of these inspiring educators and gain a deeper understanding of the transformative power of education across borders…
Take a Deep Breath
By Joe Cloutier
Mar 2024
In this Pearl, Joe encouragingly reminds us that “you can handle any crisis that happens at your school…”
Value of Positive Narratives of Students
By Richelle Pearce
Feb 2024
The power of the narrative not only drives vision and curriculum implementation but has the power to inspire, enthuse, and move people to action…
Clarify the Purpose of Discussion
By Sally Wen
Feb 2024
In this Pearl, Sally shares that there two ways of having dialogue: conversation to increase understanding and discussion for making the decisions...
Full Circle Moment
By Cheryl-Ann Weekes
Feb 2024
Cheryl shares how she got into international school counseling and what she loves most about being an international counselor…
The Win-Win Strategy
By Ngozie Okorie
Jan 2024
Relationships are important and valuable. When faced with certain leadership challenges, the win-win strategy is effective...
Listening as a leader is different than listening as a friend or colleague. In this Pearl, Erika offers advice for those new to leadership… ..more |
Adopting the international school standards of practice is our collective testament to prioritizing holistic growth… ..more |
In the ever-evolving landscape of international education, the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning is a fundamental goal... ..more |
Our greatest wish is to see schools become physically, socially, and emotionally safe environments as soon as possible… ..more |
In our role as leaders, what do we do to address the five core questions at the heart of the daily endeavors in a school... ..more |
In struggling with prioritizing, “We have to prioritize the outcomes that are going to have an actual effect on student learning and teacher performance"... ..more |
What we need to do is create space for other people to step in and rise to the occasion… ..more |
In this Pearl, Shanez shares her journey following her passions, determined to become the teacher she herself had needed... ..more |
Whenever we need to drive change, consider ways to shrink the challenge, show the path, and boost the motivation narratives… ..more |
To create an intentional sense of belonging we require creativity, strong leadership, and hard work. It’s all about working together for a common purpose… ..more |
In this pearl, Ellen shares that “growth doesn’t happen when you’re in your comfort zone”... ..more |
The successful 2023 June-July Institutes underscore the pivotal role PTC plays in shaping the leaders of tomorrow's international education landscape… ..more |
In this pearl, James shares his experience with a positive leader who helped reinvigorate his energy, focus, and belief that educators can change lives… ..more |
In this pearl, Ana shares the importance of having and being a strong, empowering leadership example… ..more |
In this Pearl, Helen shares that it’s important to “give everyone a sense of being appreciated and belonging to your school family” … ..more |
In this Pearl, Leigh Anne reminds us that “we don’t work for adults. We work for kids…” ..more |
Sometimes we don’t realize how a simple interaction with a student can have such a profound effect on them… ..more |
Nico shares a story of a student experiencing the power of empathy when a school community was willing to embrace inclusion and move toward positive change... ..more |
In this pearl, Tim shares practical advice for creating a culture of trust and increasing teacher retention… ..more |
In this pearl, Luiz offers an invitation to school leaders to “refine their systems so they become more effective but also more efficient”... ..more |
In this pearl, leaders are encouraged to ask themselves, “How much of myself is necessary in this process…and how much can I delegate and give away”… ..more |
In her Pearl, Angela encourages educators to “be the Pied Piper of the inclusivity you want to see at your school” through five simple steps… ..more |
In this Pearl, Eda encourages us to ask clarifying questions before assuming intent and inspire growth instead of reflecting on defeats… ..more |
In this Pearl, Dan discusses the power of voice and advocates for the role of the school counselor… ..more |
In this Pearl, Ryan encourages educators “not to be performative in your DEIJ work but to be authentic, strategic, and purposeful.”... ..more |
Each graduation certificate is recognized by international schools as evidence of a commitment to personal and professional growth... ..more |
The PTC approach of intense, focused in-person learning, and relaxed, job-embedded virtual learning continues to elevate international education... ..more |
A look at the policies and practices of multilingualism misaligned with current research… ..more |
Living to get through everything stops you from seeing how valuable that moment really is… ..more |
Never assuming applies to our own experiences, interactions, and exchanges with our students, parents, and teachers… ..more |
A small mental shift can make a big impact on your ability to view life from a solid foundation of gratitude… ..more |
A short reflection activity reminds us that simple moments can have a great impact on our students’ wellbeing... ..more |
We need to actively promote and demonstrate conflict solving and working with the whole community… ..more |
In this Pearl, Koray encourages us to “live” what we teach, to model and practice all that we teach... ..more |
In this Pearl, Abenaa Uttenthal reflects on the Ghanian term sankofa that asks us to “go back and fetch” so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past... ..more |
In this Pearl, Jacqui bravely shares her journey with the notion of kindness and the role of difficult conversations... ..more |
Amidst the complex, ever-changing landscape they navigate daily, principals and curriculum leaders have been reaching out to each other in a big way... ..more |
At the Principals’ Training Center (PTC), a group of school leaders from around the world created a “Must Read” list, sharing some of their favorite books on leadership and learning... ..more |
Rasha examines the quote "If you want to be trusted, be honest. If you want to be honest, be true. And if you want to be true, be who you are..." ..more |
Stefanie reminds us that the idea of presuming positive intent, although we have been talking about in for years, is STILL an essential ingredient for effective, productive teamwork. ..more |
In this Pearl, Philip reminds us of the Maya Angelou quote, “People will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ..more |
In this Pearl, Marjorana shares a practical example of a strategy her school used to help teachers and leaders get focused on the importance of identity. ..more |
Whether they are in the world, international school principals share some very similar challenges and issues. Find out what topics are being discussed most right now... ..more |
In this Pearl, Jill talks about applying the knowledge and skills you gain from professional learning opportunities like the Principals' Training Center. ..more |
The Principals’ Training Center (PTC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Sue Easton as the new Director of Programs commencing September 2022. ..more |
Leading a high functioning team that transforms learning is easier said than done. Learn about several improvement tools to ensure the team you lead is keeping learning at the center. ..more |
In this Pearl, Nixon offers sage advice, make sure your kids know you are a human! ..more |
Lural challenges us to lead more than we manage, to be brave in the face of challenges, and particularly when it comes to the challenge of social justice. ..more |
In this Pearl, Jessica shares a practical strategy a team leader can use to help build a culture of appreciation and awareness of each others’ strengths within our team. ..more |
Using the PTC Effective Leadership course as a guide, I reflect on my entry plan into a new school community with hopes of sharing my knowledge, objectives, and experience with others. ..more |
Margaret helps us understand that, in your role as principal, your teachers need you. She offers five strategies for being the “well” and at the same time taking care of yourself. ..more |
In her Pearl, Sylvia says it’s important to “own your successes, share your problems, never be afraid to expose yourself in front of the staff and be vulnerable.” ..more |
Heath challenges us to be critical with our past in order to “harness lessons for the future.” He reminds us that mental health and well-being are a part of our personal and professional success. ..more |
In this Pearl of Wisdom, Nicole reflects on lessons learned about delegation and communication. Don’t make assumptions and always communicate thoroughly. ..more |
“As leaders we need to know that the journey is not easy. We need to be resilient, hopeful, and be very clear on what our personal purpose is" ..more |
As educators look forward to a new school year filled with many unknowns, learning continues to be at the heart of all conversations. ..more |
We must be “conscious and deliberate in all that we do... we either reinforce old narratives or contribute to the creation of newer stories.” ..more |
Kristen shares her experience pivoting the TTC courses to an online format. The learnings, opportunities, and pinch points of moving hundreds of educators to this new venue and approach. ..more |
A practicing international school counselor offers a helpful, practical strategy for helping students struggling with difficult emotions. ..more |
Maximizing teacher effectiveness is a vital element of improving teaching and learning. It is also one of the most challenging tasks for international teacher leaders to navigate. ..more |
When a problem presents itself, and it seems to be an ongoing problem, go upstream to consider what’s the bigger issue up there. ..more |
"Pearl of Wisdom" shared during the PTC summer training session by educator and leader, Leda Cedo addresses personal reflections around diversity, equity and inclusion. ..more |
Have you added School Ambassadors to your TIE school account? Identify staff at your school that can answer questions potential candidates might have! ..more |
What are nearly one thousand international school educators representing 74 nationalities doing as you are reading this? ..more |
TIE is uplifting the profession by presenting a more substantial view of what an outstanding educator looks like. Those seeking positions can now showcase their candidacy through a standards-based lens, supported by evidence of their own choosing. ..more |
Professional standards are a key to boosting the quality of teaching. We rely on these standards to define the essence of the work of the profession and to ensure integrity, keeping us grounded in the best of what research can offer. So how do we leverage them fully? ..more |
Recruiters today are looking for tangible, compelling evidence of quality teaching. PTC Director Bambi Betts outlines the standards of practice for international school teachers and how to provide compelling evidence that you meet them. ..more |
Standards for teachers is not a new idea. Standards for teachers reflecting the unique international needs? Gathering steam. What is new? Truly using them as drivers for learning in view of keeping an outstanding teacher in every classroom every day. ..more |
What classroom assessment practices will contribute most to understanding and improving student learning? And what is the role of the teacher leader in supporting student learning through effective assessment practices? Here are some effective strategies and tools. ..more |
Your team needs your leadership more than ever. Here are the top three things you can be doing as you lead your team remotely. In our independent, international schools, teacher leaders are best positioned to have meaningful and lasting impact. ..more |
After weeks of deliberation, we at the Principals' Training Center made the decision. We will not take our 28 international school professional learning “experiences” that were due to take place over a five-week period in Miami and Rome online. Impact? ..more |
Due to the quickly spreading coronavirus, many schools in Asia and a growing number of schools in Europe have had to shift to short-term online learning to keep students, faculty, and families safe. Thousands of teachers are teaching online for the first time. ..more |
What might the curriculum look like if the primary purpose of school were to prepare all learners to be of service, to make the world better for others? "Primary" being the key word that might significantly inspire movement and potential impact on learning. ..more |
Editor Meadow Dibble talks with Lydia Okutoro-Sack, who has just wrapped up her third year in Chennai, India teaching English to Grade 6 students. Lydia's previous position was in Kuwait, where she also taught middle school English for three years. ..more |
It’s a firmly established fact. The single most influential factor on learning is the quality of teaching. And this begs the questions, what IS ‘quality teaching’, and what tools do we have to ensure every child in every international school gets access to quality teaching? ..more |
Just about every day on my Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn feed, I find an article about the importance of Social and Emotional (SEL) teaching and learning in our K–12 schools. The research seems conclusive: SEL teaching and learning is not an add-on, but a vital component of a balanced K–12 curriculum to ensure student achievement and, ultimately, the development of healthy, successful citizens. ..more |
Thirty years ago, the vision was simple and compelling: create practical training opportunities for practicing and aspiring principals in international schools. The PTC has stayed true to that vision over the course of three decades. ..more |
A servant leader is a servant first. She enriches the lives of other individuals. She builds better organizations. A servant leader creates a more caring environment. The PTC has offered a great opportunity to develop the servant leadership attributes that I strive to embody. ..more |
The Principals’ Training Center (PTC) is going back to its roots. The 2018 PTC Summer Institutes will be held in the very city where the organization held its inaugural event 30 years ago. ..more |
The time has come for international schools to distinguish between ‘inclusion’ vs. ‘immersion’ for English learners. Rather than pull out English learners for compensatory services, classroom teachers need to be positioned as teacher leaders to ensure that all classrooms are responsive learning environments for English learners. ..more |
At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, a small group of high school students expressed the desire to create a safe space for those who identified as members of the LGBTQ+ community and others with an interest in the topic. We didn't anticipate the controversy that this initiative would provoke. ..more |
Department heads, grade-level leaders, instructional coaches, curriculum leaders, and others come to our Teacher Leader institutes asking: How do I run an effective meeting? How do I deal with teachers who don’t want to change? How do I support teachers in developing curriculum, assessment, instruction, etc. when I am not totally sure myself? ..more |
As with all professionals, teachers and principals must continue to grow and learn. PTC and TTC, sister organizations of TIE, provide an array of professional development services to international schools, including workshops and other consulting services requested by individual schools. What are the top five professional growth areas requested by schools? We have tracked this over a decade; here is what we found for the past two years: ..more |
How is it possible that we still debate whether or not student learning results should be included as pivotal data in determining the effectiveness of a teacher? How is it possible that a profession would even remotely consider the idea that its bottom line (learning) would not factor in when examining the most essential ingredient (teachers) of its success? ..more |
I have never known a learner who was damaged when a teacher attempted to help him arrive at real understanding. On the other hand, I have known many who have been truly handicapped by teachers who interpret teaching primarily as telling. ..more |
Over the years, I have had a variety of mentors and coaches, just as I have played the role of mentor or coach, always informally, for many talented educators. These experiences have led me to value and be so excited about the role of instructional coach, which many international schools are now embracing. ..more |
Different schools approach the teacher leader role in different ways. At the TTC, we have been trying to support these current models through our Teacher Leader Institutes. We believe that all teacher leaders need basic training in organizational structures, communication, change processes, and facilitation. ..more |
Have you ever been to a workshop where you learned new skills but no one at your school was aware of your true professional growth? A recent Teacher Leader Institute (TLI) addressed this and other concerns by piloting the use of micro-credentials. ..more |
Information is power. This year, the pollsters, news agencies, and pundits got caught out with two big votes, and so many predictions seemed off. Our landscape of information has entered a level of Orwellian curation, and what is news, fact, or reality seems dictated by emotion and perspectives constructed from our own curated news feeds. ..more |
Would kids learn better and retain more for longer periods if their learning came by way of an interdisciplinary approach? Are schools just stuck in a subject-based teaching model because that’s how we’ve always done things, or is this truly the better paradigm? ..more |
"When I get home, I’ll ask Siri for the right answer," says a Kindergartner to her partner. "She always knows." A routine response in our classrooms? Or an important moment to understand that artificial intelligence (AI) has embedded itself in our day-to-day lives? ..more |
"What makes us special?" writes Sue Easton. "That was my focus this summer—my first as Director of the Teacher Training Center (TTC). Even as a trainer, having always looked forward to heading to Miami or London each year, I knew that there was something that set it apart from other professional development opportunities. But what?" ..more |
"At an early age I started traveling and was fascinated by the fact that people in other parts of the world live, talk and think differently. The more I traveled, the more I wanted to see, and not from the perspective of a tourist, but as a local." ..more |
Sue Easton has just been named Director of the Teacher Training Center (TTC) and also works with the Teacher Leader Institute (TLI). For the past five years she served as a trainer with the Principals’ Training Center (PTC). ..more |
TIE is launching a new series of international educator profiles, featuring participants of the PTC, TTC, and CTC. Meet Erika Velez, who with over a decade of experience working as a teacher and administrator overseas has a wealth of wisdom to share. ..more |
Welcome to the “GAFA” (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon) world. The”GAFA” world is where most of humanity’s internet users and consumers work, communicate, socialize, learn, entertain themselves, and share, in services provided by one, two, three or all four of these companies. ..more |
Recruiting season... a critical and careful process for every international school. And everyone is looking for that perfect teacher--the one with all the right skills, the right experience, and attention to their own professional development. ..more |
Calling all experienced principals! Is your school a victim of “The Energy Vampires”? Join Kevin Bartlett and Bambi Betts in London, 12-14 July 2015. ..more |
The Principals' Training Center has opened registration for its 2015 Summer Institutes in Miami and London (UK). The 29 programs include PTC, TTC and CTC courses, six of which have already filled. Anyone planning to take a PTC course should act quickly and register now at www.theptc.org. ..more |
The PTC has been providing quality training for international educators for over 25 years. But it is what each participant does after leaving the comfort zone of our course that truly matters. We have learned a few things about how best to put PTC learning into practice. ..more |
A group of admissions officers tries to make sense of the resounding "No" voiced by the families of new students when asked "Did your campus visit make you more likely to apply to the school?" Could all of that effort and attention truly have been for naught? ..more |
Our lives are so embedded within the digital realm that the two have become inseparable. I invite us to use a new set of vocabularies to frame this paradigm: Appliances, Utilities, Information Flows, Ethics, and Algorithms. ..more |
When I became an administrator later in my career, I thought that would mean I would stop being a counselor. Actually, I find my counseling background helps me be an even better administrator. ..more |
See your English learners and their teachers for what they can do in the future, not for what they seemingly cannot do in the present. "All teachers are teachers of English learners," after all. ..more |
Collectively, we have a responsibility to join the conversation about what makes an international school effective. We need deeper insight into the research, and the very design principles of our institutions. ..more |
Writing recommendation letters is a quintessential opportunity to help teachers better understand why the practice of averaging must be fully eliminated. ..more |
International schools are admitting students with more diverse learning needs and expectations. International school teachers need to be prepared for this diversity ..more |
Yes, there is the Internet of Things: a world in parallel to ours where our devices, data, algorithms, gadgets, smart phones and digital tools interconnect, communicate, and work independently of our own input or monitoring. ..more |