I was overjoyed when my two kids got their first passports! From the time they were born, my husband and I were in agreement that traveling internationally with them would be a priority, and we would do what we had to do to make that happen. We now have a 6- and a 9-year-old who love collecting passport stamps and trying out different languages and food. Those stamps, however, feel like they are not so much made with ink but with actual blood, sweat, and many tears! After s

3 Education-Focused Podcasts to Check Out Today By Erin E.H. Austin It feels like there are two main camps where podcasts are concerned: those who subscribe to far more podcasts than they can reasonably listen to in a single lifetime and those who have never listened to a single podcast episode. And at least in my social circles, there doesn’t seem to be much in between! I happen to fall solidly into the first camp. Whether commuting to work, walking the dog, or warming up a

Teachers and side hustles go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like Coloradans and skiing. Like freshmen and…that unique smell. Finding a side hustle that relates to the education world can feel like striking gold. I have the good fortune of being an education grant reviewer, and it has been a rewarding--and enlightening--process! I have reviewed grant proposals that excite me, make me want to be in that teacher’s classroom, and literally say out loud, “Yes! I want to gi

I’ve never heard it argued that high school trips abroad aren’t wonderful for students. It’s a chance to use (and improve upon) what they’ve learned in the classroom, and it’s a deep dive into target language culture and customs. On the other hand, it’s common to hear high school teachers proclaim some version of, “No way! I’m not going to lead one of those trips!” Some don’t have the time, some admit that they’re scared to do it, and others simply don’t want to give up hard

“Yeah, sure. Global ed. That’s what I do naturally because I’m a world language teacher. It just comes with the territory.” Although it pains me to admit, those were the thoughts running through my head when I was first introduced to global education as a brand new NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow. Listening to the brilliant Dr. Fernando Reimers speak with passion, conviction, and unmatched knowledge on the subject, I felt myself shrink. How could I be so naïve, so presu

I vividly remember the first time I was surrounded by National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) because the difference in this group was palpable. Complaining was low, celebrating was high. Negativity was low, positivity was high. For the first time I could remember, I was in a group of teachers who talked—seemingly endlessly—about innovation in their classrooms and schools. They were clearly leaders in their field: speaking, writing, mentoring, and presenting to audiences la

By Erin E.H. Austin, NBCT My final year at the first high school I ever taught at was tough. I had three different levels of French, and one of my classes had 43 students in it. (That’s not a typo.) I begged my principal for another section and argued that too many of the activities I did that were best for learning simply couldn’t be done with a class size that large. Never mind the fact that 43 juniors wouldn’t even fit inside my classroom! The rest of the conversation went

By Erin E.H. Austin, NBCT The fact that we had to completely reinvent the way we do public education over the past two plus years is painful, but it’s also--dare I say it--exciting! As a veteran teacher, I’ve found that it makes me want to “steer into the skid”; I want to see just how much I can shake things up. The pandemic years seemed like as good a time as any to change the entire framework of my teaching. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “The 2030 Agenda for S

Global Experiences For All: 5 Ways to Make Student Travel More Equitable By Erin E.H. Austin, NBCT I will never forget my first trip to Paris. I stood before priceless works of art, I drank wine under the Eiffel Tower at night, and I even got locked in Père Lachaise Cemetery after hours. (Not my finest moment.) That trip changed me. It opened up an entirely new world and culture, and it fueled my desire to learn the language, make connections, and most importantly, explore th