I finished grad school! In this episode, an interview with Dana Fallis, management consultant and my former teaching partner. As part of my capstone project for grad school, I had to assemble a Knowledge Mobilization Plan. As part of this plan, I proposed the sharing and discussion of my findings with leading voices in the education industry. This episode is Part 1, and focuses on the transformation of curational practice for K-12 teachers. Don't know what curation is? Listen and find out! Welcome to that high school life, the grad school edition. 

When you measure student success, and it's easy to get lost in the numbers—exam pass/fail rates, diploma completion, acceptance ratios. It's important to remember the people behind the numbers though. This is an interview with Anna Do, a former student who graduated from the Canadian International School in Vietnam in 2019. Today, Anna's a graduate student pursuing her M.Sc in Health Sciences at Wilfred Laurier University. In this episode, we talk about the importance of perseverance even when you're not 100% clear about the outcome, adjusting to grad school, beating imposter syndrome, and finding your pathway.

Well, well, well, how the turntables...If you didn't get the reference to The Office, that's okay. In this episode though, the tables did turn, as I was the one getting interviewed (sort of). This was the recorded conversation between me and a group of students in Holistic Approaches to Information Technology (CTL 5011), a master's level class at the University of Toronto/Ontario Institute for Studies in Education taught by Dr. Selia Karsten.We talked about:Why technology is only as good as the teacher who knows how to use itThe role of tenacity for new (and experienced) teachers, and the key to consistently good practice (hint: It's reflection. Consistent reflection.)The importance of rapport and how to build it with students, and the critical nature that the German version of The Office (i.e. Stromberg) played in helping me build a relationship with my students.Challenges in language- and content-learning, and how teachers can address themTeaching technology and the need for a holistic approach to its integration in the classroom

Every year without fail, it happens: senior students around the world chase down guidance counsellors, do their best to cram an impactful experience into a 500 word personal statement, and call up teachers for reference letters. And then there's the process of interviewing. This episode is a deep dive with Kana Shishikura, who works in the field of holistic admissions. Kana unpacks a few burning questions that I, as a guidance counsellor, have: What is a holistic admissions process? How does it help to even the playing field for college applicants? Will my students still be emailing me at all hours of the night to get a recommendation letter for an application that's due the next day?And a special congratulations to IS Ruhr's IB Class of 2022 - I'm very proud of all of you!

This episode is brought to you by Obsessed with ABGs. Read more about it at the bottom of these show notes.Show notes:Nothing's set in stone kids—sometimes the final destination that you have in mind in high school is only a pit stop on the way to another destination. High school is a time to figure out what you're passionate about, but this is a conversation about how it's never too late to start something new. In this episode, I'm joined by my two guests, Reina and Kim. All three of us have left our previous careers, and in this interview we talk about what made us pivot into different fields, words of discouragement that drove us forward, and how missed trains are sometimes exactly what we're looking for.About Obsessed with ABGsJoin Reina (a legit career & life coach) and Kimberly (also a legit producer) as they navigate their careers, Asian identity, and personal goals. They may not have all the right answers to life, but they want to be your hype women so that YOU can start obsessing over your own ABGs!

"Can you hear me now? I'm standing as close as I can to the router."Welcome back for Season 3 of That High School Life! Surprisingly (or not surprisingly), we've found ourselves back at online learning after four months of in-person classes.For Grade 12 students around the world, and the ones at IS Ruhr, some things remain the same: Getting up, doing work, wrapping up the last few months of a K-12 career and thinking of moving on to bigger and better things.In this episode, I pick up where I left off last season by interviewing a Year 2 International Baccalaureate student about finding motivation to keep going, how he's doing in the midst of writing IAs, and finding himself in a digital classroom once again. 

The past couple of months have been...interesting (in the sense of the phrase, "May you live in interesting times"). This episode of That High School Life is an interview with Johannes, an IB Year 1 student at International School Ruhr. Since we just recently implemented a hybrid (in-person/online) learning schedule, this interview during a lunch break at school (and right before a business quiz). In this interview: a student's perspective on online learning—losing track of days, keeping up with community service, and realizing the things that we sometimes take for granted, both as students and educators. Also, That High School Life has hit 10,000 downloads! Thanks to everyone who's downloaded and listened (and maybe even subscribed) to this podcast that started with a small idea and a very awkward first episode. It's still awkward (though less so), but the ideas keep coming. 

International School Ruhr is two weeks into online teaching, and it’s safe to say that hitting the ground running is not easy, and even less so when you’re still delivering a full day of lessons. In this interview I talked to Maria Robalino, Secondary Years Principal at IS Ruhr, and she shared her thoughts on how the team there made online learning happen in just four days.Netflix shows to watch if you're at home: - Unorthodox- Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal- Lock and KeyLinks to apps we've been using: Shoutout to these providers for stepping up to help educators in this really unprecedented time!SlackFormativeFlipgridPadletSkribbl.ioZoomGoogle Apps for Education (Meet, Docs, and the other apps in the suite)Unicheck

This instalment of That High School Life (and the reason for the title) comes to you from Brussels, Belgium, where I and my guest were supervising an overnight trip with a group of 24 kids. An obvious, but often overlooked perk of teaching K-12 is that it can be a lot of things, but it's never boring. In fact, it's the opposite—no two days are ever really the same. One thing that is often overlooked though, is the idea of moving with a family: Throw the clothes into the carriage, pack the kids into the luggage, and off you go...or is it the other way around?In this episode, I talk to Jen, a fellow Canadian who also teaches at the same school, about what to think about when deciding upon your next career steps as a professional and as a family. Everything from reasons for getting into international teaching, things to consider when signing your new contract, to why a sleeping bag and story books should be the first thing you pack.Cool places to go in Belgium if you're a science fan (this was a science-themed trip):Technopolis—a gigantic science museum: https://technopolis.be/Brussels Planetarium—where you can see the stars up close: https://www.brusselsmuseums.be/en/museums/planetarium-of-brusselsAtomium—this place has a pretty cool looking structurehttps://atomium.be/ADAM Design Museum—the highlight of the field trip for me, especially if you're into design:http://adamuseum.be/en/And finally, Hostel Bruegel—my new favourite hostel between Europe and Asia:https://www.jeugdherbergen.be/en/brussels

What happens when you slack off? Bad things usually, but is there a good way to slack off? And if there is, how do you do it? In this episode, I interview Conrad, a university pal who's now a senior developer at Slack.But he wasn't always a senior developer—like every functioning adult, he had to go through his own ups and downs to get to where he is now. In this episode, we talk about a few things that I regularly get asked about as a teacher.High school indecisiveness: Good or bad?Working smart: Does it exist?The importance of saying yes and being uncomfortable: Should you actually do this?Building your own luck: Yes, it's possibleSci-fi and fantasy book recommendationsAlso, if you're looking to try Slack as an alternative to email, I highly recommend it as a way to communicate with your colleagues. And finally, no, I'm not getting any type of benefit from bumping Slack, I just really like it. https://slack.com