My teacher leadership journey has evolved from an inability to say no to a training, a committee, or an extra responsibility, into an ongoing urge to seek out new and innovative opportunities for learning. It’s not a journey that suits everyone, but, for me, constant growth and learning is as integral as the air I breathe. So, I keep looking for the next teacher leadership opportunity around the bend.

This summer I received the news that I was chosen for the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program (TGC). This wonderful opportunity will allow me and my cohort of 75 other teachers around the country to travel next spring to visit teachers overseas. Of course, I’m thrilled! I am always looking for ways to broaden my horizons as a teacher, and going “global” seems like the ultimate leap forward.

The program requires me to complete a course of study in global competence in the classroom, and, one week in, I am completely blown away. I feel like a whole world of teaching skills and strategies has opened up to me. I feel both validated in my beliefs as a teacher and severely challenged in my methods. It’s, well, a sea change for me.

Let me catch you up. I will use elements from ASCD’s Global Competent Learning Continuum to explain. This is a rubric that measures a teacher’s global competencies. You can explore the full continuum here.

Teacher Dispositions
1. Empathy and valuing multiple perspectives
2. Commitment to promoting equity worldwide

When it comes to the the dispositions outlined by the continuum, I find myself approaching “proficient.” That means that I see myself as actively recognizing biases and the limitations of my own and others’ perspectives. Also, I actively engage in activities that address inequities, often challenging myself and others to seek change at a local or regional level. I felt pretty good about this area, although I could see that to become advanced in a global teaching disposition, I would have to lead others to value diverse perspectives and act on issues of inequity. I need to step up my game.

Teacher Knowledge
3. Understanding of global conditions and current events
4. Understanding of the ways that the world is interconnected
5. Experiential understanding of multiple cultures
6. Understanding of intercultural communication

In the area of Teacher Knowledge, I am approaching proficient as well. I pride myself on being educated and aware, of pursuing knowledge and understanding of history, current events, and social issues. However, I recognize a glaring weakness in my competency. I don’t see myself as capable of change or leadership beyond a local level. Even though I tell my students that they can enact change, that they have the power to create a better future for themselves and our world, I am not walking the walk. I merely talk the talk.

Teacher Skills
7. Communicate in multiple languages
8. Create a classroom environment that values diversity and global engagement
9. Integrate learning experiences for students that promote content-aligned explorations of the world
10. Facilitate intercultural and international conversations that promote active listening, critical thinking, and perspective recognition
11. Develop local, national, or international partnerships that provide real world contexts for global learning opportunities
12. Develop and use appropriate methods of inquiry to assess students’ global competence development

When I hit the third and largest section of the rubric, I began to feel insecure at first. I could clearly see that I had miles to go before I could grow beyond the nascent or beginning stages. It was momentarily discouraging. Although I can say that I promote a classroom environment that values diversity, it stops there. I currently have no expectations or goals for my students when it comes to global competence. I believe that each student needs the skills and the mindset to communicate clearly and seek to understand diverse perspectives. However, I am not providing them with the immersive experiences they need to gain those skills. Like most teachers, I see time limits, mandated curriculum, and standardized testing as potential roadblocks standing in the way of globally progressive lessons and activities. But am I just making excuses?

In a nation rife with partisanship, in a world divided by nationalism and tribalism, don’t we need more globalism? Don’t we need our young people to be able to listen to one another, to empathize, share, and problem solve? Who will train them in these skills? Who better than teachers to take the lead?

Global competence is not required by any mandated standards or curriculum. Just the same, it holds within it so many required social studies and communication skills that a teacher can take what already exists and fold in some global learning opportunities. It may not be easy, but most things that are really worth doing are not easy.

On a more personal note, I have to address #7 on the continuum. Even though I have a decent understanding of Spanish, I struggle with speaking it. I have a problem with practicing skills that make me feel incompetent. This is ironic, because I am always encouraging my students to be brave and make mistakes. So, I made a vow last weekend that I would be openly speaking Spanish by the end of the school year, and, when Monday rolled around, I told my students about it. I now have about thirty enthusiastic Spanish language tutors throughout the day. Of course, they laugh at my pronunciation, but that’s okay. A quote from Yale law professor and author Amy Chua came up on my Twitter feed: “Do you know what a foreign accent is? It’s a sign of bravery.” When I followed the trail of that quote to it’s source, I found videos of Chua talking about tribalism. It was all part of the journey.

It’s time to walk the walk.

Intrigued by Global Learning? Check out these sources:

• Primary Source: Educating Global Citizens
• A short video from Asia Society What Is Global Competence?
• World Savvy’s Global Competence Matrix
• Want to be in the next cohort of TGC teachers? Here’s a link to the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms site.