Becoming A Globally Competent Teacher, July 2019

Teachers today must prepare students for an increasingly complex, interconnected, and interdependent world. Being a globally competent teacher requires embracing a mindset that translates personal global competence into professional classroom practice. It is a vision of equitable teaching and learning that enables students to thrive in an ever-changing world.

This thought-provoking book introduces a proven self-reflection tool to help educators of all grade levels and content areas develop 12 elements of such teaching. The book is divided into three sections: dispositions, knowledge, and skills. Each chapter is devoted to an element of globally competent teaching and includes a description of that element, tips for implementation delineated by developmental levels, and links to additional resources for continuing the journey.

Examples of globally competent teaching practices include

1. Empathy and valuing multiple perspectives.
2. A commitment to promoting equity worldwide.
3. An understanding of global conditions and current events.
4. The ability to engage in intercultural communication.
5. A classroom environment that values diversity and global engagement.

Throughout, you’ll also find examples of these practices at work from real teachers in real schools. No matter what your experience with global teaching, the information in this book will help you further develop your practice as a global educator—a teacher who prepares students not only for academic success but also for a life in which they are active participants in their own communities and the wider world.

About the Authors:

Ariel Tichnor-Wagner is a senior fellow of global competence at ASCD. In her role, she advocates for, develops, and implements innovative frameworks, tools, and professional learning experiences that support educators in fostering the knowledge, skills, and attitudes students need to succeed in a diverse, interconnected world. She received a master's degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University, and a doctoral degree in Education Policy, Leadership, and School Improvement from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Hillary Parkhouse is an assistant professor of teaching and learning at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education. She began her career as an English and history teacher in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She then taught high school social studies and English as a second language in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.

Jocelyn Glazier is an associate professor of education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research and teaching focus is on supporting teacher development of innovative and empowering pedagogies to support all students, particularly those most marginalized in schools. Her qualitative work raises important questions about the potential of transformative, experiential teaching practices at all levels of education and across multiple contexts.

J. Montana Cain currently serves as the senior evaluator with the Children's Trust of South Carolina, where she leads evaluation activities and works to build evaluation capacity. She holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Educational Psychology, Measurement, and Evaluation. Dr. Cain pairs her interest in education and evaluation with her commitment to equity. In addition to teaching Spanish at the secondary level, she has taught courses related to multicultural education and social justice for preservice teachers and school counselors.