Journeys to Belonging

Tu Vuong is an educator who has worked in a number of capacities including consultant, teacher and advocate for newcomer families and students. She has been a lead in projects with the Ontario Ministry of Education, Apple Education, and has contributed numerous educational content to various magazines, blogs and podcasts. She currently resides in Ottawa, Canada.

Faye Lawand is known as New Zealand’s Trusted Internal Conflict Resolution Expert and coach for burnt-out (or nearly burnt-out) professionals. Her method brings back life’s ease and excitement for the professional who's had it (almost) burned out, by harnessing the magic of the subconscious mind and nervous system to banish chronic stress, anxiety and fatigue.

Faye was born into chaos and strife in the Middle East, burned out 3 times in a row, and battled with chronic conditions most of her life. But when the traditional solutions of prescription medication and Tall Therapy failed her, she sought out her own. After 15 years of research & training, she founded The Tiredness Solution™ - an integrative 9-step formula that’s helped her clients and students kick the tiredness and overwhelm and finally feel like themselves again, by dispelling the internal conflicts rooted in the nervous system and subconscious mind.

And now, her mission is to help burnt-out (or nearly burnt-out) professionals find wellbeing as well, because she firmly believes that when we’re all living the life we want, we can build a kinder, happier world.

Faye is proud to call New Zealand home where she lives with her husband. She is a global citizen who has lived in 13 countries, speaks 4 languages and is passionate about all aspects of health and wellbeing. When she’s not coaching or training, Faye enjoys cooking, yoga, and loves spending time in the beautiful outdoors in New Zealand.

In this week's episode, Ilene shares her thoughts about Teacher Appreciation and how important it is to appreciate them all year long and not just one day or week per year. She also discusses systemic change that includes teacher voices and the need to look deeper at problems we need to solve and to do that as soon as possible. 

Sources for additional information:

A native of New Jersey, Donnie studied theater at Catholic University (“because being a nun was out of the question”) before transferring to Emory University in Atlanta, where she graduated with a degree in psychology. There her passion for drama evolved from repertory theater to commercials and voice-overs. After honing her skills in writing and producing advertising campaigns for clients throughout the Southeast, she then created award-winning projects for Discovery, The Smithsonian Institute, and Broderbund/Random House. 

A dynamic and in-demand speaker, Donnie is committed to preventing what she calls “the perfect storm,” the failed opportunity for our justice system to support challenged individuals in dire need of compassion and protection. She remains a dedicated champion for shifting our cultural paradigm and changing public misperceptions about marginalized individuals.

Mike is a first-generation college graduate from a rural, working-class factory town. His early years, along with his professional career, have given him experiences and a passion for working with the economically disadvantaged. He recently concluded a 30-year career in Blount County Schools nestled between Knoxville, TN, and the Great Smoky Mountains. Over the years, he served as a Teacher of the Gifted Special Ed and a Title administrator. In addition, his work spans over 20 years as a building level administrator including many as a middle school principal, and an Assistant Director of Schools. Mike has gained a wealth of experiences and insights that he now shares with others through his consulting venture, TopTennEC.  

His accent is real, by the way. (from Mike)

Twitter: @TopTennEC

Dr. Meagan Pollock began her career playing with light projection on tiny microscopic mirrors as an engineer for Texas Instruments. Through her company, Engineer Inclusion, she now utilizes metaphorical projectors and mirrors to shine a light on micro and macro social systems that, when adjusted, improve student and employee success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A TEDx speaker, author, and a past recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Meagan holds a Ph.D. in engineering education from Purdue University, an MS in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University, and a BS in computer science from Texas Woman's University. As an engineer turned educator, Meagan focuses on engineering equity in education and the workforce.

Jillian is a veteran elementary educator in Clearwater, Florida. Her passion is to infuse joy to those in educational leadership by focusing efforts on listening, serving, and growing alongside colleagues and friends. She uses her voice to foster hope for equity and empathy.   

She is a children’s book author and illustrator of Liv’s Seashells, Road to Awesome: A Journey for Kids, and Look at YOU, Piper Lou!, and is the Chief Optimistic Originator of Imparted Joy, LLC, her publishing imprint.  

Jillian believes the creative process of illustrating children's books brings JOY to life. The expressions, characters, and simple sketches enhance writings with warm emotion as they visually serenade the viewer into the story. The mission is to provide a meaningful experience on every page that captivates the heart.  Each day is a FRESH opportunity to listen, be slow to criticize, and quick to empathize. Keep dancing and dreaming with JOY.

Twitter: @JillDuBois22

FB: jilliandee

In this week's episode, Ilene talks about her mother, an example of a Good Ancestor. Dr. Miriam Winokur was awarded a PhD. in Intercultural Communication in 1998 at 73 years old. She returned to complete her undergraduate degree in 1968 at the height of the Civil Rights movement and Women's Liberation. She was a student in the first Gender Studies class at SUNY at Buffalo. She is a role model, inspiration, and teaches us how to age gracefully and successfully. 

Reach out to me if you need support, a mentor, or just someone to listen. 

Twitter: @IleneWinokur

IG: @ilenewinokur AND @journeys2belonging

Rabia Khokhar is an elementary teacher with the Toronto district school board and an education and equity consultant at Rabia Teaches. She is also a first-year Ph.D. student at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Rabia is passionate about ensuring schools are inclusive spaces for students of all identities and lives experiences. She is the recipient of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario’s (ETFO) 2021 Anti-Racist and Equity Activism Award. Rabia enjoys sharing her teaching and learning on her social media platforms and website  

Twitter: @Rabia_Khokhar1

IG: @rabia_reads

Christa Campsall has vast K12 experience as a Classroom Teacher, Learning Integration Support Teacher in Special Education, and Teacher-Leader of School-based Teams. Christa currently enjoys engaging with educators in the global community as a professional development facilitator, online instructor, mentor, peer, and author.   

Throughout her career, Christa witnessed dramatic successes as she educated learners to uncover their own innate wisdom, well-being, and resilience. Based on these successes, Christa answered the National Resilience Resource Center (NRRC) call for a Global Principle-Based K12 Curriculum.   

With a team of education experts filled with goodwill and grounded in the 3 Principles, Christa created "My Guide Inside: Knowing Myself and Understanding My World." This vital,  comprehensive, story-based curriculum is aligned with educational competencies and guidelines for academic credit at the Primary, Intermediate, and Secondary Levels. Along with the focus on sharing knowledge and language development, it promotes experiential learning with a variety of related fun-filled activities.   

"My Guide Inside" Learner Books and Teacher Manuals are available worldwide and have been disseminated in over 20 countries in paperback and e-book formats. Due to the goodwill of expert educators, multiple translations are becoming available.

Christa is a HundrED.org Ambassador. The "My Guide Inside" Innovation was successful in making it to the second of three levels of the HundrED/LEGO SEL Innovation Spotlight! What an honor! Christa and her collaboratorss are launching a free online introductory training (thanks to the goodwill of "Feel the Vibe" out of the US.)

Twitter: @myguideinside

IG: instagram.com/christa.mgi.curriculum

FB: facebook.com/3PrinciplesEdTalks

This week's episode continues Ilene's December focus on self-belonging and my advocacy for starting in our classrooms and our homes with children. We shouldn't have to wait until we are much older to find self-belonging. There are many ways to instill this in even our youngest children and students. Ilene shares her childhood story and teachers she remembers who supported her self-belonging and those that didn't. She also shares some ideas to implement in your classroom/school (links below).

Ilene's book, Journey to Belonging: Pathways to Well-Being is available now at:

In this week's episode, I explain a bit about our Polyvagal Theory, our autonomic nervous system, and self-belonging. I share a personal story, discuss how important it is to understand our nervous system so we can have more control over how we react when it feels threatened. I also share some techniques I have used to overcome self-doubt and build my sense of self-belonging. Here are the links to resources mentioned in the episode:

Steve Sostak, the co-founder of Inspire Citizens, centers all of his work on teacher creativity, student agency, and transformative learning. He aims to enable youth to develop more compassionate empathy; think critically about information and community issues; solve problems flexibly through the application of interdisciplinary skills and civic literacies; embrace the challenges of uncertainties and complexities; make ethical decisions, and take informed action.

Twitter: @inspirecitizen1

Haider Al Mosawi is a Kuwaiti educator, user experience designer, writer, and community builder. He is passionate about leading a full & fulfilling life, exploring our views in an open-minded way, and taking a non-coercive approach to productivity and habit-building. Haider is the co-founder of Sirdab Lab, a startup space in Kuwait, as well as the co-founder of Catalyze, a UX design firm.

Twitter: @haideralmosawi

IG: @haideralmosawi

As an explorer/adventurer, Kate Leeming has cycled a distance greater than twice around the world at the Equator. On August 16th, 2010 she became the first person to cycle an unbroken line from Africa’s most westerly to its most easterly points; from Pointe des Almadies, Senegal to Cape Hafun, Puntland, Somalia.

Evo Hannan is passionate about design and innovation in education. Innately driven by his desire to create positive change, Evo has utilised his 20 years of experience to channel into projects which have made an impact across the globe, including The Agency project and Ed Talks Live, a live YouTube talk show which engages in hot education topics with guests from around the globe. This inspired him to take a step out of the classroom in July 2021 and start his own education venture called Innovation X, a big thinking company created to help inspire new ideas to move education forward. He recently launched Vertigo, a social media agency for schools and education partners that offers a modern approach to community engagement and communication.

Twitter: @EvoHannan

IG: @evohannan

Ken (He/Him/His) currently holds an M.A. in Education with a specialization in Educational Technology as well as New Media Design and Production. He has worked as an Educator for over 20 years and spent most of his classroom experience teaching technology at the Middle School level. As a part of his active involvement within the Educational Technology community, Ken is an Apple Distinguished Educator, a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, and a Google Certified Innovator. Hee has worked extensively at the policy level with a number of State Departments of Education, Ministries of Education, non-Profits, and was appointed to the Education Technology Task Force formed by a previous California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Ken regularly gives keynotes, presentations, consults, and leads workshops, covering a wide variety of Educational Technology, Equity and Inclusion, Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist, Multimedia Literacy, Cultural Intelligences, Visual Storytelling, and Instructional Design topics. Ken is the ISTE Digital Equity PLN 2018 Excellence Award winner. Due to his extensive and broad impact, Ken has also been named by EdTech Magazine as an influencer to follow.

Hailing from Nova Scotia, Canada, Michelle Macumber started her journey with Participate Learning (then called VIF) back in 1999 when she accepted a job as an ambassador teacher in Fayetteville, North Carolina (Cumberland County). Connected to Participate Learning for her entire career in education, Michele spent 14 years as a global educator in North Carolina, England, and Paraguay. She taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade at different times.... but can't pick a favorite because she loved each one of those groups! In the summer of 2013, Michelle joined the team at their head office in Chapel Hill. She loves that her passion for global learning is the focus of her work each and every single day!. As a member of the Teacher Experience team, Michelle focuses on the ambassador teachers and their overall experience and engagement during the five years that they are here in the U.S.

Donna Guerin is the founder and executive director of Global Lighthouse Studios. She has been an educator for 22 years and involved in global education since 2015. She has also been an SDG ambassador. She loves to empower students to be a part of their own learning journey and enjoys connecting teachers and students around the world.

Anna Dyagileva is an MIEExpert, MIETrainer, MIEFellow, and Google certified. She is a Flipgrid, Wakelet & Buncee Ambassador who has a passion for #edtech and project-based learning. She started the #teachersloveEDU and #Engclubcom communities. 

Twitter, IG & Facebook: @annadyagileva1

This week's episode is a response to a tweet from August 6 by Chris Quinn (@ChrisQuinn64). He posted a sketchnote by Sylvia Duckworth depicting a circle cut into 6 sections. Above the graphic: “Embracing the 6Cs of Education (supported by well-being) can help us to build the best growth opportunities for and with our children.” The 6 sections were each labeled with a "C" word: Character, Citizenship, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity. 

Ron Nober 

-Technology/STEAM teacher 

-Teach SDGs ambassador 

-Very interested in design thinking, SDGs, and the intersection of technology and social good 

-Co-host of Teachernerdz podcast 

-Advisor to school media club and co-founder of the entrepreneur club (focus on social entrepreneurship) 

- Entered education at age 40 previously worked as an archeologist out of college 

- Also run a dog training company with my wife and have been training dogs professionally for over 20 years

Joe DePaulo 

-Started teaching later in life around the age of 30

-Never liked school as a student and was very hesitant going into the teaching profession

-Passionate about teaching third grade

-Co-host of Teachernerdz podcast 

Twitter: @nober_techclass

             @joesurfer2

             @teachernerdz

IG:        @nober_techclass

            @teachernerdzpodcast

Resources mentioned:

How do we create successful learners if we ignore their strengths (assets) and focus on their deficits?

We often hear about people who either believe the glass is half empty or half full. Have you ever heard that the glass can be refilled? How does changing our perception of learners from a deficit mindset (glass half-empty) to an asset-based mindset (glass can be refilled) improve how we perceive our students and how they perceive themselves? In this episode, I explain the importance of an asset-based mindset and approach on supporting a sense of safety and belonging in our students that is essential to their learning and achievement.

Naomi Toland is originally from Ireland but has traveled and taught away from her home in Derry for the past 10 Years. Naomi completed her degree at Northumbria University before moving to Hackney, London for her first teaching job. After 3 years Naomi traveled South America for 3 months before settling in Auckland, New Zealand for the next 2 and a half years. It was here that Naomi shared her project, Empathetic Educators out into the world. This project looks at topics such as Neuroscience, empathy, design, relationships, psychology, and much more to better understand ourselves so that we can understand others. This project has taken her to Singapore where she took part in the Google Innovator Project with educators all over the world.  Naomi is currently teaching in Tokyo, Japan set to return to New Zealand next month.   Naomi’s passions are trying to advocate for empathy, inclusion, and understanding within education to help generate partnerships between teachers, learners and leaders in local settings and beyond.

Twitter: @naomi_toland

IG: Naomi.m.t

Kevin Leichtman is the author of "The Perfect Ten" and co-author of "Teacher's Guide to the Mental Edge." He and his wife, Dr. Anala Leichtman, founded Team Leichtman Consulting - tlceducate.com, a company that provides PD, curriculum, coaching, and courses focused on empowering educators. Kevin also directs Academic Mindset, a mindset strengthening company for students and teachers.  Kevin received his Masters and Ph.D. in curriculum & instruction from Florida Atlantic University. His research was on teacher burnout. He is currently out of the classroom, focusing on his education consulting work.

Alice Aspinall, B.Math(Hon), B.Ed, is a Portuguese-Canadian secondary mathematics educator in Ontario, Canada. She loves spending time with her husband and two children reading books, playing math games, and exploring the outdoors. Alice is a strong advocate of the growth mindset. She is continually looking for ways to build young people’s confidence in math and to make math fun, challenging, and satisfying. Her innovative lessons and her dedication in the classroom have made a positive impact on her students’ attitudes toward math. Her YouTube channel, “MrsALovesMath,” exemplifies her commitment to her students’ learning. Alice is also a champion for females in STEM by encouraging girls to pursue science and mathematics both in high school and in post-secondary education.

Tia Luker-Putra has been living and working in China for the past seven years.  She us a STEAM, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and diversity nut. She is married to her beautiful wife and has a 6 lb. puppy and an 18-pound cat. She loves to hike and be outside.  Life, for her, is about having an adventure and getting the most out of it possible.  She loves to learn and has lived and traveled all over Canada, the United States, South Korea, China, Southeast Asia.  She has aspirations to travel more and she sews doggie bandannas for charity.

Chey Cheney Is a middle school teacher with 20 years of experience, originally from Ottawa, Ontario. He currently teaches Grade 8 in Toronto, Ontario and engages in coaching and leadership work with students in the school beyond instructional time.

Passionate about ELA, Chey infuses a teaching philosophy that centres around student agency, student voice and a strong commitment to social justice.  Inspired by the works of Kylene Beers, Desmond Cole and Barry Schwartz, Chey is always looking for a way to embed technology in the natural flow of learning. He actively cements a consistent dynamic that ascends from consumer, engager and creator in the learning opportunities he curates.

With a vast athletic background, Chey has coached elite level sports to the most fundamental community recreation leagues. He aims to form a physical education and competitive sports culture that centres on a holistic approach dedicated to inclusion and entry points for all students to enjoy and flourish in the physical education experience.

In addition to his Teachers degree Chey has a History Honours Degree, a History Teaching specialist and an Adolescent Reading Specialist.

Twitter: MrCCheney

Pawan (Pav) Wander is an elementary school teacher with 15 years of experience hailing from Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. Currently, she is teaching a Grade 6/7 split class, integrated with the Home School Program. Pav gratefully teaches in the same neighborhood where she grew up and went to school, and has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be able to work with students in such a familiar community.   

Pav loves to teach Science and Math and enjoys combining the two subjects into extracurricular activities that she leads with students. Pav has run programs in Robotics, Engineering, and Coding at the schools where she has taught and has loved watching students, especially females, thrive in areas of STEM. 

Thriving on listening to books and researching new pedagogies and themes in education, Pav loves learning about new ways of reaching and engaging with students, especially surrounding areas of podcasting, audio, and video editing, as these are areas she is new to!   

Pav has an Honours degree in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University in Toronto and completed her teaching certification from D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York. Fitness and athletics have always been important to Pav, and she endeavors to include as much physical activity in her day as possible!

Twitter: @PavWander  @StaffPodcast   @TheDriveVoicEd

IG: @the_staff_room_podcast

FB: The Staffroom Podcast

After graduating as an Environmental Engineer, Saadia worked for the government to ensure compliance by landfills and power generation facilities. She took a pause to raise her family and volunteer for several non-profits, ultimately discovering herself by being an active, responsible citizen in her hometown of Oviedo, Florida. Saadia believes meaningful friendships can be found in unexpected places. Her work to show neighbors how similar we are regardless of ethnic or religious differences led her to Preemptive Love. As a Gathering Coordinator, Saadia hopes to spread this message to communities nationwide. If she’s not participating at an event around town, you may find Saadia picking up after her two girls, reminding her husband where he left his wallet or saving the last three bananas for her famous banana bread.

Twitter: @QureshiSaadia

Facebook: Saadia Qureshi

Email: saadia.qureshi@preemptivelove.org

Douha Jemai has been a Tunisian computer science teacher for more than 14 years. She is a Microsoft Expert (MIEExpert), MIE Master Trainer, TeachSDGs Ambassador, and holds a  Masters degree in IT management. 

Twitter: @ochifaysel

Facebook: Jemai Douha

Genein Letford is an award-winning educator, best-selling author, and global speaker on ‘Intercultural Creativity™’.  She is a leading voice on creating across cultural lines and she developed the 7 Gems of Intercultural Creativity framework for organizational success. As a TEDx speaker and top creativity trainer, she has inspired many educators and leaders to develop their creative abilities while establishing a climate of inclusion and belonging for their teams and classrooms. Pulling from her fifteen years of working with creative geniuses, her unique curriculum utilizes metaphorical strategies, heightened observation techniques, and the creative arts to reawaken intuitive thinking. She is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of CAFFE Strategies, LLC which trains leaders and educators on these essential skills and believes intercultural creative thinking is a critical skill for this future of work.

Tisha Poncio, M.S. Learning Technologies, is an energetic and enthusiastic learner, teacher, coach, and empowered educator. Tisha has served in education for the last 21 years. She has led students in the classroom teaching English, Web Design, Graphic Design, Business Computers, Programming, and Broadcast Journalism. She has also led educators and administrators as a digital learning specialist for 12 years. She is a Google Certified Trainer, a Flipgrid Ambassador, an Ed Tech Team Blogger, and was named a finalist in 2018 for Instructional Technology Specialist of the Year in Texas. She has presented at numerous educational technology conferences across the nation and in her home state of Texas speaking about empowering students, teachers, and leaders as well as digital citizenship for all ages. Her biggest accomplishment to date has been the creation of a student-led technology leadership group that helps her present on student voice, empowerment, and the #studentsCANlead movement.

Twitter: @TXTechChick

Instagram: @TishaPoncio

Clubhouse: @TishaPoncio

George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. His belief that meaningful change happens when you first connect to people’s hearts, is modeled in his writing and speaking. He has worked with all levels of school, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator, and currently is a part-time professor with the University of Pennsylvania Literacy Network. George is also the author of the book, The Innovator’s Mindset; Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity and his latest book, Innovate Inside the Box.

Twitter: @gcouros

George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. His belief that meaningful change happens when you first connect to people’s hearts, is modeled in his writing and speaking. He has worked with all levels of school, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator, and currently is a part-time professor with the University of Pennsylvania Literacy Network. George is also the author of the book, The Innovator’s Mindset; Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity and his latest book, Innovate Inside the Box.

Twitter: @gcouros

Kellie Bahri is an elementary teacher with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership. She is passionate about supporting learning through establishing strong connections and creating learning spaces that promote equity and inclusion. She is an Instructional Strategist, serves on the Instructional Leadership and School Improvement Team, is a Culturally Responsive Teacher, and a Sustainable Development Goals lead educator. In March she will release her first book from her children’s book series with Code Breaker Edu Publishing.

She encourages you to connect with her on

Twitter @kbahri5

Instagram @kbahri6.

Sherry MacKay (MEd in TESOL) has extensive teacher training experience and 25 years of experience teaching adults. She is the co-founder of Glocally Connected non-profit that promotes community building in order to support refugees. More recently, Sherry founded TLC (Transformational Learning Communities) a unique organization focusing on providing applicable methods and techniques for teachers of students that have experienced trauma and revolves around three axes: (a) mindfulness; (b) connection and community building; and (c) teacher self-care. Sherry has a passion for making connections, supporting people in need, and the transformational potential of mindfulness.

Farah Bishara aka DJ Bonita loves music, especially hip hop, is a Kuwait-based DJ who also owns Vinyl Destination, a local record store. She started pursuing her passion for mixing hip-hop tracks for a living around in 2014 and has pushed boundaries and stereotypes about women working in the music industry. When she first stepped foot on the scene “People didn’t understand why a Kuwaiti woman was mixing hip-hop for a living, and it often made me second-guess my career choice” she says, but that didn’t stop her! Read more about her in this 2020 article: 

Dana Fulwiler is an Alberta-based educator, consultant, and facilitator. She earned her Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania, where she learned from leading wellbeing researchers and the field’s founder, Dr. Martin Seligman. Her teaching and professional experiences over the past 15 years span public education, non-profit, and post-secondary, including current roles as an Assistant Instructor in UPenn's MAPP program and BEd Sessional Instructor at the University of Calgary.

Twitter: @danafulwiler