Teachers Without Borders

12/09/2025

Teaching Might Be One of the Most Complex—and Most Human—Jobs in the World ... and new research shows what helps thrive.

Every day, teachers manage an extraordinary mix of challenges: students who learn at different speeds, varied skill levels in literacy and math, and young people arriving in classrooms carrying emotions, energy, and lived experiences that shape how they show up.

Teaching is deeply human work—and because of that, it takes practice, mentorship, and support to do it well.

A recent study published in the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness compared "traditional" teacher prep (reading and discussing theory) with "practice-based" approaches (active rehearsal and coaching).
The verdict? Practice trumped theory.

➡️ Pre-service teachers who practiced specific instructional moves (eliciting and responding to student thinking) became significantly more proficient than peers who only studied strategies theoretically.
➡️ Real-time feedback and guided rehearsal helped teacher candidates learn how to respond to both correct and incorrect answers more effectively.
➡️ These practice-based approaches helped teachers develop confidence and readiness for the messiness and unpredictability of real classrooms.

In other words, practice, coaching, and supported reflection help new teachers translate ideas into responsive, student-centered learning.

At a moment when the complexity of teaching is more visible than ever, this research reinforces what many educators already know:
💡 Impactful teaching grows through cycles of observation, practice, feedback, and needs a community of peers.
💡 Mentors and instructional coaches play a pivotal role.
💡 Time to plan, rehearse, and reflect is a cornerstone of professional growth.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19345747.2025.2456716
and
https://www.edutopia.org/visual-essay/the-10-most-significant-education-studies-of-2025



Image credit: Google Gemini

11/13/2025

Teachers are eager to keep learning but time is the limiting factor.
➡️ More insights from the 2024 OECD TALIS Report: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/results-from-talis-2024_90df6235-en.html

The report shows strong demand for teacher professional growth in:
✅ Digital and AI-informed teaching
✅ Classroom management
✅ Supporting diverse learning needs

However, the barriers are consistent across systems:
⏱ Lack of time (63%)
⏱ Schedule conflicts (~60%)
💸 Cost (46%)

Early-career teachers report both the highest need and the greatest benefit when professional development is:
➡️ Practical
➡️ Connected to real classroom situations
➡️ Sustained over time
➡️ Collaborative rather than individual

How PD is structured matters just as much as what it teaches.
PD that respects teacher workload by being integrated into daily work, planning, co-teaching, and team reflection is the type that supports both confidence and long-term instruction quality.

💡 Key Takeaway 💡
Effective professional learning isn’t about more work and more time. It’s about being better designed, better timed, and rooted in classroom realities.



(Photo by Edi Kurniawan on Unsplash)

11/11/2025

A strong start matters: Insights from the 2024 OECD TALIS

One of the clearest findings in this year’s data is the power of structured , especially for early-career .

Teachers who receive mentoring report:
➡️ Higher confidence in classroom management
➡️ Greater job satisfaction
➡️ Stronger instructional decision-making
➡️ A deeper sense of belonging in their school community

This is particularly significant because the early years are where many teachers decide whether they will stay. Yet, access to meaningful mentoring remains uneven. It often depends on the goodwill of more experienced teachers rather than system design.

The 2024 OECD TALIS report emphasizes practices that have the greatest impact:

💡 Consistent time protected for mentor–mentee conversations
💡 Co-planning and co-teaching, rather than only advice-giving
💡 Reflective questioning, not just technical tips

➡️ Key Takeaway ⬅️
Mentoring works best when it is intentional, relational, and embedded in daily practice, not occasional, informal, or left to chance.

https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/results-from-talis-2024_90df6235-en.html



(Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash)

11/04/2025

Insights from the 2024 OECD TALIS Report:
Artificial Intelligence is already in our classrooms. The next question we need to tackle is how we use it.

The 2024 OECD TALIS Report shows that about one-third of used in their practice over the past year. Most rely on it for summarizing content and supporting lesson planning to save valuable preparation time.

✅ One finding stands out ✅
The greatest instructional potential of AI remains largely untapped. Few teachers are using AI for:
➡️ Formative feedback
➡️ Differentiation
➡️ Monitoring learning progress

At the same time, teachers are raising real and justified concerns:
⁉️ Plagiarism and academic integrity
⁉️ Bias in AI outputs
⁉️ Data privacy and security

The message is clear:
AI is neither a shortcut nor a threat but a tool that requires careful guidance, shared norms, and critical awareness.

⭐ Key Takeaway ⭐
AI literacy is now part of teacher readiness. The focus is not on adopting every tool, but on developing the professional judgment to use AI thoughtfully and well.

2024 OECD TALIS Report: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/results-from-talis-2024_90df6235-en.html


(image by Google Gemini)

10/30/2025

Fresh findings from the 2024 OECD TALIS survey show that remain deeply committed to their work, even as workload, classroom management, and rapid change continue to stretch capacity.

What we’re seeing:

💡 The profession is resilient, but strained. Nearly 9 in 10 teachers are satisfied with their jobs, yet challenges around workload, maintaining discipline, adapting to diverse learning needs, and external expectations continue to impact well-being and lesson-level effectiveness.

💡 AI is arriving fast and unevenly. About one-third of teachers used AI this year. Most rely on it for summarizing content and lesson planning. Far fewer are using AI for assessment, feedback, or differentiation even though these are the areas with the greatest potential for meaningful instructional impact. Concerns around plagiarism, bias, and data privacy remain high.

💡 Professional learning matters, but access is unequal. Participation in digital and AI-related PD is rising, yet teachers continue to face barriers: limited time (63%), schedule conflicts (~60%), and cost (46%). Early-career teachers report both the greatest need and the greatest gains when PD is targeted and practical.

💡 Mentoring changes outcomes. Schools where novice teachers receive structured induction and mentoring report higher job satisfaction, better classroom confidence, and stronger instructional practices.

💡 Change fatigue is real. About one-third of teachers note that keeping up with new programmes and reforms is a significant stressor. The systems that fare better are those that sequence change intentionally and support teacher voice and efficacy.

✅ The path forward is clear:
When schools and communities invest in purposeful professional learning, mentorship for early-career teachers, and responsible, classroom-anchored AI literacy, teachers report stronger well-being and greater progress toward learning goals.

In the coming days, we’ll be sharing more from the TALIS 2024 report, including short, focused insights on the following:

➡️ How teachers can use AI ethically and effectively;

➡️ What high-impact mentoring really looks like;

➡️ How to design PD that respects teacher time and builds confidence.

Stay tuned!

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the world’s largest survey of teachers and principals. In 2024, educators from 55 education systems provided information about what they do and how they are doing. They explain if and how they use artificial intelligence, why they beca...

05/22/2025

Reflection is a powerful tool for growth and preventing burnout, yet it often gets pushed aside. This Edutopia article offers simple ways to build daily reflection habits. Just two small observations per day can transform your practice over time.

Reflecting on teaching practices and classroom events is valuable, but it can be tough to regularly make the time for it. These tips can help.

04/22/2024

As a Luxembourg Peace Prize laureate, the Schengen Peace Foundation is offering Teachers Without Borders 15 scholarships for one of three 13-week Zoom courses offered by the European Business Institute (https://ebulux.lu/)

— Gender and Equality
— Business Negotiation and Communication
— Women and Leadership

Each of the courses is worth €740. They only require a €37.50 euro sign-up fee.

The deadlines and dates for the respective term are:
— Summer Term III 2024 Enrollment Deadline May 1st, 2024
— Commencement Date May 27th, 2024 – September 1st, 2024

PLEASE let us know if you are interested, and we will send you the discount code.

03/29/2024

My book, "In the Small Places: Teacher Changemakers and the Power of Human Agency," comes out today! Last night, my wife Rosalie and I had dinner with Jane Goodall, where I presented her with a copy.

ALL AUTHOR PROCEEDS GO TO THE JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE. Buy wherever you get your books. Discussion guides, resources, and more at: https://inthesmallplaces.com

02/24/2024

"Two Years of the Ukraine War: How one of my education graduate students walked his talk" https://lnkd.in/grJr3_x7 . A shining example of a teacher without borders. . My new book, "In the Small Places: Stories of Teacher Changemakers and the Power of Human Agency" https://lnkd.in/gcEmpkDK includes a full chapter about Simba Manyike. Order wherever books are sold. All author proceeds donated to the Jane Goodall Institute.

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

02/07/2024

NEW BOOK: "In the Small Places: Teacher Changemakers and the Power of Human Agency" by Teachers Without Borders founder. PRE-ORDER TODAY at https://inthesmallplaces.com/order or wherever you get your books.

ALL AUTHOR PROCEEDS will be DONATED to the Jane Goodall Institute and global science-of-reading programs.

See the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpClCi7bkdw

Teachers are the largest professionally-trained group in the world. They know who is sick, missing, orphaned by disasters, and at risk for human trafficking....

10/06/2023

Today, on World Teachers' Day, we say to all teachers around the world: Thank you for bringing your knowledge, dedication, patience, creativity, compassion, and care to classrooms around the world. You are agents of change and role models to countless children and young people around the world.

Mr. Sam in Ghana: https://lnkd.in/ehZD_Hiv
Mrs. Rita in Indonesia: https://lnkd.in/eCi_MiEX

07/29/2023

NATO Critical Thinking course (FREE) starts today. Still time to register. Teachers Without Borders leads off with the first module on Cognitive Bias. REGISTER:

Critical Thinking Online Course. Critical Thinking is the ability to develop objective understanding of a situation. It is a skill that contributes to each human’s survivability. It is a critical skill when important decisions have to be made. NATO Innovation Hub wants to help everyone improve the...