In this episode, Alex sits down with Sarah Cottingham, author of Ausubel’s Meaningful Learning in Action, to unpack what it really means to learn — and teach — meaningfully.

Together they explore:
🎓 The science behind meaningful learning and how it connects new ideas to existing knowledge.
🧠 Why experience ≠ expertise — and how teachers can move from routine to adaptive practice.
🔍 The truth about mental hooks, schema, and avoiding cognitive overload.
💬 How instructional coaching can change teacher behaviour, not just technique.
💡 What the future of teaching looks like when agency and decision-making are at the core.

A thoughtful, practical conversation for anyone serious about the craft of teaching and professional growth.

Connect with Sarah Cottingham
🔗 LinkedIn
📰 Substack – Cognitive Coach

Connect with Alex Gray / DEEP Professional
🌐 deepprofessional.com
📸 Instagram
💼 LinkedIn
🎥 YouTube

In this episode, Alex sits down with Drew and Bodruz for a candid conversation about the real teacher experience in Dubai. From 5 a.m. gym sessions and school leadership to rent hikes and the rising cost of international education, this episode goes beyond the classroom to explore what it truly means to live, work, and raise a family as an international educator in one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.

They share honest reflections on balance, belonging, and burnout—how to thrive, not just survive, in a city of opportunity. Together, they unpack the current debates around KHDA’s affordability push, teacher salaries, and whether Dubai is still the dream destination it once was for educators.

Discover what “affordable” really means, why teacher wellbeing is the real currency of sustainability, and how family, friendship, and perspective shape the international experience far more than a tax-free salary ever could.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Teaching Abroad is Physical:
From classroom movement to early gym sessions, teaching is more demanding—and more rewarding—than most people realise.

Affordability vs Reality:As Dubai expands, teachers are asking what “affordable” really means when school fees, rent, and daily costs keep climbing.

Thriving, Not Surviving:Sustainability for teachers isn’t just financial—it’s about wellbeing, purpose, and family time.

The International Advantage:Raising children abroad offers safety, diversity, and opportunity—but also the emotional cost of distance from home.

A City in Transition:Dubai’s education landscape is evolving fast. The question isn’t just where to teach, but how long you can sustain it.

“Teaching is such a physical job—always moving, always on your feet. I actually have more energy now that I work out at 5 a.m.”

“The challenge isn’t whether Dubai is affordable—it’s figuring out what affordable even means anymore.”

“Our struggles aren’t our children’s struggles. Being international gives them freedoms we never had.”

“Teachers don’t need medals; we need time—to rest, reflect, and reconnect with why we started.”

“In a city that never stops growing, the best teachers are the ones who keep evolving too.”

BEST MOMENTS

“Teaching is such a physical job—always moving, always on your feet. I actually have more energy now that I work out at 5 a.m.”

“The challenge isn’t whether Dubai is affordable—it’s figuring out what affordable even means anymore.”

“Our struggles aren’t our children’s struggles. Being international gives them freedoms we never had.”

“Teachers don’t need medals; we need time—to rest, reflect, and reconnect with why we started.”

“In a city that never stops growing, the best teachers are the ones who keep evolving too.”

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Drew & Bodruz are long-time international educators and regular contributors to The International Classroom. Between leadership roles, family life, and a shared passion for teaching abroad, they bring insight, humour, and honesty to what it means to teach in today’s global schools.

CONNECT & CONTACT

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroom⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠https://www.deepprofessional.com

In this episode, Alex sits down with Al Kingsley MBE, author, CEO, and governance expert, to explore one of the most pressing questions in education today: what happens when schools let AI lead without oversight?

From building universities to shaping national education policy, Al brings decades of experience to unpack how schools can navigate the balance between innovation and integrity. Together, Alex and Al explore the rise of AI governance, the hidden risks of “efficiency,” and how to ensure technology serves learning—not the other way around.

Discover why schools must move beyond laminated AI policies, how to create meaningful guardrails for data and ethics, and what practical steps leaders can take to ensure transparency, accountability, and trust in their AI use.

Key Ideas
🧭 Weaponising AI: How control gets rebranded as “efficiency” and what that means for decision-making in schools.
⚖️ Guardrails, Not Handcuffs: Why safe AI use requires boundaries, explainability, and human oversight.
💡 From Policy to Practice: Turning compliance documents into living frameworks that evolve and improve.
🌐 Student Voice & Digital Citizenship: Why young people must become active participants—not passive users—of AI.
📊 The 8-Step Governance Framework: A practical roadmap for leaders ready to start responsibly.
🔁 Review & Renew: Why AI strategy should never be “set and forget.”

Best Moments💬 “If you want to weaponise AI, you simply rebrand control as efficiency.”
💬 “Guardrails don’t limit innovation—they protect it.”
💬 “A policy no one reads isn’t governance, it’s wallpaper.”
💬 “Students can’t challenge bias they don’t understand.”
💬 “AI governance starts with one question: why are we using this tool?”

About the Guest
Al Kingsley MBE is a respected education leader, author, and CEO. With over 30 years’ experience bridging business, governance, and edtech, he chairs multiple education boards and has helped shape school systems in the UK and beyond. His work focuses on building ethical, transparent, and sustainable AI practices that support learners, staff, and communities.

Connect and Contact🎙️ The International Classroom📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroom💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/🌐 Website: https://deepprofessional.com

👤 Al Kingsley🌐 Website: https://alkingsley.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alkingsley/

In this episode, Alex sits down with Victoria Hedlund—better known as “Bias Girl”—to explore one of the most urgent challenges in education today: how do we confront bias in AI before it reshapes teaching and learning in ways we can’t undo?

From lightbulb analogies that turn into “sparkle fairies” and “racetracks” to the dangers of students using chatbots as uncritical tutors, Victoria reveals how bias creeps into classrooms at the student, teacher, and leadership levels. Together, Alex and Victoria dig into the risks of leaving teachers and learners to “just get started” with AI, why oversight and safe experimentation are essential, and how new roles like Bias Officers could soon become standard in schools.

Discover why “personalization” may limit choice while “customization” empowers it, how AI can fail neurodiverse learners, and why the real future of teaching lies in human relationships, trust, and critical thinking.

Bias in Action: From sparkle fairies to racetrack metaphors, AI reveals its hidden stereotypes when given vague prompts.
Oversight is Everything: Leaving students or teachers unsupervised with AI is a recipe for inequity.
Customize, Don’t Personalize: True equity comes from giving learners choice, not narrowing their paths.
Neuro-Normative Blind Spots: Many AI tools assume linear, neurotypical thinking—leaving others behind.
Future Roles: Schools may soon need Bias & Equity Officers to track and manage AI use.
Relationships Matter: AI can support, but it can’t replace the motivation and trust teachers provide.

Best Moments
💡 “Critical oversight is my thing.”
💡 “Comfort is the enemy of progress.”
💡 “AI is another voice in the room.”
💡 “Personalization takes away choice—customization empowers it.”
💡 “Teachers don’t just deliver content—they manage motivation and identity.”

About the Guest
Victoria Hedlund is an educator, researcher, and advocate known as “Bias Girl” for her pioneering work on uncovering and mitigating bias in AI systems. She is the co-creator of LessonInspector.ai and founder of GenEd Labs, where she helps educators critically engage with AI tools and rethink teacher training for the AI era.

Connect and Contact

The International Classroom:
📸 Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroom
💻 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/
🌐 Website: ⁠https://deepprofessional.com/

Victoria Hedlund:
💻 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriahedlund/
🌐 Website: ⁠https://genedlabs.ai

In this episode, Alex sits down with Darren Coxon, an educator-turned-AI builder, to explore one of the most provocative questions facing schools today: should we stop teaching teachers how to use AI—and start exploring how to build with it?

From vibe coding experiments to creating his own education platform, ClassForge, Darren shares his journey from headteacher to developer and why he believes the real future of AI in education lies in what he calls “cybernetic classmates.” Together, Alex and Darren dig into the moral obligation of preparing students to partner with AI, the challenges of building safe tools, and the risks of ignoring the pace of change.

Discover why schools must unlearn outdated practices, what’s holding teachers back from experimenting, and how AI might not replace great teachers—but could easily replace poor teaching.

Small Tech for Schools: The real opportunity isn’t in big corporate AI platforms, but in schools creating their own bespoke, lightweight tools.

Cybernetic Classmates: Students need AI as partners in learning—used as unblockers, coaches, and collaborators rather than shortcuts.

Vibe Coding Explained: Teachers don’t need to become full developers—AI can write the code, while educators act as architects and problem-spotters.

Unlearning Old Habits: Reporting, one-size-fits-all assessments, and legacy systems are barriers; schools must clear space to let AI redefine processes.

The Hardest Part of Building: Coding with AI is like “herding amnesiac cats”—but the payoff is powerful new platforms that can adapt to learners in real time.

AI and Teachers: AI won’t replace the human connection, but it could make poor teaching obsolete. Great educators who embrace AI will thrive.

Building for the Next Model: As Anthropic’s Dario Amodeo suggests, build today with the next model in mind—because what’s impossible now may be unlocked in months.

Best Moments

💡 “The only way to leverage AI is to put it in the hands of students.”💡 “We’re teaching kids to fish in a river where a dam is being built upstream.”💡 “Vibe coding makes you the architect, not the coder.”💡 “AI won’t replace great teachers—but it could replace bad teaching.”💡 “If you’re building with AI, you’re really just herding amnesiac cats.”

About the Guest

Darren Coxon is an educator, writer, and AI builder. A former headteacher and international school leader, he now focuses on creating practical AI tools for schools, including the ClassForge platform, designed to give students safe and meaningful ways to work alongside AI.

Connect and Contact

The International Classroom:📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroom💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/🌐 Website: https://deepprofessional.com/

Darren Coxon:💻 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrencoxon/

In this episode, Alex is joined by two fellow Dubai educators — Drew Owen and Bodrris Jir — to kick off Season 4 of The International Classroom Podcast. From induction week highs and lows to the new Dubai school calendar, the conversation dives into what teaching life in the UAE really looks like.

Together, they reflect on what makes a good induction, the realities behind those viral Facebook teacher posts, and how schools balance leadership expectations with teacher well-being. As both teachers and parents in Dubai, they also share the challenges of navigating new roles, raising young families, and adapting to big policy changes that impact classrooms across the region.

This episode is honest, unfiltered, and full of real-life stories that capture the spirit of international teaching in Dubai today.

Key Takeaways

• Induction Week Reality: Why striking a balance between information overload and purposeful preparation matters.

• The Dubai School Calendar Shift: What a four-week winter break really means for teachers, students, and families.

• Teacher Life in the UAE: From setting up classrooms to marking loads, how educators adapt year after year.

• Leadership vs. Teaching: The hidden workload of middle and senior leadership — and the surprising joy of lesson planning.

• Parent–Teacher Perspective: When your own children are starting school in Dubai, the professional and personal worlds collide.

• The Importance of Community: How strong teacher friendships sustain resilience through challenges like COVID and beyond.

  Best Moments

• “If those induction sessions were graded as lessons, how many would really be outstanding?”

• “Dubai announced the calendar on social media before schools got the memo — imagine the chaos for families already booking flights.”

• “Teachers love their subject. But at the end of the day, it’s the students — and the community — that keep us here.”

• “You wouldn’t think he runs one of the biggest education podcasts in Dubai… he still can’t get his microphone working.”

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroom⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.ticproductions.com⁠⁠

In this episode, Alex sits down with the international co-authors of "Artificial Intelligence, Real Literacy," Paul Matthews and Jason Gulya, to tackle one of the most pressing topics in education today. From opposite sides of the world—a high school in Australia and a college in New York—they share a unified vision for turning AI from a perceived threat into a powerful classroom partner. They debunk the biggest myths surrounding AI and writing, challenge the fear that holds educators back, and provide a clear, evidence-based roadmap for using AI to enhance, not replace, fundamental literacy skills. Discover how to use AI for powerful differentiation, why the teacher's role as a human connector is more important than ever, and how to foster a classroom culture where students learn to use AI wisely and effectively.

• • AI as a Literacy Partner: The most effective approach is to reframe AI not as a threat to writing, but as a tool to enhance foundational skills and make learning more accessible.

  • Embrace, Don't Ban: Students have access to AI regardless of school policy. The educator's role is to model and teach wise, effective, and ethical use of these tools.

  • Focus on "AI for Better Basics": Instead of chasing complex new applications, use AI to do the basics of education better—like text differentiation, vocabulary building, and providing scalable feedback.

  • The Teacher is the Executive: The teacher remains in control, using their knowledge of students, curriculum, and context to guide AI as a tool, not cede control to it as a "co-pilot."

  • AI Obliterates the "Average Learner": AI is an unparalleled differentiation tool, allowing educators to finally move past the one-size-fits-all model and cater to the diverse learning needs within a single classroom.

  • Process Over Product: AI forces a necessary shift in pedagogy, encouraging educators to focus on teaching the messy, valuable process of writing rather than just grading the final product.

  • The Human Connection is Irreplaceable: The pastoral, social, and emotional elements of teaching are crucial for learning. AI can handle administrative loads, freeing up teachers to lean into their uniquely human strengths.

  • Model the Learning Journey: Educators have a powerful opportunity to model lifelong learning by showing students how to approach new, complex tools with curiosity and courage.

• • "The big myth is that AI automatically kills writing. That is something that is really, really entrenched in a lot of departments."

  • "Our vision in the book is for AI, we call it AI for better basics. What does that mean? It just means let's use artificial intelligence to do the basics of education better."

  • "The big mistake that a lot of teachers are making when it comes to AI is not using it. They are fearful of it."

  • "I don't think our core business is resource creation. I think our core business is student learning."

  • "The invisible assumption... is that there is such a thing as an average learner. In reality... there's no such thing."

  • "In a perfect world, in the ideal scenario, you will have human and AI really working together and augmenting each other."

  • "These questions cut across levels, they cut across countries."

Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroom⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/⁠
Website: ⁠https://www.ticproductions.com

KEY TAKEAWAYSBEST MOMENTSABOUT THE GUESTSCONNECT & CONTACT

In this episode, Alex sits down with international education expert Emma Golden to challenge the core assumptions of our global school systems. Emma, an educator whose career has taken her from the US to the UK and China, questions whether we are truly preparing students for an interconnected world or just creating a "global elite" bubble. They discuss why wellbeing initiatives often fail, the immense pressure of high-stakes testing, the invisible barriers students face when transitioning between cultures, and why the best teachers are often reluctant to become leaders.

• Global-Mindedness is Often Just Tokenism: Many international school initiatives, like "International Day," are superficial. True global-mindedness requires a much deeper, more embedded approach to culture and learning that goes beyond a single event.
• Our Ambitions for Students are Too Narrow: The intense, cascaded pressure from universities and employers means success is often defined as getting into one of a handful of elite schools. This creates a stressful, competitive environment that stifles broader interests.
• Wellbeing Isn't About Avoiding Discomfort: A successful wellbeing program isn't about protecting students from all hardship. It's about giving them the tools and resilience to handle failure and navigate challenges on their own.
• Social Skills Don't Show Up on Tests: Interpersonal and social skills are critical for life success, but because they aren't easily measured or quantified by tests, they are often pushed to the side in a packed curriculum.
• You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader: Forcing great teachers into administrative-heavy "leadership" roles can be a mistake. True leadership—the ability to inspire and innovate—can and should happen at all levels of a school, especially within the classroom.
• The "Whole Child" is the Real Goal: In the rush to cover content and prepare for exams, it's easy to forget that the primary goal of education is to help a child grow into the best version of themselves. The subject matter is simply the vehicle for that journey.
• High-Stakes Exams are the Bottleneck: The single-biggest point of stress and failure in the system is the focus on final, high-stakes exams that can determine a student's entire future, invalidating years of previous work and growth.
• The Transition Gap is Real: Schools often fail to prepare students for the immense cultural and social shifts of moving to university in another country, focusing on academics while ignoring practical life skills and the potential for social isolation.

• "It tends, I think, to be a bit token."
• "Our ambitions are very narrow sometimes, and that's what makes it so stressful and competitive for them."
• "Social and interactive and interpersonal skills... they don't show up on tests."
• "I don't necessarily think that you need to be in a leadership position to be a leader in a school."
• "Sometimes I'm gonna have to let you fall on your face."
• "The biggest myth about student well-being is that students aren't resilient."

Connect with Emma Golden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-golden-20907789/

Emma Golden: Emma is an international education expert with over 15 years of experience leading initiatives in student wellbeing, leadership, and global transitions. Her career has spanned the American, British, and International Baccalaureate (IB) systems in the US, UK, and China. As Program Director at Q-Education in Shanghai, she focuses on bridging the academic and emotional gap between high school and university. Emma is passionate about championing cross-cultural learning, holistic student success, and helping young people find their own unique path to becoming the best version of themselves.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/theinternationalclassroomLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergray84/Website: https://www.ticproductions.com