Throughout the spring and summer of 2010, sixty-three US secondary school teachers traveled overseas to one of twenty-seven different countries for a two-week professional exchange. These US teachers were hosted by alumni of the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA) [17] and the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) [18]. TEA and ILEP are programs of the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs [19].
While most of these US teachers had never met their international alumni hosts prior to their travel, six ILEP US teachers were in the unique position of being a "direct match" with their counterparts: the US teacher had been the ILEP Fellow's internship partner during the Fellow's US-based program. We recently interviewed these direct-match teacher pairs to learn more about the impact of their exchange experience.
What does “international education” mean to you?
Harold Scott, Geography Teacher (Minnesota): International education means authentically learning about various aspects of a culture other than your own. As the world continues to become more global economically and educationally, this has to become more of a priority. 
Alice Lambert, English Teacher (Kentucky): International education is creating bridges that connect students and teachers around the world and expanding perspectives.
Ahmed Alioui, EFL Teacher (Morocco): International education plays an important role in helping people know different world regions, cultures and issues, acquire the necessary skills to communicate with other people using a variety of languages and language skills in a global or cross cultural world with mutual respect, tolerance and understanding.
How do you include international or global themes in your classroom?
Sri Maryati, EFL Teacher (Indonesia): I love talking about the cross-cultural experiences I had during my stay in the US. This theme can build an understanding of my students about American culture.
Zahida Mohammed, EFL Teacher (Pennsylvania): Since I teach an American Culture course to ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students, I include units on a particular country. In those units we study about the country by researching the topic, reading literature in translation, looking at visuals, having classroom discussions, experiencing something of the food or music, and writing papers or reflections.
Joselia Batista Santos, EFL Teacher (Brazil): I usually show current events of the world through texts or interviews from the internet. In my classroom, we discuss and express our opinions through debates.
Why did you apply for the ILEP program?
Rose Brown, English Teacher (Ohio): I applied for the ILEP teacher exchange as a direct result of my positive experience hosting ILEP teachers within my school. I benefitted so much from my personal and professional interactions with the international ILEP teachers. I used this opportunity to really grow as a professional.
Diana Garvey, EFL Teacher (Ohio): As a teacher of English as a second language who has never lived abroad, I thought it was essential that I experience immersion in a new culture and language. I thought it would help me empathize with and understand how my students feel when they arrive in the US.
Marwa Saleh, EFL Teacher (Egypt): A teacher needs to be exposed to new experiences and situations or else, she can lose her edge and teaching can become just another boring job that one does for a living. What better way to do this than be exposed to a new culture all together? Learning new teaching methodologies, curriculum writing and teaching strategies made me a better teacher.
What was the most memorable moment of your ILEP program experience?
Sri Maryati: Being part of American classroom, sharing with the teachers and talking with the students.
Diana Garvey: I was astounded that Brazilians of all ages and with varying levels of English proficiency made the effort and took the time to come simply to meet me and hear me speak English. 
Joselia Batista Santos: The most memorable was the opportunity to meet different teachers in one big group and see how they are committed to education, since education is the basis of a better world.
What advice would you give to a teacher who is interested in international education?
Harold Scott: Do your research, branch out and meet people from various cultures, visit or experience various aspects of that culture (food, clothing books, movies, etc).
Diana Garvey: There are resources available to help you get started and getting involved will change you. Getting involved in international education doesn’t necessarily mean adding more to the curriculum. It might mean looking at the same things in the curriculum from different perspectives. It can mean finding resources to tap into those varied perspectives.
How has your ILEP program experience impacted your students?
Rose Brown: I have gained authority in the eyes of my students. It is much easier to discuss world culture and literature now that the students see me as a concerned global scholar with experience rather than a teacher who uses only books as a source of reference and inspiration. I have more enthusiasm for my profession which will result in better teaching. 
Diana Garvey: I’m changed. I don’t view my own country the same way. I am less judgmental about differences. I feel more connected to the world.
Ahmed Alioui: As a matter of fact, there is a considerable difference between my teaching life before being an ILEP participant and after I had that exciting experience. In fact, it had a great impact on my teaching. This of course had a positive effect not only on my students, but also on a number of my colleagues. The new teaching methods, techniques, perspectives and views which I gained from my experience as an ILEP helped me improve my teaching and my students’ achievement of quality learning.
Marwa Saleh: Our students benefit in many ways especially when I talk to them about my experience in the United States. Although my students may think they know a lot of information about other countries, they are not really that aware of what it means to be in someone else’s shoes. Whenever I try to use a new teaching method that I have learned during my time in the States, I feel it is like a window for our students to see and learn more about their peers in the U.S and their educational system.
For the US teachers: What was it like having an international teacher share your classroom?
Rose Brown: Communication was, as usual, the key. I quickly learned that Marwa’s approach to teaching poetry and literature was the same as mine. My students benefited by seeing that literature study is the same world-wide. They also benefited by having Marwa as a cultural ambassador who was right there in front of them to answer their questions, speak a new language and question them on their beliefs and values. 
Zahida Mohamed: It was an opportunity for me to look at our practices here in the United States and the methods we use to teach English to our multicultural students and to compare our goals. Mr. Alioui was teaching students who did not have as many opportunities to listen to native English speakers. We could discuss our curriculum, our goals and where our students were headed after high-school graduation.
For the international ILEP Fellows: What was it like having a US teacher share your classroom?
Ahmed Alioui: It was great! All my students benefitted from Zahida’s visit, first, as a native speaker of English and, second, as a good teacher who managed to establish good rapport with all students and who reflected the true American personality and character. After she left our school, all my students missed her very much and now they hope to host another American teacher in the future.
Marwa Saleh: Our students gained in many ways because of Mrs. Brown’s visit. Although our students may think they know a lot of information about other countries, they are not really that aware of what it means to be in someone else’s shoes. Our students really needed to be exposed to people from different cultures and countries so that they can have more appreciation towards those countries. Having Mrs. Brown in our school was like a window for our students to see and learn more about their peers in the U.S. Not only was this a great learning experience for our students, but for our teachers as well.
What is the most important thing you learned during your ILEP program experience?
Harold Scott: Eighth graders have more in common than not. The students in India had the same interests (friends, games, Facebook) as those in the US.
Diana Garvey: Connecting with people on the other side of the globe is not as difficult or as complicated as it seems at first.
Joselia Batista Santos: The experience of meeting people from different parts of the world with the same objective: to improve their professional life in order to become a better teacher and help their students.
How do you plan to stay in touch with your ILEP partner teacher counterpart?
Sri Maryati: We let our students write letters to each other. The friendship of this young generation will become a good start to have an understanding and long-lasting relation of the two cultures.
Diana Garvey: We are already collaborating by having our students converse with each other using Skype. Joselia and I communicate through email. We are also collaborating on a small grant project and are designing a professional development conference for English teachers in Brazil.