In this week's episode, I chat with international educator and equity-driven leader Tiwana Merritt to explore how her journey from the track to the classroom has shaped her vision for transformative education. From her record-breaking days as a collegiate athlete to nearly two decades working in schools across Australia, China, and South Africa, Tiwana shares how the lessons of discipline, resilience, and teamwork continue to guide her approach to teaching, learning, and leading. She discusses her groundbreaking work in service-learning and community engagement, her reflections on racial identity and representation abroad, and what it means to be seen as a “cultural ambassador” while living and working globally. To learn more about Tiwana's work, you can follow her on LinkedIn. To learn more about Identity Talk Consulting and the professional development services that we offer, visit our website at https://identitytalk4educators.com. STAY CONNECTED WITH KWAME: 👉🏾 Instagram: / https://instagram.com/kwamtheidentityshaper 👉🏾 YouTube: / @kwamesarfo-mensah5785 👉🏾 LinkedIn: / https://linkedin.com/in/kwamesarfomensah LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: 👉🏾 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-talk-4-educators-live/id1509599570 👉🏾 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/23k0HRkXxi1OJSahtqS7xO SIGN UP FOR A E-COURSE WITH KWAME! 👉🏾 https://eduspark.world/profile/9312b128-7573-440d-8d78-fb24cc4fa066/creator SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDENTITY TALK NEWSLETTER! 👉🏾 https://identitytalk.kit.com/9e744003e9 READ MY BOOKS! 👉🏾 “Learning to Relearn” - https://www.routledge.com/Learning-to-Relearn-Supporting-Identity-in-a-Culturally-Affirming-Classroom/Sarfo-Mensah/p/book/9781625316226 👉🏾 “Shaping the Teacher Identity” - https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Teacher-Identity-Lessons-Define/dp/1723480835 VISIT THE IDENTITY TALK APPAREL SHOP! 👉🏾 https://the-identity-talk-apparel-shop.creator-spring.com/ TO SEND A DONATION: 👉🏾 CashApp - https://cash.app/$idtalk4ed 👉🏾 Venmo - https://venmo.com/u/kwamesm 👉🏾 PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kwamesm ____________________________________________________________________________________ Timestamps: 0:00-1:02 - Welcome to IDTALK4ED LIVE 1:03-3:32 - Podcast Subscription Reminders & Learning to Relearn Promo 3:33-5:50 - Introducing Tiwana Merritt 5:51-14:14 - Tiwana's Early Childhood & K-12 Journey in Education 14:15-16:57 - The Role of Sports in Tiwana's Life 16:58-21:14 - Living in Australia 21:15-22:14 - The Forum Promo 22:15-25:58 - Living in China 25:59-30:24 - Living in South Africa 30:25-38:27 - Service Learning in South Africa 38:28-39:26 - Identity Talk Consulting Promo 39:27-46:18 - Transitioning from South Africa; Inspiration for Sabbatical Journey 46:19-49:45 - Lessons Learned from International Teaching Career 49:45-52:21 - How do you stay true to the teacher in you? 52:22-53:24 - How to connect with Tiwana 53:25-53:58 - Thank Yous & Goodbyes BIO: Tiwana Merritt is a globally experienced educator, instructional coach, and equity advocate with nearly two decades of leadership in international schools across Australia, China, and South Africa. She most recently served as a Teaching and Learning Coach and PreK–12 Service Learning and Community Engagement Coordinator at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ), where she helps educators design identity-affirming, culturally responsive, and community-centered learning experiences. A proud Southern Oregon University Hall of Fame inductee and former All-American track and field athlete, Tiwana draws on her athletic background to inspire resilience, reflection, and teamwork in the classroom. Her professional work centers on reimagining service-learning through a justice-oriented lens—helping schools move beyond charity-based models to ones rooted in reciprocity, local empowerment, and equity. As a writer, speaker, and curriculum designer, Tiwana has co-authored frameworks that promote harm reduction and anti-bias practices in international school service-learning. Her voice has been featured on the Leading Equity Podcast and in publications highlighting global education, identity, and civic engagement. Passionate about developing globally conscious and socially responsible learners, Tiwana sees education as a lifelong journey of “crossing borders and finish lines”, a continuous pursuit of growth, purpose, and equity in every learning space she enters.

In this special return episode of Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE, I welcome back acclaimed educator, researcher, and author Zaretta Hammond for a powerful conversation about her writing journey and the ideas behind her latest best-selling book, "Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: Teaching for Instructional Equity and Cognitive Justice". Building on the legacy of her groundbreaking work, "Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain", Zaretta shares the inspiration, challenges, and reflections that shaped her newest release. Together, we explore what it truly means to help students reclaim their sovereignty as learners, the evolving role of educators in nurturing learning partnerships, and how schools can create environments that foster cognitive growth and independence. To learn more about Zaretta's work, you can visit her website at crtandthebrain.com or follow her on LinkedIn. To learn more about Identity Talk Consulting and the professional development services that we offer, visit our website at https://identitytalk4educators.com. STAY CONNECTED WITH KWAME: 👉🏾 Instagram: / https://instagram.com/kwamtheidentityshaper 👉🏾 YouTube: / @kwamesarfo-mensah5785 👉🏾 LinkedIn: / https://linkedin.com/in/kwamesarfomensah LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: 👉🏾 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-talk-4-educators-live/id1509599570 👉🏾 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/23k0HRkXxi1OJSahtqS7xO SIGN UP FOR A E-COURSE WITH KWAME! 👉🏾 https://eduspark.world/profile/9312b128-7573-440d-8d78-fb24cc4fa066/creator SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDENTITY TALK NEWSLETTER! 👉🏾 https://identitytalk.kit.com/9e744003e9 READ MY BOOKS! 👉🏾 “Learning to Relearn” - https://www.routledge.com/Learning-to-Relearn-Supporting-Identity-in-a-Culturally-Affirming-Classroom/Sarfo-Mensah/p/book/9781625316226 👉🏾 “Shaping the Teacher Identity” - https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Teacher-Identity-Lessons-Define/dp/1723480835 VISIT THE IDENTITY TALK APPAREL SHOP! 👉🏾 https://the-identity-talk-apparel-shop.creator-spring.com/ TO SEND A DONATION: 👉🏾 CashApp - https://cash.app/$idtalk4ed 👉🏾 Venmo - https://venmo.com/u/kwamesm 👉🏾 PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kwamesm ____________________________________________________________________________________ Timestamps: 0:00-1:03 - Welcome to IDTALK4ED LIVE 1:04-3:26 - Podcast Subscription Reminders & Learning to Relearn Promo 3:27-4:29 - Introducing Zaretta Hammond 4:30-10:49 - Why "Rebuilding Students' Learning Power" Was Written 10:50-15:04 - Navigating Pressures of Learning Goals & Pacing Guides 15:04-20:26 - The Impact of Assessments in the Pursuit of Cognitive Justice 20:27-21:25 - The Forum Promo 21:26-30:28 - The Role of Information Processing in Building Students' Learning Power 30:29-41:00 - Understanding Cognitive Apprenticeship 41:01-43:33 - What's the Goal of Education? 43:34-44:33 - Identity Talk Consulting Promo 44:34-59:39 - Combating the Anti-Intellectualism Trend in Our Schools 59:40-1:01:12 - Zaretta's Final Words 1:01:13-1:02:05 - How to connect with Zaretta 1:02:06-1:04:09 - Thank Yous & Goodbyes BIO: Zaretta Hammond is a national education consultant and the author of the best-selling book ⁠Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students⁠. She holds a Master’s in Education in English Education, with a concentration in Writing from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Zaretta is a former high school and community college expository writing instructor. She has also served as adjunct instructor at St. Mary’s College School of Education in Moraga, California, where she taught The Foundations of Adolescent Literacy. As a consultant, she has advised and provided professional development to school districts and non-profit organizations across the country around issues of equity, literacy, and culturally responsive teaching for the past 25 years. Zaretta brings a unique focus on neuroscience to the conversation about equity, literacy and culturally responsive pedagogy to make it understandable and practical for educators.

In this week's episode, I chat with Safirah Ibenana, founder and CEO of Breaking Grounds Group, to explore her remarkable journey from the classroom to the boardroom. Safirah shares how her early academic experiences and years teaching in international schools around the world shaped her vision for more equitable, student-centered education. From navigating cultural differences in global classrooms to identifying the systemic gaps that led her to launch Breaking Grounds Group, Safirah offers powerful insights into what it means to break barriers and redefine educational success. Listeners will gain a behind-the-scenes look at the formation of Breaking Grounds Group, learn about the transformative work her organization is doing to support students, educators, and institutions, and hear her reflections on leadership, identity, and purpose in education. To learn more about Safirah's work, you can visit the Breaking Grounds Group website at breakinggroundsgroup.com or follow her on LinkedIn. To learn more about Identity Talk Consulting and the professional development services that we offer, visit our website at https://identitytalk4educators.com. STAY CONNECTED WITH KWAME: 👉🏾 Instagram: / https://instagram.com/kwam_the_identity_shaper 👉🏾 YouTube: / @kwamesarfo-mensah5785 👉🏾 LinkedIn: / https://linkedin.com/in/kwame-sarfo-mensah LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: 👉🏾 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-talk-4-educators-live/id1509599570 👉🏾 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/23k0HRkXxi1OJSahtqS7xO SIGN UP FOR AN E-COURSE WITH KWAME! 👉🏾 https://eduspark.world/profile/9312b128-7573-440d-8d78-fb24cc4fa066/creator SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDENTITY TALK NEWSLETTER! 👉🏾 https://identitytalk.kit.com/9e744003e9 READ MY BOOKS! 👉🏾 “Learning to Relearn” - https://www.routledge.com/Learning-to-Relearn-Supporting-Identity-in-a-Culturally-Affirming-Classroom/Sarfo-Mensah/p/book/9781625316226 👉🏾 “Shaping the Teacher Identity” - https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Teacher-Identity-Lessons-Define/dp/1723480835 VISIT THE IDENTITY TALK APPAREL SHOP! 👉🏾 https://the-identity-talk-apparel-shop.creator-spring.com/ JOIN THE FORUM TODAY! 👉🏾 https://identitytalk4educators.com/pricing-plans/list TO SEND A DONATION: 👉🏾 CashApp - https://cash.app/$idtalk4ed 👉🏾 Venmo - https://venmo.com/u/kwamesm 👉🏾 PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kwamesm ________________________________________________________________________________________ Timestamps: 0:00-1:00 - Welcome to IDTALK4ED LIVE 1:01-3:31 - Podcast Subscription Reminders & Learning to Relearn Promo 3:32-5:10 - Introducing Safirah Ibenana 5:11-18:43 - Safirah's Early Years in Education & K-12 Journey 18:44-29:23 - Living & Teaching in Dubai 29:24-36:23 - Living & Teaching in Nigeria (Part 1) 36:24-37:22 - The Forum Promo Ad 37:23-43:12 - Living & Teaching in Nigeria (Part 2) 43:13-1:00:06 - The Formation of Breaking Grounds Group 1:00:07-1:02:46 - How do you stay true to the teacher in you? 1:02:47-1:04:43 - How to connect with Safirah 1:04:44-1:05:17 - Thank Yous & Goodbyes BIO: As an experienced educational consultant, Safirah Ibenana specializes in college counseling, tutoring, and corporate/teacher training to empower students, educators, and professionals to reach their full potential. With a background in Educational Management, her degree in English has helped several students through the US college admissions process find the right-fit schools and craft compelling applications. Her tutoring approach is personalized and results-driven, ensuring students build strong academic foundations while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Beyond student support, she provides corporate and teacher training to foster inclusive, innovative, and effective learning environments. Whether working with educators to decolonize curricula or equipping professionals with educational technology skills, her goal is to create meaningful change in education and beyond. She believes that every individual has a unique tale to tell, and she's here to ease your storytelling journey to positively impact your success.