Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Rottschafer.
Hi Paige, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In January of 2020, I was leaving my teaching job in Galapagos and could feel a sense of unknown with what I really wanted next. As I usually do with work breaks, I was volunteering and traveling, that time in Colombia, when everything shut down. I took a humanitarian flight back to Michigan, where I was born, despite spending the previous 6 years teaching and traveling internationally, with a few stateside quests in between. I was working at beach park, where I walked for hours each day through the dunes, still unsure what I was going to do in such a strange time of the world. I accepted a virtual teaching position for fourth grade. When they gave me the schedule, they said I could have a 20 minute morning meeting. I knew I needed to make that time count to bring classroom connection. As I was walking the dunes one day it hit me— “Wake Up World” — would be my morning meeting focus, sharing not only my global experiences, but my friends around the world. I started reaching out to people and making posts on social media to collect 5-minute videos, where people would simply talk about themselves. As basic as that sounds, my class was unraveling topics like marine conservation, working abroad, Native American history, military, balancing college sports and academics, studying abroad, family history and migration, starting charities, homelessness, island farming, working alone in northern Canada, and so much more. The students realized how many ways there are to live and think! These 20-minute morning meetings became blatantly obvious how impactful our time, energy, and effort is to connect with others, learn our own opinions along the way, think differently, communicate with an open mind, and…? Connect to curriculum! Through traveling eyes, the learning objectives bridge real-world experiences, and I noticed how their reading, writing, and presentation skills began to improve drastically. By the end of the year, I had only seen my students in person twice, only once as a group, yet we were so close because we had talked about such diverse life experiences every single day for an entire school year! In a very lonely time of isolation, the global community showed up, and I was incredibly inspired.
From there, I applied for a masters program called Social Innovation for Sustainable Development at ITCILO in Torino, Italy (a sub campus of the United Nations). I was accepted and thrown into a new world, from teaching online to learning online, with colleagues from around the world. Learning about global development and business opportunities, integrating topics such as policy, technology, innovation, and more, I had decided for my thesis to start an educational business, with the goal to scale the videos to teachers and parents around the world and do workshops with schools and families in-person. I created courses while continuing to work and travel. At this point, I have taught/mentored in 11 countries (Australia, China, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Ecuador, Fiji, the United States, Indonesia, and Mexico) and traveled to more than 40. Preparing teachers and families to engage with modern education comes with communication with people around the world, given our access and how interconnected our world now is. I want to empower students to find their voice and global curiosity, and for K-8 parents and teachers to bridge the academic world with the real world. The business is now called Expat Education, exposing a not-so-talked-about-lifestyle (expat — someone living outside of their country of citizenship) while bringing to life a more fulfilling education, because the kids start to see themselves in the world around them— relating to people, rethinking ideas, and developing their communication skills to engage with others, whether they look or think alike or not. We live in a world full of options— homeschooling, world schooling, virtual schooling, public schooling, private schooling, and more. The option to be prepared for a changing world comes through experience and conversation, and I’m excited to immerse in and support global communities to uplift K-8 education.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road! As someone who loves to travel (and not do much screen time), I have had to adjust to teach online, learn online, create online, and share online. Despite knowing the core of my business and purpose, figuring out marketing, networking, and technology platforms has taken a lot of time, especially when I move frequently and in the meantime, finding new jobs, new housing, new communities, and new lifestyles. Teaching and traveling are my two passions though, and so the efforts are always worth it. I’ve grown even more resilient by reorienting my direction to make the business work. Just as one specific example, the business was originally called Wake Up World, and when I went to trademark it, a company in Europe threatened to sue me about the name, and I dropped it. I knew the name wasn’t the most important part, and so a lot of the struggles have been prioritizing how I grow personally and professionally to make the outcome possible— providing modern, authentic educational resources for K-8 families and schools around the world. A common struggle has been working through strategies with social media and engagement, but the biggest struggle is the mindset shifting that needs to happen in schools and households to prepare kids for a changing world. That comes with practice and with conversation. My business is focused on Global Conversations through mentorship, and despite the slow and steady journey, it has been a very fulfilling and character-building process!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most proud of taking opportunities around the world and building a business that’s so personal, yet bigger than myself and globally impactful. My lifestyle shows very candidly how to deal with change, uncertainty, and growth. While building this business, I have worked as a teacher, a server, a housekeeper, a cashier, and a nanny— jobs which bring to light the need for people skills and openness to perspective and experiences. I am most proud of my ability to keep adapting. I love to go to new places and meet new people, and merging my world between business and lifestyle has been a rewarding process. What sets me apart from others is my movement. Even if I live somewhere, every day is different so that I can take in all that’s around me before leaving for the next place. This means I’m observant, active, and constantly in flow to create and find purpose in the learning moments. Showing students, families, and educators the inside world of traveling while encouraging global mentorship will undoubtedly change someone’s connection and scope of themselves and others.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Work with me!
– Coaching (online for teachers & parents to support Global Conversation integration)
– Courses (virtually live or recorded, K-8 focus)
– Workshops / PD (in-person or online)
Email: paige@expat.education
My work explores communication skills and critical thinking through real-world topics including global education, social innovation, intercultural learning, travel, global citizenship, personal growth, taking opportunities, meaningful communication, sustainable development, and the ways education can help individuals better understand and engage with an increasingly interconnected world.
Support:
Follow @ex.pat.ed on Instagram!
YouTube series coming soon — @expateducation
Refer Expat Education for K-8 schools and families. Be part of the educational shift 🙂
Collaborate:
I’m always excited to meet new people and collaborate! Please reach out — paige@expat.education
Pricing:
- $30 for recorded Global Conversation Video Module • K-8 focus; 30 videos, including Digital Mentors, flexible conversation structure, and an inside look at traveling with Paige across Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia!
- $50 for recorded Meaningful Conversations with Children Blueprint: Vocabulary Basics — K-4 focused; an academic approach to understanding curriculum with real-world examples.
- Sliding scale $ coaching, live courses, and workshops.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.expat.education
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ex.pat.ed
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1C8RwhrRm2/
- LinkedIn: https://Www.linkedin.com/in/expateducation
- Youtube: https://Www.youtube.com/expateducation
- Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ex.pat.ed
