ITP - 80: Dr. Renata McFarland

Greg: This is Greg coming to you from the International Teacher Podcast, and Kent is somewhere. I don’t know where Kent is—I’ve lost him. And I do have JP Mint on here with me. How you doing tonight, JP?

JP: Hello, good morning from Mexico.

Greg: That’s right—it’s good morning. And you know what, JP? This is going to be a great show. We have Renata McFarland on with us, and she is coming to us from the States. She’s in Key West right now, but she’s living in Boston. Did I say that right? Okay, I did say it right—Boston. Look, Boston, the radar detected. How are you, Renata?

Renata: I don’t speak like that. I don’t pack my car and have it yet.

Greg: Oh, you did that? Khakis. Welcome to the show. I got my khakis—my khakis.

Renata: Hi.

Greg: I’m so excited to have you on the show. I haven’t seen you for, well, probably a few months actually, it seems like we touched base. So, Greg—full disclosure—I know Renata. I worked with her for two and a half years in China, correct?

JP: And I reached out to her when we were looking for guests. And by the way, little plug: if you would like to come on the show, please visit itpexpat.com and sign up with our Calendly. So I reached out to Renata and said, “Any chance we could get you on the show?” And I harassed her for about eight months, and finally she said yes.

Greg: Yes, yes. Okay. Hey, can I be a guest next time? Just kidding. So, Renata, you know JP Mint, and the whole world does for some reason. I mean, we got her on here, she turned into our boss, and all of a sudden she knows the whole world. Kent and I are like, we don’t even have to do any work anymore. We just sit around and talk while JP does all of the inviting. So if anybody that knows JP comes on here, we have enough guests for the next couple of years. It’s going to be called the JP Mint Show. So, Renata, what are you joining us for tonight? I didn’t get a chance to talk to you like JP has. Can you give us—how about we do this a little bit differently—let’s just have a short version of how you got into international education and how you got to where you are now?

Renata: Yeah, sure. So, Greg, I am a product of expat parents. My parents worked for the Department of Defense. A little love story note—they met in Europe. My mother was a principal after the war. My father was a reading teacher. They eloped in Rome and moved to Panama. We have five brothers and sisters, so I lived overseas for almost 20 years. Those were the DoDDS schools, the Department of Defense schools.

Greg: Yeah, Department of Defense, right? And those are the schools we can sign up for as teachers from the States. You go somewhere in the world where we have a military base and teach military kids. Did you grow up on a military base?

Renata: Yes, I did. We grew up on military bases, and there were also residential areas for expats who worked there. As those bases grew, they needed schools, recreation, hospitals—so these communities were built. Panama was a very big one because of both the Atlantic and Pacific sides.

Greg: Yeah, that was an amazing experience. Full disclosure, Greg is also an Army brat.

Greg: Oh, so I’m a Navy brat. I’m a military brat, but more Navy. I didn’t grow up on military bases overseas. I lived in Germany when I was very young, but we lived with locals outside Heidelberg. But I’m interested to hear how that background led you into what you’re doing now.

Renata: So, little link between you and I—I was born in Munich, Germany. My whole life was working in this international community. I went to a Catholic school in Panama, and many expats brought their children there. I had friends from all over the world—Vietnam, Europe, Asia, Japan. When I moved back to the United States, there was political instability in Panama. The government was requiring teenagers to register for the military, and my mother said no. So we moved to Cape Cod. I went to school in Bridgewater and got my education degree. I started teaching in what we call gateway schools—schools with many immigrant and Spanish-speaking students. Spanish was always part of my life growing up, so that helped. When I married and had children, I hosted AFS exchange students, which kept my international connection alive. When my children got older, I began traveling more again. I started working for Endicott College, which had a Masters program in International Education in Madrid. I also had family ties there. That’s when I really felt drawn back into international work. Once I started teaching overseas and doing CIS accreditations, I knew this was in my blood. When my children finished college and I had divorced, I decided that was it—I was going back overseas. There was no turning back.

Greg: I’m speechless. Where do we even go after that?

Renata: You were a teacher—did you start teaching in different countries? Can you tell us some of the places you worked?

Renata: Yes. When I returned internationally, I was teaching in higher education after earning my doctorate. I taught in Madrid, Lausanne in Switzerland, Prague, and Thailand. Then I moved into Asia, starting in Indonesia at a founding school where I helped build early childhood programs and hire staff. After about two and a half years, I moved to China, where I met Jacqueline and worked at the Overseas Chinese Academy of Suzhou. I built programs, expanded leadership roles, and supported rapid growth. One of the best moments was seeing former students years later become colleagues.

Greg: That’s amazing.

JP: Greg always says international teaching is the smallest district in the world.

Greg: Let’s take a moment for a little commercial about how to get in touch with us. You can, of course, find all four of us at itpexpat.com. That’s [www.itpexpat.com](http://www.itpexpat.com). Or you can email us at [internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com](mailto:internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com). We look forward to hearing from you. If you’re into Facebook, we have a group at facebook.com/groups/ITPexpat where you can find all kinds of inside information about ITP Expat. You can also find us on Instagram at ITPExpats. That’s our handle. And thank you, listeners. We have over 100 countries represented. Though we’re not monetized, we are here for you, and we appreciate all of you for listening. Let’s get back to the show. Now let’s talk a little bit about what Renata is doing now. We’ve hinted about it, but I’d like to hear directly. How are you helping international education today?

Renata: I’m currently still working for Endicott College, and that’s been about 25 years. During that time, with the pandemic and when I took on larger leadership roles, there were periods when I wasn’t teaching, but I’m still involved in the Masters of International Education and Leadership programs. With my consulting business, I partner with colleagues I’ve met overseas to support teachers who reach out saying they need help navigating their roles. The pandemic really disrupted teaching practices. One of my recent webinars focused on behavior management before Chinese New Year. I worked alongside a learning specialist. I addressed leadership strategies, and she focused on classroom techniques. My next focus is early years literacy—helping teachers and parents reduce reliance on technology and build stronger reading habits. Right now, most of my support is in China and Indonesia, where teachers and middle leaders are looking for guidance.

Greg: One of the hardest things overseas as a teacher is the lack of professional development. When I started, there was very little support, and I didn’t always have mentors. Having someone to reach out to makes a big difference. It sounds like what you’re offering is exactly that—practical support from someone with real experience.

Renata: Exactly. And there’s also the challenge of whether teachers feel comfortable showing vulnerability. That’s why I emphasize professional learning communities and open conversations. I brought structured conversation protocols into schools, and many experienced teachers said they had never had those types of discussions before. It created a space where people could admit what they didn’t know and learn from each other.

JP: There’s something really powerful about having that kind of professional development in-house.

Greg: Absolutely. Watching other teachers, sharing ideas, and learning from colleagues can be just as valuable as external training.

Renata: One of the most successful strategies we used was instructional rounds—focusing on student learning rather than just teacher performance. That helped teachers collaborate and improve together.

Greg: That’s huge. And it sounds like something schools could bring you in to do directly.

Renata: Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing now—working with schools to support leadership and teacher development.

Greg: Before we wrap up, can you tell listeners how to get in touch with you?

Renata: Yes. I have a website—internationaleducationalconsultant.com—and I’m also available on LinkedIn under Dr. Renata McFarland. There’s a contact page on my website where people can reach me directly.

JP: We’ll put those links in the show notes.

Greg: Renata, thank you so much for joining us.

Renata: Thank you. It was a pleasure.

Greg: And we’ll see everyone next time.