On her first day at Palm Lane in Phoenix, Arizona, Nad Santos sat in a classroom and watched one of her new coworkers teach. Everything felt different—the environment, the methods, the expectations. As she observed the lesson, one thought crossed her mind:
“I would never be able to teach like she was teaching.”
What makes that moment remarkable is that Nad was not a new teacher. She had already spent 16 years teaching at the same school in Brazil, where she knew the curriculum, understood the educational system, and felt confident in the classroom. She had come to the United States looking for a professional challenge, but suddenly, years of experience were meeting an entirely new educational and cultural environment.
That first day would become the starting point of a much bigger journey—one of adaptation, resilience, family, cultural exchange, and community. Nad would have to learn new ways of teaching while building a new life thousands of miles from home. And the teacher who once wondered whether she could adapt would eventually be recognized as Teacher of the Year at Palm Lane.
Learning a New Educational System, Little by Little
The differences extended far beyond the classroom itself. Nad had to become familiar with new platforms and tools, instructional strategies, lesson planning, student data and score tracking, small-group instruction, reteaching, and different ways of communicating with families. Even after 16 years in education, there was an enormous amount to learn.
But Nad’s adaptation was gradual. She describes herself learning everything “little by little,” a phrase that almost becomes a theme throughout her story. Looking back, that is also the advice she would give to another international teacher entering a new school system: take your time, understand that there will be many things to learn, and recognize that even an experienced teacher can need time to adapt when the context changes.
“Be patient with yourself. And you’re going to make it.”
Part of that patience also meant becoming comfortable asking questions. Nad emphasizes that international teachers should not be afraid to ask for help and recommends having someone they trust when questions arise. For her, asking questions wasn’t a reflection of how much—or how little—she knew as an educator. It was simply part of learning how a new school, community, and country worked.
Building a New Life While Her Family Was Still in Brazil
At the same time Nad was adapting professionally, she was going through an equally significant transition personally. When she first arrived in the United States, her husband and three children remained in Brazil. They spoke every day, but as Nad explains, “it’s not the same.” Her family would eventually join her four months later.
Those first months gave Nad time to begin building the foundations of their new life. She needed to find somewhere to live, handle the practical realities of living in another country, and become more confident about what was expected of her at school. By the time her family arrived, she had a home and a much clearer understanding of her new educational environment. Two processes had been happening simultaneously: Nad was learning a new way of teaching while also learning how to build a life in a new country.
And she wasn’t navigating all of it by herself. Nad remembers having an IAG mentor who checked in with her every week to make sure she was doing okay, something she describes simply as “very helpful.” Support also came organically from the people around her at Palm Lane. Coworkers regularly checked on her, asked whether she needed anything, and over time some of those colleagues became friends—friendships that continue today.
Finding Community Far From Home
One of the most human moments Nad remembers happened outside the classroom. She had arrived near the end of September, and as fall breaks and the holiday season approached, her coworkers began asking about her plans. They invited her to spend time with them during Thanksgiving and Christmas because, as Nad understood it, they wanted to make sure she didn’t feel alone.
Those gestures mattered.
“It was very cool to see. I felt very welcome.”
This sense of community became an important part of Nad’s cultural exchange experience. But becoming part of an American community never meant leaving her Brazilian identity behind. At home, Nad and her family continue speaking Portuguese because maintaining their language and their connection with family is important to them. They cook Brazilian food, tell Brazilian jokes and, in Nad’s words, “have fun the Brazilian way.”
That balance is one of the most meaningful aspects of cultural exchange: experiencing and learning from another culture while continuing to share and celebrate your own.
How Cultural Exchange Changed Her as a Teacher
Over time, Nad began noticing that the experience wasn’t simply changing how she lived; it was changing how she taught.
At Palm Lane, Nad works with students from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Having gone through her own process of adapting to a new language, culture, school system, and community has given her a different perspective when she sees students facing similar challenges. She understands how difficult language barriers can feel, how unfamiliar a different culture can be, and how adjustment can affect a student both at home and at school.
“I think I can be more supportive because I went through this process,” she explains. Her own experience as an international teacher has therefore become part of what she brings back to her students every day.
Her principal sees that impact as well. She describes Nad as an educator who goes above and beyond to build relationships with her students, creating a classroom where they feel comfortable and safe. She also highlights Nad’s work as a science teacher and the way she connects real-life situations and her international experiences with classroom learning, helping students engage with her lessons in a meaningful way.
From Culture Shock to Teacher of the Year
Perhaps nothing illustrates Nad’s journey better than comparing her first day at Palm Lane with where she is today.
The teacher who once sat in another classroom wondering whether she would ever be able to teach in this new environment was later named Teacher of the Year at Palm Lane. Nad still speaks about the recognition with disbelief and gratitude. When she thinks back to how challenging everything felt when she first arrived, the achievement carries an even deeper meaning.
“I’m so grateful. And I still can’t believe it.”
But perhaps the most powerful recognition isn’t the award itself. Nad’s principal describes her as one of the hardest-working teachers on campus and acknowledges what it meant for Nad to move her family and become part of their school community. She ends with a statement that beautifully captures how far Nad’s journey has come: “Ms. Santos is our community now.”
More Adaptable. More Resilient.
When Nad reflects on what this experience has taught her about herself, she says she discovered that she was more adaptable and more resilient than she had realized. She believes the experience has made her better not only as a teacher, but also as a person. And she doesn’t romanticize the process: she openly acknowledges that it has been challenging and continues to require hard work. Still, knowing everything she knows today, she says she would do it all again.
That honesty is also present in the advice she gives other international teachers. Nad doesn’t promise that adapting to another country or educational system will be easy. Instead, her message is about patience, courage, faith, and being willing to put in the work.
And perhaps the best way to end her story is in her own words:
“Keep your faith. Be brave. Come. Do your best. And your hard work will introduce you.”
That is the true essence of cultural exchange. It is never just about bridging a distance on a map; it is about the quiet courage to grow, to share your heritage while embracing a new world, and to transform unfamiliar hallways into home. Today, Nad isn’t just an educator at Palm Lane—she is the living proof that when dedication meets an open community, barriers disappear, and learning becomes universal.
