The participants were asked to draw up the profile of a globally aware teacher. First, they mentioned characteristics of global citizens, such as tolerance, empathy, and being critical, but when asked about how it can be seen in the classroom, they gave more detailed answers. According to Ráhel, a globally competent teacher is someone willing to experience another culture or other cultures and immerse themselves in that culture. As an example, she mentioned living in a Black American community, in an LGBTQ+ community or working with Persian students. If they have experienced that, then whenever they talk about this topic, it comes naturally to them, so they can be authentic in their role. The tutors agreed that the fact that someone is a globally aware teacher is manifested in the atmosphere they create. As Magda saw it, if someone is globally competent, it is a background factor that permeates the whole atmosphere of the class: the students feel what the teacher’s worldview is even if she only communicates it in half sentences. She gave the following example: “They do not make racist comments… they don’t make fun of people… neither individuals nor groups of people” (T/SM-17). She went on by saying that a globally competent teacher is a humanist, they are tolerant of learners’ otherness and humorous in the sense that they can even treat difficult situations using humour.

Both Ráhel and Kristóf mentioned that globally competent teachers involve their students in experiential learning activities and through teachable moments open their students’ eyes to the reality they live in. Ráhel explained it through the following example: an acquaintance was Skyping her from Iran during class and all her students (who have never really been outside their town) wanted to see her because “they don’t know how many heads she has” (T/SR-10). In her own words,

 

In summary, the participants believe that globally competent teachers are global citizens first. They also think that such teachers have specific characteristics which are visible in the classroom: they are authentic, they create a democratic and inclusive atmosphere, they involve their students in decision-making, and they are critical educators, who do not teach their students what to think but enable them to think. Finally, they bring critical topics into their classes and they involve their students in experiential learning.