I have spent most of my life at school in one form or another. After finishing my years as a student, I found I missed the classroom so much I became a teacher. Over my career, I have taught in twelve countries (from Australia to Vietnam) and worked with students from kindergarten to post-graduate levels, and from state institutions to private corporations. It became a source of interest to me how learners and educators across the entire educational spectrum face similar challenges. As a researcher, I am interested in how educators can be helped to achieve success in their professional work. To do this, I find I work best with qualitative data: it offers a rich and varied window into the lived experiences of our complex world. My research has been published in such prestigious journals as Applied Linguistics and Reflective Practice.