Even after shifting to student-centered learning, it’s easy to fall into familiar routines: sparking a project, guiding students along, and quietly doing the heavy lifting ourselves. But what does it take to fully hand over the reins—and trust students to direct their own learning? In this episode, inquiry-driven educator Robynne Esther shares how she made that shift herself , and the practical tools she now uses to support real student independence, without sacrificing structure. From co-creati...
Jul 01, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 114
What if a single book could transform your life as an educator this Summer? Shifting burnout, boredom, and breakdown to BREAKTHROUGH. That's what these 5 📖 books did for me. One helped transform my uninspiring worksheets into student designed works of art- where no two products looked the same One helped unlock the magic formula for designing prompts that transformed disengaged learners into citizen scientists, authors, and budding engineers One helped transform preclusion into new possibility ...
Jun 17, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Is inquiry still too teacher-directed in your classroom, even when it’s framed as student-centered? You’re not alone. Many international educators find that despite good intentions, “inquiry” still looks like teacher-planned lessons with limited student agency. In this episode, I speak with Dawn York, Head of Hanoi International School, about how she and her team shifted from teacher-led inquiry to real student ownership. From launching a student-led middle school council to embedding project-ba...
Jun 10, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Starting a student-centered school or program but not sure how to find educators who can thrive in it? You’re not alone, and the answer isn’t just another job fair or standard posting. In this episode, I share the exact 3 shifts that helped me staff our brand-new Montessori Middle School with mission-aligned “unicorn” educators in less than three weeks . If you’re launching a new initiative or simply want to rethink how you hire, this will help you attract the right teachers: You’ll discover: Wh...
Jun 03, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Feel like project-based learning sounds powerful—but totally unrealistic in your packed curriculum and schedule? What if one small shift could open the door? In this episode, I talk with international educator, VIS Dean of Academic Affairs and social scientist Tristan Reynolds , who shares how he replaced a single unit test with a project—and saw student ownership, engagement, and reflection skyrocket. From rural Texas classrooms to interdisciplinary teaching in Taipei, Tristan walks us through ...
May 27, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 110
You want your students to take action but how do you actually empower them to lead real change? In this episode, I speak with Arlian Ecker , a 19-year-old environmental changemaker and co-founder of Plastic Free Boy , who has reached over 1.5 million students across 350 schools through film, storytelling, and action-based learning. From citizen science on the Great Barrier Reef to student-led plastic audits and five-year sustainability campaigns, Arlian shares what truly ignites youth agency and...
May 20, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 109
You’ve handed over choice, but you’re still doing the heavy lifting. Many well-intentioned student-led experiences fall flat—not because students can’t lead, but because they lack the structure, tools, and guidance to own the process. So how do we support self-directed learning without taking control back? In this episode, Laurence Myers, K–12 Service Learning and Self-Directed Projects Coordinator at the American School of Dubai, shares how his school builds true student ownership through purpo...
May 13, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 108
What if creating a student-centered classroom wasn’t about adding more—but about holding space for what’s already there? In this episode, I speak with movement and mindfulness educator Lawrence about what it means to create environments that center curiosity, personal exploration, and connection. From yoga studios and sound healing sessions to forest clearings and public parks, Lawrence shows us how to design space that invites—not directs—growth. As educators, we’re challenged to do the same in...
May 07, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 107
They say you can tell a lot about what a school values by looking at its timetable. What does yours say? If you’re trying to create more time for student-driven projects, real-world connections, and deeper learning, but your current schedule feels rigid and confining, this episode will show you a better way. It’s part two of our special monthly series on Building Student-Centered Schools. In this episode, I walk you through a hands-on exercise to design your dream student-centered schedule . No ...
Apr 30, 2025•10 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Trying to build more student agency—but feel boxed in by curriculum coverage? What if you didn’t have to choose between voice and academic rigor? In this episode, I sit down with Natalie Harvey, secondary principal at Beijing City International School (BCIS), to explore how her team is shifting culture around student agency while still honoring the demands of a rigorous curriculum. From co-creating a three-year vision to redefining personalization in the International Baccalaureate (IB) framewor...
Apr 22, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Feeling stuck planning projects across subjects? It's more common than you think. Without the right structures, interdisciplinary projects often feel messy, disconnected, and overwhelming — for both teachers and students. But what if a few small shifts could lead to more engaged students, stronger collaboration across subjects, and less stress for you? In this episode, I sat down with Ryan Murfield, Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary PRAXIS Program at the International School of Kuala Lumpur, ...
Apr 15, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 104
What if the real reason students aren't owning their learning... is because the data about their progress stays locked in a teacher's spreadsheet? In today’s episode, we tackle one of the biggest missed opportunities in education: when rich data about student learning stays hidden from the very people it matters to most — students. I sit down with Daniel Rosenberg from Otis to explore how giving students direct access to their learning data can radically personalize instruction, build real stude...
Apr 08, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 103
🎙️ What if your efforts as a leader to shift classroom practice were falling flat, not because of teacher resistance, but because of how change is being led? Studies show that only 30% of school change initiatives succeed . Often, it's because the teachers we support in shifting practice feel overwhelmed, unclear, or unsupported. But what if one simple changed that? In this episode, I talk with Raina, an instructional coach at Chiang Mai International School, who is leading a different kind of ...
Apr 01, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Ever been handed a blank sheet of paper to design your dream school—but felt totally overwhelmed by where to begin? You're not alone. This episode kicks off a special monthly series airing in the final week of each month on Building Student-Centered Schools Building Student-Centered Schools, where I take you behind the scenes of a real program I’m helping launch in Hong Kong. Each month, we’ll unpack a core design element—from staffing to space to schedule—starting with “S.” In this first episod...
Mar 26, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Struggling to make learning feel relevant and real for your students? What if shifting from classroom-based instruction to community-connected learning could spark deeper engagement—without adding to your workload? In this episode, I sit down with Lori, an expert in community-based STEM learning, to explore how shifting learning from the classroom to museums, libraries, and local spaces creates powerful, real-world experiences- especially in STEM. Lori shares practical strategies to bring your c...
Mar 18, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 100
What if you didn’t have to manage every student project—but guided students to lead their own? Too often, teachers in project-based learning feel like they have to run the show—juggling endless questions, guiding every decision, and holding all the details. But shifting from master to mentor can lighten your load and deepen student ownership. In this episode, we talk with Byron, an international educator and PBL program director, about how stepping back as a mentor creates space for students to ...
Mar 11, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 99
What if your students used what they're learning to tackle meaningful challenges- right in your classroom? If you've ever watched our students struggle with real-world problem-solving, you're not alone. Many are used to following directions—not thinking like innovators. But what if, through a simple shift in learning design, we could help them approach our subject like entrepreneurs, creators, and problem-solvers instead? In this episode, we sit down with Jobert Ingwenya, an experiential, entrep...
Mar 04, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 98
What if assessment wasn’t just about measuring learning—but actually deepened it? Traditional assessment often fails because it's something done to students rather than with them; leading to disengagement, surface-level work, and a lack of real ownership. Rigid rubrics, one-size-fits-all grading, and limited student input leave learners disconnected from their own progress, making assessment more about compliance than growth. But what if assessment could be different? Research shows that when st...
Feb 25, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Does Project-Based Learning Feel Overwhelming? AI Might Be the Key to Making It Work. For busy educators like us, it's been a struggle to effectively implement project-based learning (PBL) while balancing standards, time constraints, and assessment requirements. There simply aren't enough hours in the day. But what if AI could eliminate these barriers and make PBL more accessible than ever? In this episode, I sat down with Phil Alcock and Thom Markham, two leading innovators who are bridging the...
Feb 19, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 97
🎙️ What if your students didn’t just study academic standards—but took ownership of teaching them to peers? Too often, students see academic standards as something to memorize and repeat. But what if they engaged with them in a way that deepened understanding and made learning more meaningful? In this episode, we talk with Mara Simmons, Phd., an international educator, school founder and learning designer who has reimagined how students learn by shifting control of academic content to them. She...
Feb 11, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 98
🎙️ Is “letting go” the secret to student empowerment? For years, teachers have been told that structure, control, and direct instruction drive student success. But what if the opposite were true? In this episode, we sit down with Dan Jones , a veteran educator, 2x author, and student-centered champion who nearly left the classroom—until he discovered the power of flipping the script. He shares how shifting from teacher-led to student-initiated projects transformed engagement, reduced discipline...
Feb 04, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Is your classroom setup holding your international learners back? Traditional, teacher-centered layouts often stifle the creativity, collaboration, and cultural inclusivity needed for students to thrive—especially in our international schools. Outdated setups can act as barriers, preventing meaningful learning and student engagement. In this episode, I’ll share five simple shifts to redesign your learning spaces into vibrant, student-centered environments. Learn: 1️⃣ How to ditch the teacher des...
Jan 22, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 96
What do you think of when you hear the term 'learner agency?' You might envisage students having some "voice" and "choice" around what they learn, or where they sit in class. And while that's a nice start, learner agency is more than allowing students some choice in what they learn. It's about involving them in every step of the journey. Imagine a school with... 🙌🏼 Student- run electives. 🙌🏼 Seventy + student led businesses to carry out the school's day to day operations. 🙌🏼 Timetables tha...
Jan 01, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Do you still set New Year’s Resolutions? I used to—until I realized I broke nearly all of them by February. And I’m not alone. Research shows that 88% of people abandon their resolutions within the first two weeks! But there’s a far more powerful, research-backed method for casting your vision for Student-Centered Learning in 2025. This method has already helped me and over 2,000 educators achieve radical transformations in their classrooms. In this short bonus episode, I’ll share this simple, p...
Dec 18, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 92
"Feeling Overwhelmed by Running Your First Project with Learners?" 🎙️ You aren't alone. Moving from a teacher-centered to student-led environment takes a lot of courage. Bu what if all it required was a few simple shifts in what you already do? In this episode, three student-centered elementary teachers share the shifts, stories, strategies, and lessons learned from running their first student-centered projects. Learn how to overcome the three most common challenges: Keeping projects manageable...
Dec 11, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 91
How do you develop a student-centered secondary classroom with a packed curriculum, strict assessment guidelines, and an exam based culture? This is the dilemma Gisou Ravanbaksh faced when wanting to provide more agency to her students in her DP Psychology class. But through a few simple shifts in the learning process and audience for student work, her classroom came alive with students researching, developing, and exhibiting an authentic 'brain museum' they co-created from start to finish. Lear...
Nov 20, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 90
What happens to the classroom environment when you give students a real problem to address? That's what Dave Strudwick, former Teacher/Principal of Real School Budapest was wondering when he asked year 5 students to fuse literacy, multimedia, and fashion to "create a better world." His classroom transformed from a teacher-centered space to a real world design studio, with students taking on roles as sustainble fashion designers, and magazine publishers. Learn more about his transformation story ...
Oct 23, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 89
What learning opportunities exist beyond our classroom doors? That's the question that led school founder and student-centered educator Dr. Jane Shore on a community mapping expedition with her high school students in Philadelphia. Through a simple 5-step process, they uncovered community stories, built strategic connections, and forged long term learning partnerships that would give learning in the classroom new purpose and meaning. This 'ecosystem map' became their North Star. Hear Jane's stor...
Oct 08, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 88
What do grades tell students about their learning? Are they even helpful? Even though evidence suggests grades are a poor motivator for student learning, we still use them in our classrooms to evaluate learning. But there's a much better way to not only evaluate learning, but track learner GROWTH and PROGRESS. In this highly engaging episode recorded live at my Book Launch Party , Gary Heidt takes us through his journey of replacing grades in his classroom with portfolios and presentations of le...
Sep 25, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 86
With AI able to fill out worksheets, write five paragraph essays, craft short stories, or pen reports in seconds, the impetus for inspiring original, real-world work couldn't be greater. How as student-centered faciltiators do we support students in producing the kind of work that they find PERSONALLY meaningful and beautiful? Helping them find THEIR unique, personal voice. In this groubreaking episode, recorded live at our 12 Shifts launch party, Matthew Neylon, Creative Director at Mt. Vernon ...
Sep 18, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 85
