What if you didn't have to wait for your whole school to change before creating learning that better prepares students for the future?

In this episode of the Student-Centered Shifts, I sit down with education scholar Dr. Yong Zhao to explore a bigger vision for what school could become. From strengths-based education and human interdependence to curriculum, assessment, equity, and AI, they challenge some of the assumptions that continue to shape schools—and ask what might happen if we designed learning around the uniqueness of each student instead.

We explore:

• Why strengths-based education requires us to rethink more than just classroom instruction
• How schools can loosen curriculum constraints while still maintaining academic expectations
• Why equity doesn't necessarily mean giving every learner the same experience
• How courageous educators and leaders like you can begin experimenting with new models without waiting for whole-system change

For international school leaders and educators thinking seriously about what needs to change—and what's possible—this conversation offers both a challenge and an invitation: stop waiting for the entire system to transform and start creating new possibilities now.

Learn more about Yong Zhao: https://zhaolearning.org/

Get the 12 Shifts Book: 'Where Is The Teacher'

Dr. Yong Zhao's Bio:

Dr. Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas. He previously served as the Presidential Chair, Associate Dean, and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership. Prior to Oregon, Yong Zhao was University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. Additionally, he worked as a professor of educational leadership in the Faculty of Education at University of Melbourne and senior researcher at the Mitchell Institute of Victoria University in Australia. He was a visiting Global Professor at University of Bath and a visiting scholar at Warwick University in the UK.

He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and a fellow of the International Academy of Education.

Yong Zhao has received numerous awards including the Early Career Award from the American Educational Research Association, Outstanding Public Educator from Horace Mann League of USA, Distinguished Achievement Award in Professional Development from the Association of Education Publishers, ACEL Nganakarrawa Award, and AECT 2022 Outstanding Digital Learning Artifact Award and AECT Distinguished Development Award. He has been recognized as one of the most influential education scholars.

Ever introduced a promising student-centered initiative, only to watch the momentum fade once the PD ends?

I've seen schools invest in new programs, professional development, curriculum, and technology with the hope of transforming learning. But lasting change doesn't happen simply because we introduce another initiative. It happens when we build the capacity of the people responsible for bringing that change to life.

In this episode of Student-Centered Shift, I sit down with returning guest Dr. Mari Simpson, leadership consultant and author of her new book, Built for Capacity. Drawing from her experience leading a three-year school transformation, Marie shares what it really takes to move student-centered change from an exciting idea to everyday practice—and why building teacher capacity needs to come before adding another initiative.

Together, we explore how to:

• Diagnose what's actually getting in the way of change before jumping to another solution.
• Move beyond one-off PD by giving teachers opportunities to practice, collaborate, receive feedback, and grow over time.
• Build teacher ownership by giving educators the permission and support to lead change themselves.
• Use project-based learning and student-centered practices to create greater engagement, ownership, and purpose for learners.

If you're an international educator or school leader trying to move from teacher-led instruction to more active, student-centered learning, this conversation will help you think differently about how change actually happens.

Get the Book, 'Built for Capacity,' for capacity building in your school.

Get, 'Where is The Teacher: 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments' for Classroom Shifts.

Mari's Bio:

Dr. Mari Simpson is a leadership strategist, author, international inspector, speaker, and founder of Built for Capacity. For more than 22 years, she has led and developed people across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, building stronger teams, systems, and cultures through periods of growth and change.

Her work is rooted in a practical idea: leadership is not about doing more yourself. It is about building the capacity of others to lead, perform, and grow.

Mari is the author of Built for Capacity and host of Fueling Capacity, where she speaks with leaders from around the world at different stages of their journey.

Today, she works across leadership development, consulting, speaking, conferences, and leadership recognition initiatives, with one clear focus: helping people grow their capacity to lead.

Have you ever put students into groups, asked them to collaborate, and then watched the whole thing fall apart? One student takes over, others disengage, ideas get shut down, and no one seems quite sure who's responsible for what. The problem isn't necessarily the group—it's that effective collaboration needs to be taught.

In this episode of The Student-Centered Shift, you'll discover a practical way to build those skills by co-creating collaboration norms with your students instead of handing them a list of rules. Through simple, hands-on activities, students experience effective teamwork firsthand and use those experiences to define what great collaboration looks like.

You'll discover how to help students:

• Build on each other's ideas instead of shutting them down
• Divide roles and responsibilities so everyone has a part
• Hear different perspectives and navigate disagreement
• Reach consensus and take greater ownership of how their team works

If you want students to become more independent, constructive, and confident collaborators, this episode gives you a simple approach you can put into practice with your next group task. Listen in and discover how co-created norms can turn group work into high-functioning teamwork.

Get the 12 Shifts For Student Centered Environments Book: 'Where is the Teacher'

Wondering if your students will succeed in projects when you stop leading every step? Or worried that giving them more independence will lead to less learning?

In this episode, I reconnect with Nikola, a former student from High Tech High who is now a mechanical engineer, to reflect on the student-centered experiences that continue to shape his work nearly two decades later.

From designing an interactive science exhibit for a local museum to leading engineering projects today, Nikola shares why authentic projects, student choice, and real-world audiences taught him far more than content alone.

You'll learn:

• How stepping back helps students step up
• How authentic projects build lasting problem-solving and collaboration skills
• Why student choice creates deeper engagement and ownership
• How failure and iteration prepare students for life beyond school
• How to use AI as a thinking partner—not a replacement for thinking

If you are an international educator and have ever wondered whether student-centered learning is worth the time and trust it requires, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: students often grow the most when we create the conditions for them to lead.

Trying to create a more student-centered classroom—but feeling constrained by curriculum, assessment, or time?

In this episode, the tables are turned as I'm interviewed by Dan from Future Anything about the simple shifts that transformed my own teaching—from traditional instruction to classrooms where students ask better questions, lead meaningful discussions, and take ownership of their learning. Together, we unpack practical strategies that any teacher can begin using immediately, regardless of curriculum or grade level.

Through stories from High Tech High, international schools, and classrooms around the world, I share how small changes -like starting with compelling questions instead of content, redesigning learning spaces for collaboration, involving students in co-design, and creating authentic audiences—can dramatically increase student engagement, agency, and deeper learning.

You'll learn:

• Why student agency starts with small classroom shifts, not complete curriculum redesigns
• Simple ways to increase student voice, choice, and ownership without sacrificing academic rigor
• How project-based learning and inquiry become more meaningful when students help shape the learning
• Practical strategies for co-designing learning experiences, discussions, and assessments with students
• How to overcome common barriers like time, curriculum constraints, and leadership buy-in

Whether you're just beginning your journey toward student-centered learning or looking to deepen the agency already present in your classroom, this conversation offers practical ideas that can help you move from passive participation to active ownership.

Get the 12 Shifts Book for 40% off: 'Where Is The Teacher: 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments'

Feeling like your students are becoming more disengaged, dependent, or resistant as they move into adolescence? Wondering how to build genuine independence without constantly reminding, managing, or motivating them?

In this episode, I sit down with Jan and Rhonda, two experienced Montessori adolescent guides, to explore a radically different model of middle school education. Instead of relying on grades, compliance, and teacher direction, their students spend each day tackling meaningful work, managing real responsibilities, and contributing to a community that depends on them. The result is a learning environment where motivation grows from purpose—not pressure.

From students planning weekly meals and managing budgets to caring for farms, leading projects, and solving real problems together, you'll discover how authentic responsibility transforms adolescent learners. Along the way, Jan and Rhonda explain why teenagers need meaningful work, trusted relationships, and opportunities to contribute if we want them to become confident, capable young adults.

You'll learn:

• Why traditional schooling often misunderstands the developmental needs of adolescents
• How meaningful work and real responsibility naturally increase motivation and independence
• Practical ways to build student ownership without giving up structure or support
• Why mixed-age communities and authentic contribution develop confidence, collaboration, and leadership
• How shifting from teacher control to purposeful guidance helps adolescents thrive

Whether you teach in a traditional, IB, project-based, or Montessori classroom, this episode will challenge the way you think about adolescence—and offer practical ideas for creating more student-centered learning environments where teenagers feel trusted, capable, and motivated to contribute.

Get the Book: Where Is The Teacher: 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments

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Students using AI to avoid thinking? Wondering how to create learning experiences that can't simply be generated with a chatbot?

In this episode, I sit down with Coach Mark, veteran educator and project-based learning leader from Hawai'i, to explore why the rise of AI makes project-based learning more important than ever. We discuss how authentic, community-connected projects move students beyond memorization and into the kind of deep thinking, creativity, and problem-solving that AI can support—but never replace.

Through stories from High Tech High, environmental advocacy projects, and student-led AI initiatives, Coach Mark shares how learners tackled real issues like water quality in Hawai'i and Papua New Guinea while using technology to extend their thinking rather than outsource it. He also recounts a candid moment when students admitted they only use AI to complete "stupid assignments"—a powerful reminder that meaningful work still matters.

You'll learn:

• Why project-based learning is one of the best ways to prepare students for an AI-driven future
• How to design authentic tasks that require real thinking, collaboration, and creativity
• Practical ways to use AI as a thinking partner instead of a shortcut
• Why involving students in conversations about AI leads to better policies and stronger ownership
• How deeper learning experiences help students apply knowledge to real-world challenges that actually matter

If you're trying to create student-centered classrooms where AI enhances learning instead of replacing it, this episode will challenge the way you think about technology, assessment, and the future of education.

The best defense against AI misuse isn't banning it—it's designing learning that's too meaningful to fake.

Mark's Bio: Dr. Mark Hines is a prominent educational leader and Director of the Kupu Hou Academy at the Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, Hawai'i, where he has taught and led for over four decades. He is widely recognized for championing Project-Based Learning (PBL), Deeper Learning practices, and progressive educational models.

Kupu Hou Academy: https://www.midpac.edu/the-center/kupu-hou-academy

Get 'Where is The Teacher': 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Teacher-Kyle-Wagner/dp/1032484713

Do your students constantly ask, "What do I do next?" Feeling like you have to manage every detail for projects to succeed?

In this episode, I take you inside two real student exhibitions—from upper elementary passion projects to middle school independent studies—to show what happens when students are given ownership of their learning. Through interviews with the learners themselves, you'll hear how peer experts, community mentors, authentic audiences, and simple teacher supports empowered students to tackle ambitious projects with confidence.

From writing novels with published authors to learning skateboard tricks from local coaches and turning beach trash into artwork for charity, these stories reveal that the teacher's role isn't to have all the answers—it's to build the conditions for students to find them.

You'll learn:

• How to help students find peers and mentors instead of relying on the teacher for every answer
• Why combining passion, purpose, and projects leads to deeper engagement and ownership
• Simple ways to scaffold project-based learning without taking control away from students
• How authentic audiences and exhibitions raise the quality of student work
• The teacher moves that build independence while still providing the structure students need

If you're trying to shift from teacher-led instruction to student-centered, project-based learning, this episode offers practical strategies you can implement immediately to help learners become more independent, motivated, and capable.

The goal isn't to do less as a teacher—it's to create the conditions where students can do more.

Get the 12 Shifts Book for Student-Centered Environments: 'Where Is The Teacher?'

'Where Is The Teacher' (40% off)