The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning

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-based learning across grades 6–10, Dawn shares how to design structures that make student-led learning stick — even in a busy international curriculum.

You'll discover:

• How to carve time out of the timetable for student-led PBL

• Why teacher-led inquiry still dominates (and how to shift it)

• Strategies to build buy-in through teacher leadership, not compliance

• What motivates students when grades and gold stars are removed

• How PBL transforms student ownership, even for neurodiverse learners

If you're ready to move beyond surface-level inquiry and build classrooms where students truly lead their learning, this episode offers both inspiration and practical tools.

Connect with Daun: LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/daun-yorke-469b9540/

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

Daun's Bio: Steering Hanoi International School with a steadfast commitment to educational excellence, Daun's role as Head of School for 2.5 years has been marked by fostering an environment where staff development and instructional design thrive. Her expertise in creating sustainable educational ecosystems positions our team at the forefront of progressive education management. As a Professional Development Lead Educator at The International Baccalaureate for nearly a decade, Daun has honed her skills in educational leadership, ensuring that each initiative contributes significantly to our global mission. Her organization's recognition as a #Edruptor of 2022 reflects our collective efforts to innovate and inspire within the international education landscape.

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:

• Why the traditional job description fails for student-centered roles

• How to build a visual, values-driven educator profile that attracts the perfect candidates

• Smarter ways to share your opportunity (that attract the right candidates)

• How to go beyond interviews and actually see how applicants think and teach

This is the blueprint for recruiting educators who do more than fill a role, they bring your vision to life. Listen in, and have a whiteboard ready.

Link to the Sample Educator Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kwagssd3_educationalleadership-schoolleadership-activity-7307687237410795521-P7ll/

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 the simple mindset and planning shifts that helped PBL work within, not outside of, school structures.

It's a refreshing look at how real change happens—not through an overhaul, but through intentional, evidence-based experimentation.

You'll learn:

• How one teacher redesigned a single assessment and sparked student agency

• What student data revealed about deeper learning and engagement

• How interdisciplinary collaboration builds momentum for school-wide change

• Why project-based learning can fit within your constraints—not fight against them

Ready to see how one small step can unlock student-centered learning in your setting? This episode shows you the shift in action.

Connect with Tristan: Instagram, LinkedIn

Data Studies Around Benefits of PBL on Learning: Wide Scale Studies

Tristan's Bio: Tristan Reynolds is an educator and writer who focuses on international best practices in education and the impacts of globalization on education. As an experienced international educator, he understand the importance of creating schools which support celebrating different cultures, and which cultivate a cosmopolitan attitude in students. Tristan's work helps build a clearer picture of how to help students and teachers move beyond local limits to education. He holds an M.S.Ed. from Johns Hopkins University, American and British teaching & administration licensures, and is a 2021 Teach For America alum.

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 how educators can help nurture it.

If you've ever wondered how to move from structured lessons to real student-led action, this conversation offers a powerful starting point.

You'll learn:

• Why storytelling, not frameworks, is the spark that sustains youth-driven work
• How students build resilience, empathy, and global citizenship through project ownership
• How to support changemaking without needing to be the expert
• What makes peer-to-peer learning more powerful than adult-led initiatives

Learn to shift from guiding student action to growing student changemakers.

Connect with Arlian: Linkedin (@arlian-ecker), Instagram (@plasticfreeboy),

Learn more about Arlian's Work: www.plasticfreeboy.com

Arlian's Bio: Arlian Ecker, a 19-year-old Australian-Austrian changemaker and co-founder of Plastic Free Boy, has spent eight years leading youth-driven sustainability efforts—from protecting the Great Barrier Reef to advocating for global waterway conservation. Alongside his mother, award-winning underwater filmmaker Karin Ecker, Arlian has reached over 1.5 million students in 350+ schools through films, workshops, and interactive programs that empower youth to take environmental action. Their "Generation NOW" initiative and upcoming Global Solutions School Academy promote student-led, real-world learning and cross-border collaboration. This May and June, Arlian joins the International Commission for the Danube River to lead the world's largest youth-driven citizen science water quality survey.

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 purposeful systems, mentorship, and process design. From process journals to stakeholder mapping, Laurence breaks down the simple but powerful tools that

make student-led learning sustainable—for both teachers and students.

You'll learn:

• What self-directed learning really looks like when students are supported the right way
• Tools that help students stay organized, reflective, and purpose-driven
• How to move from managing learning to mentoring it—without losing clarity
• Why your role as facilitator is more powerful than ever

🎧 Listen now and explore how facilitator mode can unlock more ownership, confidence, and real-world learning.

Connect with Laurence: LinkedIn, Website

Get the Free Self-Directed Project Process Guide: Project Process Guide

Laurence's Bio: Laurence works at the intersection of service learning, global citizenship, and sustainability, using his 30+ years in international education—including over a decade in leadership roles—to support student-centered, authentic learning for positive change. His hybrid role spans thought leadership, instructional coaching, and systems thinking facilitation, all aimed at shifting educational culture and driving sustainable institutional and curricular transformation. A frequent presenter and facilitator, Laurence leads workshops on sustainability, service learning, and co-created learning design. Outside of education, he coaches student athletes, champions environmental initiatives, and enjoys time outdoors with his family.

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 our classrooms. This episode offers a chance to step back, reimagine your role, and embrace a different kind of presence that empowers learners to shape their own path.

• How the space you create becomes a "third teacher"

• What it means to hold space for student-led exploration and feedback

• How to cultivate purpose and trust without micromanaging

• Why real personalization begins with pausing, not planning

Learn more about how to shift from controlling the learning environment to co-creating it with your students.

Connect with Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/body.nature.mind_lawrence/

Learn more about his work: https://bodynaturemind.com/

Lawrence's bio: Lawrence is a full-time wellness coach who left a government office job to pursue his passion for movement, mindfulness, and personal growth. His approach to wellness centers on the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit—drawing on practices like animal flow, yoga, breathwork, sound healing, and forest bathing to help others reconnect with themselves and their environment. He believes that nature, rest, and embodied awareness are essential to recharging and realigning in today's fast-paced world.

He has led wellness experiences for global brands like Cathay Pacific, The Fullerton Hotel, Lululemon, and Loro Piana, as well as local NGOs such as St. James' Settlement and Heep Hong Society. His work has been featured on BBC's People Fixing the World, RTHK, and the South China Morning Post. Lawrence holds certifications across multiple disciplines, including Animal Flow (Level 3 & Regional Leader), Yoga Therapy, Breathwork, Sound Healing, and Forest Bathing Facilitation.

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 spreadsheets, no software, just a whiteboard, post-its, and the values that matter most to your learners.

You'll learn how to:

• Align your daily schedule to your program's core values

• Create longer, deeper learning blocks for true personalization

• Involve students, staff, and parents as co-designers of time

• Think beyond traditional periods to open up authentic learning pathways

If you're launching or reimagining a student-centered program, this episode will help you move from rigid to responsive, and design a schedule that actually supports the learning you want to see.

Watch the Video On Youtube:

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard

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) framework, Natalie shares the intentional moves that are making voice and choice a lived experience—not just a buzzword.

You'll hear how BCIS is navigating real challenges while building a culture where students know themselves deeply, make meaningful decisions, and drive their own learning.

• How BCIS reframed student agency through the lens of "jaggedness"

• What voice and choice look like in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) classroom

• How leadership created a shared language and clear expectations around agency

• Why building trust—and giving teachers choice—is key to sustainable change

Ready to hear how these shifts are playing out in practice and what they might look like in your setting?

Connect with Natalie: [email protected]

Get the 12 Shifts Book: On Amazon, On the Website: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher

Natalie's Bio: Natalie is the current Secondary Principal of BCIS and was born in Hanover, Jamaica. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Language Education: English, from the University of the West Indies, a Master of Arts in Education from Wake Forrest University, a Certificate of International School Leadership from the Principal's Training Center, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in International School Leadership with Wilkes University.

Before BCIS, Natalie worked in various capacities in Jamaica, the United States of America, Venezuela, and Mexico. She was a Middle School Deputy Principal and Principal at the American School of Tampico for seven years. She has been an educator for 25 years and has a wealth of experience in teaching and leading. Natalie believes that forming solid interpersonal relationships leads to a positive school culture, functional collaborative structures, and exceptional outcomes for students and teachers.

In addition, Natalie is passionate about partnering with parents, promoting student voice, and fostering a sense of belonging and a focus on successful learning outcomes within the BCIS community.

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, to unpack three simple shifts that make interdisciplinary planning work:

• Focus planning around real-world problems that drive deeper engagement

• Build milestone checkpoints that keep interdisciplinary teams aligned

• Design assessments that capture real learning across subjects—without adding more work

If you're ready to plan across subjects with more clarity, connection, and confidence, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Ryan:

Learn more about the PRAXIS Program:

Get the 12 shifts book for student-centered environments: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher

Free Interdisciplinary Project Planner

Ryan's Bio: Initially from South Dakota, Ryan Murfield is the coordinator of the 9th grade interdisciplinary program called (PRAXIS) at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Prior he taught in the USA and then in Seoul, South Korea. The favourite part of his role is seeing the amazing work students are able to do when given the opportunity to grapple with complex, real-world, authentic problems.

He was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine where he to speak Ukrainian and lived in a small town, teaching English at a local school. He helped organize events promoting leadership and for young people in the region, and also met his wife, Courtney, another Peace Corps volunteer.

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 student agency, and make teaching more impactful (and less overwhelming).

You'll discover:

• Why "data rich but information poor" is holding schools back — and how to fix it.

• How AI-powered tools are making it easier than ever for teachers to spot trends and plan faster interventions.

• How giving students visibility into their progress creates faster, smarter interventions.

• Real examples of students using their own data to set goals and shape their learning journeys.

• How platforms like Otis are making this shift simple for teachers, not harder.

Ready to turn student data into student power? Tune in and learn how a small shift can spark big outcomes!

Connect with Daniel: (otusk12), Wechat, LinkedIn, Instagram

Learn more about Otus: www.otus.com

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard

Get the 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Book: www.transformschool.com/whereistheteacher