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'