Why Student-Centered Change Fails—and How Leaders Can Make It Stick
Release Date: 04/01/2025
Tired of Micromanaging Students? Try This Self-Management Framework
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Tired of students constantly asking “What do I do next?” or aimlessly bouncing between tasks during work time? In this episode, I unpack one of the most common frustrations educators face when trying to promote student agency—learners who simply don’t know how to manage themselves. I share a practical tool that changed everything for our classroom: the Self-Direction Rubric. It’s a simple, structured approach that helps students develop essential executive functioning skills—from time management to self-monitoring—without you needing to hover. Learn how our Montessori middle...
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Losing Momentum in Project-Based Experiences? Rotate Roles, Reignite Engagement
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Tired of watching student teams burn out mid-project? Or seeing the same student take charge while others fade into the background? In this episode, I share a simple but powerful strategy that reinvigorated our year-long student-run business: rotating roles. You’ll hear how a single shift—letting students try on new responsibilities—rebalanced workloads, re-energized participation, and fostered deeper collaboration and skill growth. Through the story of our Montessori middle school café project, you'll hear how rotating a fatigued marketing manager into product development not only...
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Why Student Agency Fails: 5 Simple Fixes
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Have you provided students freedom and choice only to watch them fail miserably at exerting it? Make bad decisions. Poorly manage their time. Produce sloppy, unpolished work. That was me last week when I let students pitch their student generated business plan to a panel of investors. Real stakes and real people. And they were terribly unprepared. But what if I told you their failure was NOT their fault...but ours?! In this episode I share why student agency fails and 5 ways to fix it. You learn: The three common mistakes aspiring student-centered...
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Struggling to Get Traction for Makerspace, Student-Centered Learning? How One Educator Built Momentum with a Single Space
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Feel like you’re the only one pushing for more student-driven, hands-on learning in a system built for tradition? For many of us international educators, shifting toward student-centered, project-based learning feels like an uphill battle, especially when the system is slow to evolve. In this powerful episode, I speak with Steve from Bradbury International School, who turned a single underused structure on campus- what became “The Shed”- into a proof of concept for student-led, hands-on, tech infused, interdisciplinary learning. What started as a pilot space quickly became a catalyst for...
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Voice and Choice vs Curriculum Coverage (Replay)
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
I'm re-airing this episode based on popular demand and a recent study that shows a sharp decline in pupil's happiness in secondary school due to a lack of agency. Are you 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...
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Tired of Students asking, "What did I get?" 5 Step Process for Self-Evaluation and Growth.
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Tired of students asking, “What did I get?” after every assignment? What if they asked, “How did I grow?” instead? In this solo episode, I share a powerful reflection conversation with one of my students after his seventh real-world presentation of the day during Exhibition. Rather than assigning a grade, we walk through a rubric he co-created, debating scores, celebrating growth, and co-constructing the path forward. This isn’t just assessment—it’s transformation. You’ll learn: Why co-created rubrics lead to more authentic assessment How self-assessment builds ownership,...
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Tired of Running Every Classroom Activity Yourself? Simple Shifts to Empower Student Leadership
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Do you ever feel like your students rely on you for every next move? What if you could shift from being the sole driver to creating a classroom where students lead with confidence? In this episode, I sit down with Nicole, a passionate PE teacher and learning leader who shares her journey of transitioning from teacher-led instruction to student-led experiences. From student-designed fitness plans to peer-facilitated learning reflections, Nicole reveals practical strategies that helped her learners take charge—and the ripple effects this had across her school community. You’ll learn: How to...
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Want Empowered Learners? Start with Who's Watching
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Do your students disengage the moment a presentation starts- or never fully show what they’re capable of? What if the missing ingredient was as simple as who was watching? In this episode, I share the powerful impact of expanding the audience beyond the teacher. You'll hear how one identity-based exhibition at our Montessori Middle School completely transformed students’ confidence, participation, and ownership—including English language learners and typically shy students. You’ll walk away with practical ways to invite real audiences into your classroom—no giant showcase...
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Stuck Teaching in a Bubble? How Place Based Learning Brings the World to Your Students
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Do you ever feel stuck trying to make learning relevant, but tied to the four walls of your classroom? What if the place students learn became the curriculum itself—full of stories, problems, and people to learn from? In this episode, I sit down with Jen Buchanan, principal at Think Global School—one of the world’s only fully traveling high schools—to explore how place-based learning transforms education. Jen shares how students immerse themselves in local contexts like Japan, Botswana, and Greece, tackling real-world issues through interdisciplinary projects with community partners....
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Sick of Managing Every Project? How Student Managers Boost Engagement and Accountability
The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Do you feel like every classroom activity depends on you to keep things running? What if one small shift could hand that responsibility to your students, and spark more energy and accountability than you imagined? In this episode, I share a classroom story of empowering a student to take on the role of project manager. What began as a way to distribute responsibilities in a café project quickly expanded into labs, group work, and even whole class discussions. The result? Students who not only stepped up but often outperformed expectations, building ownership, collaboration, and confidence in...
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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 shift: one built on trust, teacher agency, and coaching that actually sticks.
She shares what works when building student-centered culture, and how leaders like us can guide change that’s both sustainable and teacher-owned. You'll hear how teachers are transforming from content deliverers to learning facilitators, and how their classrooms are shifting from teacher-directed to student-driven environments full of energy, ownership, and engagement. You'll learn:
- Why most student-centered initiatives fail, and what’s worked instead
- How to build trust and momentum with teachers who feel overwhelmed
- Small, actionable shifts that transform classrooms over time
- How to design PLCs and coaching cycles that support real growth
Ready to lead change that lasts? Tune in to learn how Raina is coaching teachers into vibrant, student-driven learning without burning them out.
Connect with Raina: (Twitter) @raina_alane (LinkedIn) linkedin.com/in/rainagrove
Take the 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments Scorecard: 12 Shifts Scorecard
Purchase the 12 Shifts Book: Get the book on Amazon
Raina's Bio:
Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Raina's journey has taken me from the vibrant cities of Austin and the Bay Area to the stunning shores of Hawai’i, and abroad to the UAE and now Thailand. With 22 years in education, she draws on a strong foundation in communication, leadership, and curriculum development—grounded in an interdisciplinary science degree from West Texas A&M and STEM and Special Education from UT Tyler—to connect meaningfully with students, educators, and administrators. Her passion lies in empowering others, nurturing a lifelong love of learning, and supporting diverse educational communities across the globe. Guided by her core strengths—empathy, input, adaptability, achiever, and learner—she brings energy, insight, and heart to every role sh takes on.