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

Why Student-Centered Change Fails—and How Leaders Can Make It Stick

Apr 1, 2025

Raina Grove, an instructional coach at Chiang Mai International School, specializes in fostering student-centered shifts through trust and teacher agency. She candidly discusses why many change initiatives fail due to overwhelm and lack of clarity among teachers. Raina shares insights on empowering educators to transform their classrooms into vibrant, student-driven environments. Tune in for practical strategies that build collaborative school cultures, support meaningful growth, and maintain enthusiasm in educational reform.

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INSIGHT

Why Most School Changes Fail

Only about 30% of school change initiatives succeed due to how change is led, not lack of effort or teacher resistance.
Effective change requires trust, teacher agency, and coaching that sticks.

INSIGHT

Defining Student Agency

Student agency means students actively drive their learning with voice, choice, and ownership.
Teachers act as facilitators beside students, not just content deliverers.

ANECDOTE

Raina’s Shift from Traditional Teaching

Early in her career, Raina rejected traditional teacher-fronted methods, opting to involve students deeply in their learning.
She continuously sought workshops and tried new strategies, evolving her teaching to better engage learners.

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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.