What if a single book could transform your life as an educator this Summer?

Shifting burnout, boredom, and breakdown to BREAKTHROUGH.

That's what these 5 📖 books did for me.

• One helped transform my uninspiring worksheets into student designed works of art- where no two products looked the same
• One helped unlock the magic formula for designing prompts that transformed disengaged learners into citizen scientists, authors, and budding engineers
• One helped transform preclusion into new possibility
• One uncovered three traits to motivate all learners without using grades
• And one helped shift my role in the classroom forever

So what are the five life changing books?

I reveal them in this short episode.

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/