Why do most student teams fail, and what can you do to change it?

In this re-published episode, I sit down with Kristin Damburger, Associate Division Head at Avenues, to explore the common pitfalls that prevent student teams from thriving. Kristin shares three simple shifts you can make in your classroom to turn disengaged or unproductive teams into high-functioning, collaborative groups. From redefining roles to giving students the tools to take ownership of their learning, these shifts will help foster deeper collaboration and student agency.

You’ll learn:

• Why most student teams fail and how to avoid those traps

• How giving students a voice in their team roles leads to greater ownership and success

• Simple collaborative structures for project work

• Why feedback loops, rather than grading, are key to accountability in group work

Kristin's Bio: Kristin Damberger is a Learning Coach at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile. She has spent the last 12 years of her 15 year career in education working overseas in international schools in China, Brazil, and now Chile. She started her career teaching 6th grade English and Social Studies at a Title I school in California, where she began her experimentation with inquiry and PBL. Soon after starting a masters degree in global studies in education, she wanted to pursue a life overseas and moved to Beijing. Over the course of her international career Kristin has served in many roles, including teacher, facilitator, curriculum coordinator, Associate Division Head, and now Learning Coach. In all of these roles Kristin has had the opportunity to continue in her pursuit to redefine the traditional structures of "school" and continue to deepen and expand her work in inquiry, PBL, and design thinking.

Feel like curiosity is getting lost in content coverage, deadlines, or disengaged classrooms? What if our own vulnerability was the key to unlocking it?

In this episode, I speak with Austin Levinson, Director of Learning at Megaminds and long-time champion of student agency, curiosity, and connection. From macro photography projects to travel blogs and AI-powered adventures, Austin shares how he models curiosity based learning alongside his students, and why doing so flips the traditional dynamic in transformative ways.

You’ll learn:

• Why “getting messy” and showing your own struggle inspires student risk-taking
• How co-designing projects creates ownership, purpose, and curiosity
• How to bring parents and administrators along when you don’t have all the answers
• How AI can be used to scaffold—not shortcut—critical thinking and real-world inquiry

Trade control for connection, and rediscover curiosity as your classroom’s driving force

Learn more about Megaminds: www.gomegaminds.com

Connect with Austin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/austin-levinson-innovator

Get the 12 Shifts Book: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Teacher-Kyle-Wagner/dp/1032484713

Austin's Bio: From a young age, Austin was a soccer referee, running alongside the students on the field, not standing in the center calling the shots. His early teaching roles in Oakland and Richmond, California taught him the power of connection, voice, and risk-taking in learning.Later, while designing STEM and gifted programs in international schools, he focused on deeper learning through questioning, critical thinking, and real-world purpose. Whether leading workshops for parents on constructivism and board games or offering enrichment classes in ikebana, macro photography, and juggling, he kept learning joyful and human.

Back on the school soccer field, he noticed that values like empathy and leadership were best taught through shared experience, not lectures. He brought this mindset into his PBL work, discovering that students take bigger risks when they see their teacher right there with them, learning too. In one project, students used AI tools to co-design film imagery and lead their own discussions. They selected the materials, chose the protocols, and reflected on their facilitation moves—building voice, confidence, and metacognition in the process.

Now as Director of Learning at MegaMinds, Austin is scaling that same spirit of agency and curiosity. Through immersive 3D environments and AI-powered challenges, he’s helping tens of thousands of students think critically, take ownership, and find meaning in their learning.

Is Your Classroom Built for Student Thinking? 4 Design Shifts to Spark Shared Ownership

Ever walk into a classroom and instantly feel the energy? Not from the teacher—but from students leading the work. That’s not an accident. It’s the result of intentional design choices that turn passive learning into shared ownership.

In this episode, I walk you through four practical spatial shifts to transform your classroom into a hub for student-led collaboration. These aren’t high-budget maker spaces—they’re reimagined learning environments where thinking becomes visible and shared. Whether you’re planning for your next project-based unit or reworking the layout of your room, these provocations will help you support deeper dialogue, better teamwork, and more student agency.

You’ll explore:

• Why table clusters can make or break group work
• How to equip students with shared tools—and why visibility matters
• The role of vertical thinking spaces in making ideas public and iterative
• How to create distinct studio zones that support diverse learning tasks

This is part two in a four-part series on designing student-centered learning environments. If you're ready to move from controlling learning to cultivating it, this episode offers a practical next step.

Get more ideas in my 12 Shifts Book for Student-Centered Environments: 'Where is the Teacher?'