🎙️ What if your students didn’t just study academic standards—but took ownership of teaching them to peers?

Too often, students see academic standards as something to memorize and repeat. But what if they engaged with them in a way that deepened understanding and made learning more meaningful?

In this episode, we talk with Mara Simmons, Phd., an international educator, school founder and learning designer who has reimagined how students learn by shifting control of academic content to them. She shares how structured peer-to-peer teaching leads to deeper understanding, stronger collaboration, and more student ownership of learning—all while staying aligned with curriculum goals.

🔹 How to turn academic standards into student-led learning experiences and student- initiated projects
🔹 Why peer teaching strengthens comprehension, confidence, and engagement
🔹 The role of the teacher as a facilitator who empowers students—while freeing up time to focus on deeper learning
🔹 How to start small—without losing structure or overwhelming students

🎧 Curious about how this shift can work in your classroom? Let’s explore what happens when students become the experts.

Connect w/ Mara: LinkedIn, Instagram (@maras9876)

Mara's Blog: https://teachinghacks4all.com

Take the 12 Shifts Scorecard: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsscorecard

Learn more about the 'Student-Centered Classrooms' Mastery Cohort: www.transformschool.com/12shiftsmasterclass

Mara's Bio:

Mara has 25+ years of experience teaching and learning. Her career has been centered in schools that serve underprivileged communities and served as a teacher/ founder/ leader and director of several secondary schools in Los Angeles. In her teaching experience she lead project based learning programs aligned to the Big Picture Schools design and trained teachers in PBL strategies. She spent five years in the UK leading and reinvigorating a Post 16 secondary teacher training program which taught her a lot about the secondary sector. Currently in partnership with CTL Academy she is transforming secondary education and growing CTL Academy Global- an accredited project based, UN sustainable goals aligned program to build Global citizens, passionate scholars, servant leaders and agents of positive change in their communities.

Are Students Just Memorizing Standards? How PEER Teaching Unlocks Deeper Engagement and Understanding"

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