by Dr Justin Zhang
A heartfelt thank you to Amy and the LYIS team for inviting me into this vibrant community of leaders. There’s nothing more energising than sharing a space with people dedicated to the art and science of education.
Have you ever watched a single pebble drop into a calm pond? The real magic isn’t the splash; it’s the ripples that follow, expanding outward to touch every shore. For me, that’s the perfect metaphor for leadership. The most profound and lasting changes in a school don’t come from top-down mandates; they begin with a single, empowered teacher. This belief is the foundation of my entire career and the reason I’ve made a very conscious choice about where I want to be: right in the heart of the learning process.
My “Why”: Choosing the Engine Room Over the Bridge
Many people assume the goal of an educator is to eventually become a principal. And while I have immense respect for the administrative leaders who captain our schools, I’ve always been drawn to the engine room, not the bridge. My passion is for pedagogical leadership. It’s the hands-on work of tuning the engine itself, partnering with the teachers who create the magic every single day.
I’ve deliberately chosen not to pursue a principalship because my core mission is to empower our educators. They are the driving force of transformation. When we invest in their growth, provide them with coaching, and trust in their professionalism, we create that powerful ripple effect that elevates the entire school community.
My “How”: The EdLIT Framework as a Compass
So, if my “why” is empowerment, then what is my “how”? To put this philosophy into practice, I rely on a simple, cyclical framework I call “EdLIT” — Learn, Innovate, Transform.
It’s not a rigid set of rules, but a compass that guides collaborative growth:
- It begins with Learning: We foster a culture where teachers are scholars of their craft, constantly exploring, questioning, and sharing new knowledge.
- This learning naturally sparks Innovation: Teachers begin applying their new insights, creatively adapting their practice not for the sake of novelty, but to solve real challenges in student learning.
- Over time, this cycle creates lasting Transformation: The mindset of learning and innovation becomes embedded in the school’s DNA. It’s no longer an “initiative”; it’s just who you are.
This framework ensures that change is authentic, teacher-led, and built to last.
The View from the Engine Room: Seeing the Bigger Picture
Working this way—from the inside out—gives you a unique perspective on the wider currents of international education. Applying the EdLIT cycle in diverse contexts, from China to Spain and now South Korea, has illuminated a critical paradox in our field. We often treat Western education as the default for “international” education.
The true spirit of global learning, however, is beautifully captured by the Chinese proverb: “立足本土，放眼全球” (lìzú běntǔ, fàngyǎn quánqiú). It means to be “firmly rooted in your local context while looking out at the entire world.” This isn’t about replacing one culture with another; it’s about fostering a rich dialogue between them. It’s about empowering students and teachers to see their own culture as a powerful lens through which to understand the world, and the world as a lens to better understand themselves.
Our Ultimate Goal: A Call for True Equity
This vision of a truly global, interconnected education leads directly to a passionate call for equity. If we are to be “rooted locally,” we must actively dismantle the biases that hold our schools back, especially the flawed concept of “native English speakerism.” A teacher’s value is in their expertise and their passion, not their passport.
Our ultimate aim should be a community that reflects the spirit of “天下大同” (tiānxià dàtóng)—a world of great harmony where all people and cultures are respected as equals. For our schools, this means building faculties where diversity is our greatest asset and every educator is empowered to lead, regardless of their background.
This mission is what brings me to South Korea today: to help an international framework like the IB grow authentic, local roots. It’s about making international education truly local, and local education truly international.
The journey is long, but it starts with a single pebble, a single teacher. I can’t wait to create some ripples with all of you in the LYIS-Q.
Dr Justin Zhang, Assistant Professor, Director of IBEC, Namseoul University, South Korea; LYIS-Q Course Facilitator.
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