WAB Podcast | Joy, Learning and What Comes Next

In our first WAB Podcast episode of the 2026–2027 school year, we sit down with Head of School Dr. Marta Medved Krajnovic and Director of Innovation in Learning and Teaching Mr. Stephen Taylor to celebrate the opening days of school and look ahead to what's next. From welcoming close to 200 new students and their families from all over the world at New Family Orientation, to the excitement last Monday as the buses rolled in for our first day, Marta and Stephen feel excited but also a sense of calm. That calm reflects weeks of careful preparation by our teachers and staff, and WAB as a learning community that knows who they are and what they stand for. 

Our Elementary School students began the year in beautifully renovated learning spaces. Rather than changing what great learning looks like at WAB, the new spaces liberate and enhance the pedagogy already thriving in our classrooms: learning communities collaborating across homerooms, personalized pathways for every child, and even stronger collective teacher efficacy.  

The episode also takes on a big question at the heart of the year ahead: What kind of learning best prepares our students for what's coming? 

Marta and Stephen discuss deeper learning over memorization, critical and creative thinking, learning how to fail and pick yourself up, and acting ethically and responsibly. They also explore WAB’s approach to AI, with close attention to developmental readiness at every age and stage. Beijing provides a rich context for making this learning real and hands-on: China Studies trips heading into nature, neuroscience connections with Tsinghua University, and a new partnership with nearby Ditan Hospital, the country's leading infectious disease research center. 

Finally, Marta and Stephen reflect on the strength of our community, including WAB's founding commitment to home-school partnership and the stability of a community that welcomed just six new colleagues this year. Looking ahead, they are excited to watch our students continue to lead projects, create, compete with spirit, and they warmly invite families to see it all firsthand, at showcases of learning, Parent Link coffee mornings, and beloved traditions like Rock in the Park. Marta ends our conversation with WAB's goal for the year, which has not changed and is quite simple: helping every WABbie learn and thrive and we can't wait to do it together.