The CharacterStrong Podcast

How to Build Belief in Your Staff Through Peer Observation and Intentional Recognition - Tony Cattani

Today our guest is Tony Cattani, Principal at Lenape High School and 2025-26 National High School Principal of the Year. Tony shares how he builds belief in his staff thr

How Hammond West Side Montessori Built a School Culture That Sticks - Carolyn Travis

Today our guest is Carolyn Travis, Student Transition Success Educator at Hammond Westside Montessori in Tangipahoa School District in Louisiana. Carolyn shares how her s

The Leadership Toolbox: Leadership Is Influence - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares a Leadership Toolbox episode built around one of the most important paradigm shifts: what if leadership is not about power or title, but ab

Building a School Where Students Feel Like They Belong and Want to Come Back - Dr. J.R. Rucker

Today our guest is Dr. J.R. Rucker, high school principal in Chaffey Joint Union High School District and adjunct professor at USC. Dr. Rucker shares how he thinks about

How to Design Professional Development That Actually Changes Practice - Marelenise Phillips-Roberts

Today our guest is Marelenise Phillips-Roberts, a District Leader of MTSS. Marelenise shares how she thinks about professional development for MTSS not as a one-time trai

The Leadership Toolbox: To Lead Is to Serve - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares a Leadership Toolbox episode built around one of the most important questions in education: if leadership is influence, how do you actually

How Schools Can Build a Team-Based System for Getting Students the Care They Need - Alex Alvarado

Today our guest is Alex Alvarado, co-founder and CEO of Daybreak Health, a school-based mental health company partnering with hundreds of K-12 districts to connect studen

A Note of Hope for Every Educator in the Work - Chris Moore

Today our guest is Chris Moore, Director of Behavioral Health at Salem-Keizer Public Schools. Chris shares a poem he wrote and delivered as a commencement address to a co

Lifted to Lead: A Framework for Leaders Who Put Others First - Dr. Stefan Bean

Today our guest is Dr. Stefan Bean, Orange County's 12th Superintendent of Schools and author of Lifted to Lead. Dr. Bean shares the LIFTED framework, a practical leaders

How One Principal Built a System for Gathering Student Voice That Actually Changes Things - Sonia Ruiz

Today our guest is Sonia Ruiz, Principal at Jane Addams Middle School in Bolingbrook, Illinois and 2026 National Middle Level Principal of the Year. Sonia shares how her

Season 9 Kickoff: Cultivating the Soil Where Students and Adults Thrive

Today, John Norlin and Houston Kraft mark the launch of Season 9 of the CharacterStrong Podcast by digging into a framework that was unpacked this summer around what it a

How One District Got Their Suspension Rate Below 1% with Tier 2 Supports - Torrin Johnson

Today our guest is Torrin Johnson, Executive Director of MTSS at Merced Union High School District in California. Torrin shares how his district built a Tier 2 support sy

How Teaching Character Traits Gave One Teacher More Time, Not Less - Angela Walle

Today our guest is Angela Walle, a teacher at Geiger Montessori in Tacoma Public Schools and recipient of the Tacoma Public Schools Whole Child Champion Award. Angela sha

Staff Chips: A Simple System for More Intentional Connections - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares a strategy called Staff Chips, a simple physical system that helps building administrators be more intentional about connecting with every

Deck of Destiny: A Two-Minute Strategy for Building Classroom Connection - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares a strategy called Deck of Destiny, a simple way to weave relationship-building into the daily fabric of the classroom without adding time t

How One Phone Call Home Can Change a Family's Experience of School - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares a strategy called the Kid in the Middle, a simple, low-burden approach to recognizing the students who rarely get attention in either direc

EMR: A Simple Reflection Strategy for More Intentional Relationships - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares an evidence-based reflection strategy called EMR, developed by Dr. Clayton Cook. Using a simple roster exercise, educators categorize each

The Temperature Check: Three Questions That Help You Know How Students Are Really Doing - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares a practical classroom check-in strategy called the Temperature Check. Using three simple questions at the start of class, educators can get

True Story Friday: A Low-Burden Strategy for Building Classroom Connection - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares a simple weekly strategy for helping students get to know the adults in their school: True Story Friday. By taking two to five minutes at t

The Law of the Lid: Why the Energy in Your Room Starts with You - John Norlin

Today, host John Norlin shares a leadership concept called The Law of the Lid, drawn from Dr. John Maxwell's work. The core idea is straightforward: as a leader, you cann