The CharacterStrong Podcast

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 the end of Friday to share a personal story, educators give students something they often want but rarely get, a real look at who their teacher actually is. He also explains how a little preparation goes a long way, having stories...

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 cannot expect the people around you to bring more energy, effort, or authenticity to the room than you are willing to bring yourself. He also explains how this principle applies at every level of a school, from the classroom teacher s...

Today, host John Norlin shares a simple strategy for connecting with students, even thought who may have been hard to reach: The Student Becomes the Teacher. By asking students what they could teach you, educators can gain personal insight that opens the door to genuine connection, often in less than three minutes. He also explains how a small investment of time outside the classroom, looking up s...

Today our guest is Brandon Bakke, assistant principal at Gig Harbor High School and author of  Lessons from the Bench . Brandon shares the core ideas behind his new book, a nine-lesson framework for bench players and role players in any organization who want to understand how to contribute meaningfully to a team's success. He also explains why broadening the definition of success to include relati...

Today our guest is Derrick Lawson, co-executive director of CATLL and CASCD and a former principal at all three school levels. Derrick shares practical strategies for building relational capacity with staff and students at the start of the school year, and why the first days of school should be spent on connection, not content. He also explains how school leaders can build staff capacity for relat...

Today, John Norlin, Houston Kraft, and Lindsay Norlin mark a milestone: the 500th episode of the CharacterStrong Podcast. More than a celebration of numbers, this episode is a reflection on what 500 voices from educators across the country have taught the CharacterStrong team. and where the work is headed next. They also share an honest look at where education stands right now, why relationships r...

Today our guest is Steve Smith, CEO and co-founder of IntelliSpark. Steve shares how IntelliSpark helps educators get to know students as people — not just learners — by making it easier to capture, share, and act on student information across an entire school team in real time. He also explains how the platform addresses two persistent gaps in schools: the friction of sharing critical student inf...

Today, host John Norlin shares a practical relationship-building strategy called the secondhand compliment — an intentional approach to recognizing students through another trusted adult, especially before a strong connection has been established. He also explains why indirect recognition can land more credibly with students who don't yet feel seen, and how this simple three-step practice fits int...

Today our guest is Dr. Susanne Thompson, Vice President of Business Development at SESI (Specialized Education Services, Inc.). Dr. Thompson shares five practical strategies for superintendents and building leaders who want to build stronger, more responsive tiered support systems, with a focus on reaching the most vulnerable students and celebrating progress along the way. She also explains how M...

Today our guest is Devon Wible, Vice President of Teaching and Learning at Catapult Learning. Devon works directly with schools and districts to design high-impact tutoring programs that fit inside existing MTSS systems — helping the students most likely to fall through the cracks actually get the support they need. She also explains how relationship-building sits at the center of this work, not a...

Today, host John Norlin shares a practical classroom strategy called pre-correction a proactive approach to reducing behavior correction before it's needed. This episode helps educators understand why constant correction increases conflict and disengagement, and what they can do instead to get ahead of it. He also explains how pre-correction works as a system, not just a technique, by front-loadin...

Today, host John Norlin shares a strategy called Grandma's Rule, a practical, research-backed approach to building predictability into the classroom through first-then scheduling and visual routines. John walks through why predictable environments lead to regulation, engagement, and ultimately learning, and how educators can set this up in a way that increases student motivation from the start. Th...

Today, host John Norlin shares a strategy called the Tactical Pause, a simple, trainable habit of pausing before responding in high-emotion situations so that reactions come from intention rather than regret. John walks through what it looks like in practice and why building this habit in low-stakes moments is what makes it available when it matters most. In this episode, John offers important rem...

Today, host John Norlin shares a simple approach to staying focused in conversations when the noise of the day makes it hard to truly hear what someone is saying. He walks through exactly how to use it, step by step, in a way that makes the other person feel genuinely seen and heard. In this episode, John offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Truly listening to someone is harder th...

Today our guests are Rebekah de Peo-Christner, Assistant Director of Counseling, and Amy Lawrence, Director of Counseling and Social Work, both at Denton ISD in Texas. We discuss how their district created WRAP — the Wilson Restorative Action Plan — a family-centered alternative to exclusionary discipline that wraps support around students and families rather than cycling them through punitive con...

Today, host John Norlin shares a powerful reminder about the reach of educator influence, sparked by an unexpected email from a former exchange student, now living in Slovakia. What follows is a reflection on why the work educators do matters far beyond what they can see or measure. Drawing on the Amazing Law of Influence and a story about a smile that changed a life, John reminds us that small, i...

Today our guests are Michelle Marcellin, Staff and Student Support Consultant, Nancy Buyle, School Safety and Student Assistance Consultant, and Sara Orris, School Health and Homeless Education Consultant — all at Macomb Intermediate School District. We discuss how schools can ensure every student is connected to at least one caring adult through a practical, research-backed approach called Silent...

Today our guest is Brenda Ortiz McGrath, district administrator, school committee member, author, and founder of the family engagement platform CoreKind360. We discuss why student support and character development must move from being an occasional initiative to becoming part of a school's foundation. Brenda shares how schools can embed life skills, relationship-building, and proactive student sup...

Topic: Career and Technical Education • Career Pathways • Workforce Readiness Today our guest is Brooke Martin, Executive Director of Career and Technical Education at Aldine ISD in Texas. We talk about why career and technical education (CTE) is becoming essential for helping students explore career pathways and workforce opportunities while still in high school. Brooke shares how industry certif...

Today our guest is Sean Beaverson, Director of Technology at Orono Public Schools. We talk about how schools can use AI in education to reduce teacher workload and reclaim instructional time. Sean shares a practical approach to lowering cognitive load by offloading administrative tasks to AI, allowing educators to repurpose time toward relationships, collaboration, and deeper learning. In this con...

Today our guest is Jenice Pizzuto, Implementation Training Specialist at CharacterStrong. We dive into why change is both personal and emotional, and how implementation science gives leaders a roadmap for turning intention into lasting impact. If you've ever adopted a new initiative only to watch it fade, this conversation will help you understand why, and what to do differently. In this episode,...

Today our guest is Meghan Lawson, Assistant Superintendent at Sycamore Community Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. We talk about how small, consistent moves can grow collective potential across a school system. Meghan shares the 30-Second Feedback Protocol, a simple strength-based strategy that builds trust, reinforces effective practice, and strengthens culture without adding more to the plate. She hi...

Today our guest is Kendrick Claxton, Vice Principal at Central Middle School in Kansas City Public Schools. We talk about how positive school culture is built through systems that create belonging, safety, and consistent adult support. Kendrick shares how mentorship, trusted adults, and simple daily practices help students feel seen and supported. He highlights how consistency, not grand gestures,...

Today our guest is Dr. Joe Sweeney, principal at Old Quarry Middle School and the 2025 Illinois Principals Association South Cook Region Middle School Principal of the Year. We talk about how Joe uses a schoolwide podcast to bring consistent lessons to life and elevate student voice. He shares how recording short episodes with students helps simplify implementation, increase engagement, and meet t...

Today our guest is Pierre Orbee, Principal at DeWitt Clinton High School in New York. Pierre was named the School Administrators Association of New York State's 2025 New York State Principal of the Year, the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents' 2025 National Principal of the Year, and the K-12 Dive 2025 Principal of the Year. We talk with Pierre about how shoring up the underl...