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 setting the tone with students to the building administrator setting the tone with staff, and why the controllables like mood, preparation, and vulnerability are where leaders should focus first. In this conversation, John offers important reminders for educators and leaders: The energy level in your room is a reflection of what you as the leader are willing to bring. If you want more from others, start by examining what you are modeling. Students and staff crave leaders who set the tone consistently, not just on good days. If you want students to share more openly, they need to see you sharing. If you want them to work through difficulty, they need to hear how you have done it. This concept is simple to understand but not easy to live out. That is exactly what makes it worth returning to. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website

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 something a student cares about, can change the entire dynamic of a relationship, and why that kind of intentional move is not one more thing on the plate, it is the plate. In this conversation, John offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Asking students what they could teach you is a low-burden, high-impact way to learn something personal about even the hardest-to-reach kids. A few minutes of follow-through, like looking something up and referencing it at the door the next day, signals to a student that you see them as a person, not just a learner. Students notice when an adult makes an intentional move to connect with them, and that moment can shift a relationship that nothing else has been able to crack. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website

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 relationships, not just outcomes, gives role players a powerful and often overlooked way to contribute, and why leaders have a responsibility to explicitly connect every person's role to the larger goal the team is chasing. In this conversation, Brandon offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Most people will spend time on the bench at some point in sport, in work, in life, and how you operate in that role matters more than most people realize. When people don't know why their role is important or how it connects to the bigger goal, effort declines and disengagement follows, that is a leadership problem to solve. Athletics and other team environments are some of the only places where people can fail, struggle, and grow. Removing that adversity robs people of their greatest potential growth. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website About Brandon Bakke:  A former high school and college basketball coach and player, Brandon played at Fresno State University from 1991–1996. He is a former high school head coach, and brings 29 years of experience in education—primarily as a high school administrator. He currently serves as an administrator at Gig Harbor High School in Washington State and previously worked as the Director of Secondary Education for CharacterStrong. Brandon has spoken to thousands of educators and students across the country on building school culture, leadership, student mental health and well-being, and is an author and speaker who champions leadership, teamwork, and character development—both on and off the court. He is also the author of The Ordinary Extraordinary Soldier: The Letters and Journey of WWII Mechanic SSG George Henderson, 80th Infantry Division. Brandon earned his BA in History from Fresno State University. He earned his MA in Educational Leadership from City University of Seattle. 

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 relationship-building by modeling connection activities, creating shared resources, and embedding brief connection routines into every staff meeting throughout the year. In this conversation, Derrick offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Students will not learn at their best until they feel seen, heard, and valued, and that environment has to be built intentionally before content can stick. Teachers who say relationship-building "isn't their thing" often just lack a structure or script. Giving them ready-made activities and modeling them first removes that barrier. When leaders model connection activities with staff, teachers replicate them in their classrooms. What you put in front of people is what you are most likely to see spread. Ten years from now, students and staff will not remember individual lessons, they will remember how you made them feel. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Learn more about Intellispark Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website   About Derrick Lawson:  Derrick Lawson retired in June of 2025 after 9 years as Principal of  his Alma Mater – Indio High School in Desert Sands USD and 31 years as a K-12 principal at all three levels. Aside from being a K-12 student in the district, he returned his third year of teaching to the district and after teaching, served as a Facilitator in State and Federal Programs and a principal at all 3 levels and opened 2 new campuses. He has spent the majority of his career working in high poverty schools as well as with large populations of long term English Learners and special needs students. During his 9 years in the classroom, he taught all levels K-12 as well as in the University credentialing program as an adjunct professor. He was selected as ACSA Region XIX's Principal of the Year in 2010 and then selected as the ACSA State Middle Grades Principal of the Year and NASSP 2012 Principal of the Year for California and 2025 ACSA State Secondary Principal of the Year. He has served in several leadership roles for ACSA over the years.  In addition to serving his Charter, he was the Region 19 President and Treasurer as well as the NASSP State Coordinator for California and has been involved in State and National lobbying efforts for education from 2012 to the present. He served as the NASSP Region 7 Coordinator, leading the 9 western states and facilitating their advocacy and professional development efforts and a 3 year term on the Board of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. He has been directing one of the ACSA Principals Academies for the past 10 years. His newest role is the Co-Executive Director for the California Association for Teaching, Leading, and Learning (CATLL) after serving on the board for 4 years. He lives in Bermuda Dunes and loves to travel, play piano, scrapbook, and all things Disney.  He is married with two adult children and an unexpected 4 (as his wife says) grand-dogs and a cat.

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 remain the constant no matter what else is changing, and what it might look like for schools to move from data overload to real-time, actionable support for students and staff. In this conversation, John, Houston, and Lindsay offer important reminders for educators and leaders: The same resource can transform one school and feel like one more burden in another, what makes the difference, almost every time, is leadership and vision. Behavior challenges and attendance issues are still real, but what's making a difference in schools hasn't changed: educators who build genuine relationships with students. When all we do is react to relentless demands, the work becomes unsustainable, being proactive is not just more effective, it's what keeps educators in the work. Every interaction with a student carries weight you may not see in the moment. The work is serious, it is love in action, and it matters every single day. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Learn more about Intellispark Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website

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 information between educators, and the lack of just-in-time support for teachers who encounter a student need but aren't sure what to do next. In this conversation, Steve offers important reminders for educators and leaders: When educators know something personal about a student, even a brief conversation about it can shift the entire relationship and improve academic outcomes. Critical information about a student — a loss, a struggle, a win — too often stays with one adult instead of reaching the whole team, and that gap has real consequences. Most professional development is episodic, but the moments that require it are daily. Educators need tools and strategies available to them in real time, not just at the start of the year. Every interaction with a student can be a pivotal one, even when neither the educator nor the student knows it at the time. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Learn more about Intellispark Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website

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 into the broader work of intentionally building, maintaining, and restoring relationships with students. In this conversation, John offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Direct compliments can sometimes feel off-putting to students you haven't connected with yet. Indirect recognition through another adult can feel more credible and genuine. The secondhand compliment only works when the positive observation is specific and real, it cannot be fluff. Delivering recognition through a coach, counselor, or administrator creates a network of adults who are actively affirming students together. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website

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 MTSS works best when it's treated as a district-wide priority, not a department, and why celebrating incremental progress is just as important as reaching mastery, especially for the most vulnerable students. In this conversation, Dr. Susanne Thompson offers important reminders for educators and leaders: MTSS should be owned across an entire school system, not siloed in special education or guidance, the right adult response needs to show up everywhere students are. Protecting time for teachers to actually use student data is one of the highest-leverage decisions a leader can make. Investing in educator skill and confidence is the most direct path to better student outcomes. Many teachers aren't unwilling, they're undertrained. Progress deserves celebration at every point on the scale, not just at the finish line. Movement matters, especially for your most vulnerable students. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website   About Dr. Thompson:  Dr. Susanne H. Thompson serves as Vice President of Business Development at SESI, where she leads growth strategy, programs, services, and market expansion. She is deeply focused on strengthening partnerships and building new relationships that extend SESI's reach—helping more students in need truly shine. Susanne began her career as a classroom teacher in Pennsylvania and went on to serve as a building administrator, director of curriculum and instruction, and superintendent of schools. She has held senior leadership and executive roles at organizations including Discovery Inc., Discovery Education, Northwestern Lehigh School District, Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit, and Colibri Group with Moreland University. Her expertise spans business development, sales and marketing, operational effectiveness, curriculum and instructional design, technology integration, and education-industry partnerships. Career highlights include presenting at ERDI, AASA, and state superintendent councils; writing for Teach Secondary in the UK; serving as a keynote speaker during National Digital Week in Ireland; supporting the launch of the Egyptian Knowledge Bank in Cairo; and teaching in Australia.

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 as an add-on, but as the core driver of academic and behavioral outcomes. When students feel seen and supported in small-group settings, attendance goes up, behavior challenges go down, and learning accelerates. In this conversation, Devon offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Praising the process over the product builds resilience and strengthens relationships with both students and staff. High-impact tutoring done well produces four to six additional months of learning in just 10 to 12 weeks, and those gains tend to stick. Relationship is not something you add to the work when there's time, relationship is the work. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website   About Devon Wible:  Devon Wible serves as the Vice President of Teaching and Learning at Catapult Learning, where she leads the design, development, and implementation of high-impact academic programs and instructional initiatives. She oversees curriculum development, instructional quality, special education, and academic services—driving efforts that empower educators and improve student outcomes. Devon is passionate about ensuring equitable access to rigorous instruction and has championed initiatives in literacy and math intervention, high-dosage tutoring, professional development, and data-informed teaching practices.  Under her leadership, Catapult has expanded its use of evidence-based programs, adaptive technology, and educator training models that support measurable academic growth. Most recently, her teams contributed to a 5% year-over-year increase in students meeting national growth benchmarks in reading and math. Devon partners across teams to align strategy, execution, and innovation in service of Catapult's mission to close learning gaps and create brighter futures for all students. Devon began her career as a high school teacher and Teach For America corps member in Camden, NJ. She holds a bachelor's degree in history from Princeton University and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kansas.

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-loading expectations before transitions, tasks, and high-risk moments. When implemented consistently, it shifts behavioral responsibility to students over time. In this conversation, John Norlin offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Constant correction increases interpersonal conflict, which damages classroom climate and drives disengagement. Pre-correction means intentionally reminding students of expected behaviors before they enter a new setting or begin a task. Effective pre-correction requires three steps: identify the situations, define the expected behaviors, and teach students why those behaviors serve them. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Learn more about CharacterStrong Implementation Support Visit the CharacterStrong Website