Stay ConnectedThe CharacterStrong Podcast: Weekly conversations for anyone in education.
CharacterStrong provides an evidence-based, multi-tiered solution to support whole child success. Curricula and trainings that improve behavior, increase safety, and support mental health.
For more information visit our website: characterstrong.com
Today CharacterStrong Co-Founder John Norlin reminds us that at the core of our work it's all about relationships. He shares two quick stories that highlight the positive outcomes that can happen when we purposefully engage with our students' interests and strive to learn from them. John also reminds us that so often what we see on the surface does not reveal the full story of what is happening in the lives of those around us.
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Today our guest is Dr. David Arencibia, Principal at Colleyville Middle School in Colleyville, TX. We talk with Dr. Arencibia about what it takes to build a strong, positive school culture, and how they have succeeded in doing so at Colleyville. He explains how they have prioritized their four core values: relationships, positivity, a growth mindset, and teamwork, and how they incorporate these values into everything they do. Dr. Arencibia also discusses how they maintain a positive culture and the importance of intentionally modeling these values and positive behaviors for staff and students every day.
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Dr. David Arencibia is a highly regarded educator with over two decades of experience as a school leader, dedicated to building cultures of success that prioritize high standards and positive culture. His school has been recognized as one of the Best Schools in Texas and the country by Newsweek and US News & World Report. David's leadership skills have accelerated the school's progress, making it a Nationally Recognized Model Campus, Texas School To Watch, and National PTA School of Excellence with more PTA members than students. He understands the importance of building strong teams with shared vision and values, resulting in high employee satisfaction and engagement. EducationWeek has featured David in articles on building a positive culture and teacher retention. He was named the 2022 Texas Secondary Principal of the Year and a finalist for National Secondary Principal of the Year in 2023. He was also a finalist for 2022 Texan of the Year by the Dallas Morning News. David is currently working with best-selling author Jimmy Casas on David's book that will be released later this year.
Today our guest is Meredith Draughn, School Counselor at B Everett Jordan Elementary in North Carolina and also the 2023 ASCA National School Counselor of the Year. We talk to Meredith about the easy minute meeting, which is a simple needs assessment strategy. She breaks down the 4 question assessment that makes up the meeting and talks about the importance of activating positive thinking with students. Meredith also shares how she introduces & implements these meetings during the school year, and how the data has helped support students in really practical ways.
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Meredith Draughn is the 2023 School Counselor of the Year. Draughn is the school counselor at B. Everett Jordan Elementary School in Graham, N.C. A school counselor since 2014, Draughn is the first national School Counselor of the Year from North Carolina. A National Board Certified School Counselor, Draughn received her bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University and her master's degree from Appalachian State University. She is an ASCA U School Counseling Leadership Specialist; Mental Health Specialist; Anxiety & Stress Management Specialist; Cultural Competency Specialist; and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Specialist. B. Everett Jordan Elementary School is a Recognized ASCA Model Program school that serves 355 students in grades K–5.
Today our guest is Megan Gruis the Executive Director of Implementation Supports & Tier 2 at CharacterStrong. We talk with Megan about the importance of coaching alongside professional development (PD), and the science behind it. She reminds us that it is not enough to simply introduce new ideas during implementation; consistent coaching of our teams is necessary to help them be more effective in their efforts to help students. Megan shares research and statistics that demonstrate the impact of coaching, and explains how it relates to confidence and retention. She also emphasizes the importance of establishing heart-to-heart relationships, and reminds us that change is a process that requires support as we move forward.
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Season 6 Kickoff!
We talk with CharacterStrong Co-Founder Houston Kraft about key strategies that can help us be more intentional in our work and relationships. He shares about the power of specificity, surprise, and constraint, and how these approaches can help us better connect with others. Houston also shares about the importance of consistency over time. He reminds us that true change and growth come from sustained effort and dedication, and reminds us that we need to cultivate habits of kindness every day.
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Today our guest is Jana Clark, Assistant Principal, Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District. We talk with Jana about the significance of planning professional development. She shares how she approaches professional development by considering what educators require and how administrators can support them through great PD. Jana explains how they intentionally connect teachers from various schools to remind them about the impact they have on students' lives. Additionally, she shares how they model campus expectations for educators during professional development, providing strategies that they can bring back to the classroom.
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Jana Clark has served 15 years as an educator. Her teaching journey began as a coach, theatre, special education, and communications applications teacher. After spending seven years in the classroom, she transitioned into campus administration and has served eight years as an assistant principal for both high school and junior high. Currently, Jana is an Assistant Principal at Harwood Junior High in HEB ISD, an "A" rated campus that has been designated as a National Schools to Watch. Her commitment to excellence has been recognized, as she was awarded TASSP Assistant Principal of the Year in 2022 and HEB Assistant Principal of the Year in 2021 and 2023. Jana considers it her personal mission to educate, inspire, and challenge students and staff to reach their full potential!
Today our guest is Dr. Renee Carr - Owner and Founder of Kids Before Content LLC.
We talk with Dr. Carr about importance of educators developing their own social & emotional learning skills in order to better serve their students. Dr. Carr shares an example from the classroom that highlights the significance of equipping and supporting educators. She also discusses her new book, Kids Before Content: An Educator's Guide on Social-Emotional Learning Competencies, and provides practical suggestions for how we can assist educators today. Dr. Carr underscores the significance of leadership and character, not only for the present but also for future generations.
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Renee G. Carr, EdD has been working in education and related programmatic work since 2007. She is multilingual: she speaks Modern Greek, French, and Spanish. Dr. Carr has worked at a university, government contractors, non-profits, associations, and two school districts in the Washington, DC area.
Dr. Carr's areas of expertise include social-emotional learning, international exchange, and world languages. She has a background in educational research including qualitative coding, case studies, literature reviews, and project management. She has presented at conferences and shared research findings with peers in her field.
During the pandemic, she wrote a book for the publisher Rowman & Littlefield called Accountability in the Classroom: Using Social-Emotional Learning to Guide School Improvement. The premise of this book came from her dissertation topic, social-emotional learning and school accountability systems. She added her own experiences as an educator both from the perspectives of World Language education and the COVID-19 crisis.
The idea behind her second book Kids Before Content: An Educator's Guide on Social-Emotional Learning Competencies came from both her dissertation and her experiences with recommending a pilot social-emotional learning program at her school.
In 2022, Dr. Carr became a trainer and coach. She offers education and training in emotional intelligence and leadership. Dr. Carr received her EdD in Educational Leadership and Administration from the George Washington University in 2019 and her MA in Political Science in 2009 from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She obtained her BA in French and International Studies in 2007 from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Today our guest is Josh Nelson a School Counselor at Richard Lewis Brown Gifted and Talented Academy. We talk with Josh about creating systems for changing how discipline referrals are handled in schools. Josh suggests that we view behavior as unmet needs rather than just bad behavior, and emphasizes the importance of shifting our thinking about discipline from punishment to correction. Josh also shares how they analyzed behavior referral data and realized that teachers needed more information on behavior and trauma, and students needed more tools and systems to address their needs. By implementing these system changes, they were able to reduce behavior referrals by 74% since 2016, and improve attendance, academic performance, and school culture survey results.
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Josh's Bio: Joshua Nelson, M.Ed., School Counselor at Richard Lewis Brown Gifted and Talented Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. I am a proud graduate of the University of North Florida receiving my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education (2009) and my Master's Degree in Counselor Education (2016). I have worked in Education for 15 years spending 2010 - 2015 as an Elementary Teacher and from 2015 to present as an Elementary School Counselor. Josh has received the following awards, As a teacher: 2012, Teacher of the Year and a Semi-Finalist for Duval County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. As a School Counselor: 2017, Teacher of the Year for R.L. Brown. 2020, Led R.L. Brown to become a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP). 2021, Lucille Crysell School Counselor of the Year for Duval County Public Schools 2022, Florida School Counselor of the Year 2023, ASCA National School Counselor of the Year Finalist
Today our guest is Chris Layton the Executive Director of Partnerships at CharacterStrong. We talk to Chris about how we can be more intentional, relational, and transformational leaders. He breaks down each one of those focuses and gives us some examples of how we intentionally shape our school cultures every single day. Chris also reminds us that growth in these areas doesn't just happen, we have to have a plan, and he shares how he plans for personal growth throughout the year.
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Today our guest is Dr. Clay Cook the Chief Development Officer at CharacterStrong. We talk with Clay about the importance of focusing on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). He shares that MTSS is a framework that provides a continuum of supports that can be matched to the level of student needs. Clay also emphasizes the need for adult supports to ensure that educators are engaging in effective practices for all students. He he shares how CharacterStrong is supporting this work with an MTSS Certification and a Tier 2 Certification. Finally, Clay stresses the importance of ongoing professional learning as a key element in implementing MTSS systems.
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