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
Robert Hand teaches at Mount Vernon High School. His subjects are Family and Consumer Sciences and Leadership. He is currently teaching Careers in Education - Recruiting Washington Teachers, Leadership, Nutrition, and Life After High School. Robert is the 2019 Washington State Teacher of the Year.
We talk with Robert about the strategies that he uses to help keep the important things as priorities in his life, and how that starts with looking at how he spends his time.
Jeff Baines' career in education has spanned nearly 30 years as a teacher, coach, athletic director, assistant principal and now he is entering his 1st year as principal of Burlington-Edison High School. Jeff has also served as a high school coach for football, baseball, fastpitch, softball, and track & field. He was named the Unsung Hero for the Sumner community in 2017 and the WA state AD of the Year in 2018. With the love and support from Neil, Aaron, Sadie and especially his wife Marguerite Jeff is excited to serve the Burlington-Edison community.
We talk with Jeff about the important role that athletics can play in the lives of students and he shares some unique things that he has done to help teachers and staff engage with students through athletics.
Jared Smith is a student at Central Washington University and when he is not in class he is traveling around to speak on the importance of love. He also runs a company called Project Love People that is on a mission to remind the others that in the stress and hatred of the world what really matters is to GROW MINDS. HAVE FUN. and LOVE PEOPLE.
We talk with Jared about what it means to Grow Minds, Have Fun, and Love People, how love is an intentional choice, and the importance of being intentional when it comes to relationships.
Marla Mattenson is a relationship & intimacy expert specializing in coaching couples in business together with a desire to learn how to take their drive for success and growth mindset in business and apply it to invigorate their relationship. Over the course of her 25 year career, she's helped more than 12,000 couples including Academy Award winning actors, producers and directors, NBA players and coaches, Grammy Award winning artists, and millionaire entrepreneurs. Marla was also a National Board Certified mathematics teacher in Los Angeles for seven years and is currently on the board of directors of a charter school in Hollywood consulting for them on their sexual education programs for 7th – 12th grade. She's coached couples, families, individuals, companies, as well as school culture and leadership. Using her neuroscience and mathematics background, Marla is uniquely gifted at working with couples to transform their negative habitual patterns because the hidden power of successful businesses, are the stable, loving relationships behind the scenes.
We talk to Marla about the positive and negative power struggles that happen in the Classroom and she shares some strategies and techniques that can help shift the way look at power in the classroom.
Sally Rusk has taught middle school for 20 years. She's taught in the Edmonds, Bellingham, and most recently she spent 12 years as the activity coordinator at Inglewood Middle School in the Lake Washington School District. She was on the planning team for Timberline Middle School which opens in the Fall. She was the 2018 Washington State Middle Level Advisor of the Year and teaches social and emotional learning centered classes to over 250 kids a year. She is also a Character Strong presenter and loves to travel the country supporting educators do this very important work.
We talk to Sally about the CharacterDare Process and how it has transformed the 18 different classes that she has led through it. She also shares some tips for those just starting the CharacterDare process.
Thane Marcus Ringler is a former pro golfer turned speaker, author, coach, and entrepreneur living in Los Angeles, CA. After competing for nearly four years as a professional, he transitioned out of the world of golf into his new endeavors. In his current work, Thane's mission is to help others live and work better. He is passionate about speaking to the journey from the journey, and wants to empower this generation to take ownership of their lives and never settle for less than they are capable of. Thane is also the host of The Up & Comers Show, a podcast all about learning how to live a good life. To find more on Thane and his work, visit: ThaneMarcus.com
We talk to Thane about leadership, the different things that we need to do in order to lead others well, and he shares a few of the things that he has learned when it comes to personal development.
Natalie Fikac is an educator with over 23 years of experience. Her educational experience began as an elementary school teacher, reading interventionist and dyslexia specialist, Professional School Counselor at both the elementary and secondary level, campus administrator and district level administrator. In her previous educational experience, she served as the Director of Guidance & Counseling in Spring Branch ISD where she supported 85 Professional School Counselors, the district CYS crisis team and advocated on behalf of the 35,000 students of SBISD. She has also served as an adjunct professor at Lamar University where she taught and lead aspiring administrators. She is passionate about growing leaders, instilling self-care in those that she supports and educating and advocating on behalf of students and families in the areas of mental health, behavioral health and social-emotional needs.
We talk with Natalie about the importance of the tier one supports for the mental and behavioral health, and she gives some steps that schools can take to be more intentional in the area of tier one supports.
Ryan Healy who has taught for 13 years at Ridgeline Middle School in Yelm, WA. Ryan is the 2019 Capital Region ESD 113 Teacher of the Year and was a finalist for the 2019 Washington State Teacher of the Year. He was also honored with the Association of Washington Student Leaders Middle-Level Adviser of the Year Award in 2014.
We talk with Ryan about the importance of being available for our students and he shares some intentional ways that we can make time for the students and staff at our schools.
Paul has spent the last 23 years as a classroom teacher. The last 21 of those years have been spent at Monrovia High School in beautiful Southern California, mostly as a social science teacher. In 2008 he became the Renaissance Coordinator. In 2018 Paul became the school's first Climate & Culture Coordinator, with responsibilities of Renaissance Coordinator, Activities Director and Link Crew Coordinator. In 2012 he was chosen as the Monrovia Unified Teacher of the Year. In 2013 Jostens Renaissance recognized Paul as a National Coordinator of the Year and last summer he was inducted into the Jostens Renaissance Hall of Fame. Paul and his wife Lisa and I have 2 fantastic kids, Steven who just finished is junior year at Point Loma Nazarene University and Kaitlyn, who will be starting her freshman year at UC San Diego in September.
We talk with Paul about one unique and intentional way that they recognize seniors at Monrovia High School and he shares about Monrovia's school-wide night of recognition and the impact that it has had in the lives of both students and teachers.
As the professional development leader in Wyoming's largest high school, Amy Rose serves as an assistant principal willing to make changes and challenge the high school norm. Focused on literacy intervention, accountability, and graduation data, Amy has challenged Kelly Walsh High School to "do hard things." Recently, Amy has paired with Gear Up Wyoming to challenge leaders to think differently about the impact of leadership and literacy in a secondary setting. In her 20th year in education, Amy holds a certificate of School Principalship from the University of Wyoming, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Grand Canyon University, and a BS in Education, 7-12 English Language Arts and Physical Education from Chadron State College in Chadron, NE.
We talk with Amy about the 4 pillars at Kelly Walsh HS: excellence in academics, athletics, activities, & acceptance, and she shares ways Kelly Walsh makes time to be intentional about acceptance.
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