Jeff Berger-White teaches English at Deerfield High School, where he has been teaching his entire career. This is the end of his twenty-eighth year. Over that time period, he has taught all grades and all levels. He currently teaches Sophomore English, A.P. Literature and Composition, and Sophomore English Survey, a course for struggling readers. In 2007, Jeff was selected as one of Golden Apple’s Teachers of Distinction, and last spring, Jeff won the Distinguished Secondary Teaching Award (DSTA...
Jul 27, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 99
Meet Kelly Griffin! Most of her 500 students call her Miss G!! Miss G rocks the schoolhouse by teaching social-emotional and character development skills at an elementary school in San Diego. She has a master’s degree in elementary education from Rockhurst University (back home in the Midwest) and a certification in Social-Emotional and Character Development from Rutger’s University online program. She is the co-creator of a program that provides universal SEL instruction to all students. Miss G...
Jul 23, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 98
Dr. Lynass is the owner and Executive Director of Sound Supports whose mission is to support every student and very school through the use of a Multi-tiered framework. Dr. Lynass has over 22 years of experience in the field of education and has worked directly with over 100 schools, 1,000 districts and 4 state departments of education on their implementation of academic and behavioral systems. Previously Dr. Lynass has been the Executive Director of Northwest PBIS and a research scientist at the...
Jul 20, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 97
Rachael Kettner is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher and has been teaching middle school Science for the majority of her 19 years in public schools in Arizona, Idaho and Washington State. She currently teaches 7th and 8th grade Science at Selkirk Middle School just outside of Spokane, WA.
Jul 16, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 96
Jacob D. LeBlanc, Ed. D. is the principal at Katy Junior High in Katy, Texas. He has been an educator for 29 years in the great state of Texas! His wife is an elementary school counselor. They have 3 adult children; an LSU Tiger son, a Notre Dame Fighting Irish son and a daughter with one more year as a UT Longhorn! Jacob has dedicated his life to serving others and created and Co-Moderates the LeadUpKaty podcast.
Jul 09, 2020•20 min•Season 2Ep. 94
We talk with Luis about the key to helping students move forward, the model that they have built on the Changemaker Campus, and he shares ways that we can intentionally put a focus on empathy & love. Luis Alberto Perales, M.S., is a native son of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. He is the son of an immigrant mother and an 5th generation Tejano father. A transplant to Tucson, AZ and the Sonoran Desert, Luis has spent over two decades in the Old Pueblo. He is the official Spokesman for th...
Jul 06, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 93
Don Wettrick is the founder and president of StartEdUp, an organization dedicated to help transform the school culture toward innovation and enable student-led entrepreneurship. He is also the author of "Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation." Wettrick has worked as a middle school and high school teacher; educational and innovation consultant; CEO, and podcast host. Don has lectured across the US, Europe, South America and Africa about collaboration, social media use, and work environme...
Jul 02, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 92
In her 16 years in education, Morgan Castillo shares her hunger for lifelong learning among students of all ages and backgrounds with experience in primary and secondary levels. She also empowers educators to share their passions as in various leadership roles and as session presenter at regional conferences. Morgan continues her drive for inspiring others in Midway ISD where she teaches fifth grade science at Woodgate Intermediate in Waco, Texas. Morgan is the 2020 Texas Region 12 Secondary Tea...
Jun 25, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 90
CharacterStrong Co-Founders Houston Kraft & John Norlin get together and talk about the concept of the Law of the Lid, they remind us that as leaders we set the tone, and share that this takes vulnerability & practice.
Jun 22, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 89
Bill studied biology and philosophy at The University of Notre Dame and earned his Masters in Teaching at The Evergreen State College. He worked in adolescent group homes for several years before becoming a high school science teacher in Tumwater, Washington. In 2005, Bill transitioned to administration, first as an Associate Principal at Oak Harbor High School and then as Principal at North Whidbey Middle School on Whidbey Island, Washington. Mr. Weinsheimer embraces the philosophy of servant l...
Jun 18, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 88
Andrea is a Seattle-area kindergarten teacher who keeps relationships and balance at the center of her practice. She believes, in order to show up and be the best teacher possible, you must intentionally work on the best version of yourself. Mindful check-ins with colleagues, intentional relationships with students, and a healthy life away from the classroom are all things that Andrea prioritizes as an educator.
Jun 15, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 87
Tamara Letter is a passionate educator with more than two decades of experience as an elementary teacher, differentiation specialist, technology integrator, and instructional coach. She received the 2018 R.E.B. Award for Teaching Excellence and is the author of A Passion for Kindness: Making the World a Better Place to Lead, Love, and Learn. You can connect with Tamara on her website at www.tamaraletter.com or on Twitter or Instagram (@tamaraletter)...
Jun 11, 2020•14 min•Season 2Ep. 86
As Co-Founder of Labhya Foundation, an India-based nonprofit, Richa's journey has revolved around the question, “What does it take to preserve empathy among children?” Richa has worked as an educator, volunteer, mentor & activist with children from at-risk, refugee & migrant communities across India. She has been a Teach For India fellow & a Teach For All Global Girls’ Education fellow. At 21 years old, Richa founded Labhya with a vision to enable all children to become conscious dec...
Jun 08, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 85
Leigh Kokenes is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist in Raleigh, North Carolina and works at an elementary and middle school in an urban school district. Her early career included work on a birth to age 3 early intervention team and later working with adults who are developmentally disabled. She then found her way to the field of School Psychology. Ms. Kokenes serves on her professional association’s board (North Carolina School Psychology Association) to support advocacy for increased me...
Jun 01, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 83
Amy Heimerl is a wife, mom, grandma, educator, gardener, aspiring artist & author, prayer warrior, worship leader and most importantly, daughter of God. Amy has been an educator for 26 years. Twenty-three of those years have been focused on working with students who have emotional and behavioral struggles and students who learn differently. From 1997-2004 she was a special education teacher at a juvenile correctional facility in Northern Wisconsin. From the moment she began teaching there, A...
May 28, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 82
Sandi Pinner is a wife, mother of 4 boys, Nani of 2 and has been married to her husband for the past 26 years. Sandi has been in education since 1999 and currently is the Pre-K-12th Grade School Counselor in Chireno ISD a small 1A district in deep East Texas.
May 25, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 81
Jordan Osborn is in his 10th year of working in education. He started off as a social studies teacher in several different schools in Oregon where he also coached football and basketball. During his 10 years he has spent 7 years as an Athletic Director and 5 years as a vice principal most recently at Chiloquin Jr/Sr High School in Southern Oregon. Jordan is in his first year as Principal at Bonanza High School in South Central Oregon.
May 21, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 80
Brian Slater is an Assistant Principal at Fred Lynn Middle School. Brian believes in finding the good throughout the school! Finding the good, celebrating it, and sharing it with others sends a message of positivity and good vibes throughout the building and school community. He values each day, each moment and understands the importance of spreading love and kindness! School is and should be a place of fun and laughter, where we should never take ourselves too seriously. Enjoy the moments, do s...
May 18, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 79
As an educator for 19 years, Jen has enjoyed teaching in the classroom, as a gifted intervention specialist, and more recently as an instructional coach. Her recent Amazon #1 New Release, The Happy Teacher’s Handbook, shares strategies for inspiring teachers to find a reason to stay and make their impact on the world, one class at a time. Jen's superpower is getting teachers to smile again. She brings a refreshing perspective that lifts you up when you want to walk out, reminding you of the real...
May 14, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 78
We talk with Bethany about the lack of belonging in our schools, ways that we can focus on this work, and she shares about the importance of growing a culture of empathy. Bethany has been an educator for 21 years and considers herself a teacher who has filled many roles. Her experience includes teaching grades one, two, and three, instructional coaching, literacy trainer for her district, assistant principal, and principal. She is currently the assistant principal at Magness Creek Elementary in ...
May 11, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 77
Wes Kanawyer is the Principal of Woodgate Intermediate School in Waco, TX. He has a passion for serving, developing and empowering educators to pursue their own growth as they seek to enrich and enhance the lives of their students. He believes that relationships with students, families and staff are the foundational component to every area of success. He has spent his career in service to students and staff at a Title 1 District, where he taught history and coordinated an After School Program ta...
May 07, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 76
Jenny's from Madison, WI -- she played college hoops at Lake Forest and earned her doctorate at Loyola University in Chicago. Dr. Jenny Severson taught and led as a principal in Gurnee School District 56 before becoming an educational consultant. She works with schools, corporations and is trained in Brené Brown's Dare To Lead content and leadership work. Learn more about Jenny at JennySeverson.com
May 04, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 75
Tyson Sturza resides in West Pasco with his wife JJ and their two year old son Will. His is currently the building principal at Mabton Jr/Sr High School. Before coming to Mabton Tyson was a math and leadership (CharacterStrong Curriculum) teacher at Connell High School.
Apr 30, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 74
Dr. Clay Cook holds the John and Nancy Peyton Endowed Chair in Child and Adolescent Wellbeing at the University of Minnesota and is a Professor of Educational Psychology in the College of Education and Human Development. He has extensive research and practical experiences involving the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support to promote children’s social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing as the foundation for academic and life success. He co-founded the School Mental Health Assessmen...
Apr 27, 2020•21 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Ranesia Davenport Edwards has a track record of successful teaching experiences teaching struggling readers and is motivated to provide EVERY child with an exceptional education as a campus school administrator. Ranesia taught for 7 years, served as an Instructional Coach, and is currently in her 10th year in Administration in Katy ISD as an Assistant Principal. Ranesia’s Top 5 Strengths are Achiever, Discipline, Focus, Learner, and Analytical. Daily, those strengths are working together to prov...
Apr 23, 2020•19 min•Season 2Ep. 72
Erin McCarthy is the 2020 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year. She teaches 8th grade social studies at Greendale Middle School in Greendale, Wisconsin. In her eight years teaching she has collaborated to create a welcoming environment where students turn up the volume on the untold stories of history. She believes all students can be curious, self-directed activists and influencers and that we need to amplify the stories of educators who are grassroots change agents. After receiving her MA in Public H...
Apr 20, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Houston Kraft is a professional speaker, leadership consultant, and kindness advocate who speaks to middle schools, high schools, colleges, and businesses nationally. He has spoken at over 500 events and counting. Student Body President in High School, Class President at Bowdoin College, Leadership Camp Staff for 12 years in Washington - he is a lifelong learner of character, culture, kindness, and leadership.
Apr 16, 2020•14 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Lindsay was a High School Social Studies Teacher for over 10 years. She passionately believes that building relationships with students is not only important to creating a strong classroom culture, but vital to student learning. She enjoys the behind the scenes work at CharacterStrong and focuses most of her time on the operations of the organization.
Apr 13, 2020•17 min•Season 2Ep. 69
John Rodney graduated in 2004 from the University of Maine at Farmington with Bachelor of Science degrees in both English and Secondary Education. He began his career teaching at John Burroughs High School where he aided in the implementation of the College Preparatory English classes, working closely with Glendale Community College to ensure students were college ready in the area of English. For the past 9 years, John has been teaching at John Muir Middle School in Burbank, California as a 7th...
Apr 09, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Naudia Bosch is the Activities Coordinator, ASB Advisor, and Leadership teacher at North Creek High School (NCHS). She started out as a Special Education teacher in 2005 and in 2012 she had the opportunity to step into student leadership as a co-Activities Coordinator and ASB Advisor at Inglemoor High School. Once she dipped her toes into student leadership, there was no going back. She taught both ASB and Special Education up until this school year. In just their third year of being opened, NCH...
Apr 06, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 67
