Marc Gallaway who is the Principal of Selah Middle School in Washington State and has been in the same district for 21 years. He was the 2018 Washington State Middle-Level Principal of the Year and is a force for change in his state and beyond. 

We talk with Marc about the intentional things that his school is doing to help get new 6th grade students started academically and he talks about different strategies that have helped set 6th graders on a great path at the beginning of the school year.

John & Houston have some fun and talk about the first thing that comes to mind on different School Culture & Climate topics. 

Topic: Social Media

During her almost 40 years of working with student activities, Terry has coached a cheer team, advised NHS and student council, and served as an Activities Coordinator. She has been a co-director of a National Leadership Camp, a leadership consultant and curriculum coordinator for the Texas Association of Activities, and been presented with the Earl Reum award. She is currently vice-president of the National Association of Student Council Executive Directors and the Director of the Texas Association of Student Councils.

We talk with Terry about why it is important to invest time, energy, and resources into student councils/leadership & what schools can do successfully to create a great student council program.

CharacterStrong co-founders John & Houston have some fun and talk about the first thing that comes to mind on different School Culture & Climate topics.  Topics: Inclusion, favorite ideas to recognize people in unique ways,

We sit down with student leaders Jenna, Gibby, and Cheney, at the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals State Conference. They chat about student perspective on what should be focused on in education today, and also share what they are grateful for.

Coach Don Bartel has been a teacher and coach in Washington state for 22 years. He has coached and/or taught at the middle school, high school, and collegiate level.  He has served as a head coach at three different high schools for a combined 15 years; and has been the head football coach, leadership teacher, ASB advisor, and activities coordinator at Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Washington for the past six years.

We talk with Coach Bartel about how their school branding campaign, “Wolf Strong, Pack Strong” has patiently come about and gives some practical tips on how they have kept the campaign fresh for the students and staff at Eastlake. 

Roman is a HS ELA Teacher in Rockland, Ontario, Canada. An educator for 15 years, Roman is passionate about student success, school transformation and building HOPE in schools through authentic learning experiences. Husband, father to two beautiful daughters, educational leader Roman collaborates with educators from across the world to spread kindness, to build impact globally and to tear down the four traditional walls of a school.

We talk with Roman about how we can give more voice, choice, and ownership of the learning to our students. He shares about the  independent research project he designed where the goal only was to make a difference.

Alicia Jensen is the Principal at Ptarmigan Ridge Elementary in Orting WA. She was a cast member at Disney World in the college internship program and she also is an incredibly passionate administrator who is always looking for different ways to serve her students and staff.

We talk with Alicia about the Staff Chips, a simple and creative tool that she uses to intentionally connect with her staff.

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 what it means to be an authentic teacher, and he shares about how important it is to model authenticity for our students everyday.

Youth motivational speaker Scott Backovich has dedicated his life to doing one thing: inspiring teens through speaking at their level. He’s been a featured speaker at conferences and schools across North America, appeared regularly on both television and radio as a teen help advocate, and established himself as a worldwide youth speaker that students can trust. His stories connect. His lessons inspire. Best of all — Scott’s advice sticks.We talk to Scott about climate mapping, looking at the highs and lows of an entire school year, and he shares about some ways that schools can be intentional in the more stressful times for students.