On today’s episode: Author of 12 Middle School Superpowers, Phyllis L Fagell, joins us to discuss the plight of tweens living in a post-pandemic world and how parents and teachers can help them find humor, derive meaning from painful experiences, and feel a sense of belonging. Phyllis is a nationally board-certified school counselor, author, and therapist who works with kids and families in private practice.

Topics:

02:15 The plight of tweens in a post-pandemic world

05:05 Social Media’s impact on tweens

10:00 The 12 Middle School Superpowers

12:00 The importance of humor

15:50 Development from elementary to high school

21:00 Building courage incrementally

23:00 Deriving meaning from painful experiences

25:45 Super Belonging

28:00 Optimism for supporting kids moving forward

You can purchase 12 Middle School Superpowers at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target. To learn more about Phyllis’s work, visit phyllisfagell.com [https://phyllisfagell.com/].

Superpowers for Middle Schoolers with Phyllis L. Fagell

The Journalistic Learning Podcast explores the question: What if we infused journalist strategies into English Language Arts courses to teach students media literacy, critical thinking, and effective communication skills? 

Join hosts Ed Madison and Bo Brusco as they chat with ELA teachers who are leading or have led journalistic learning projects in their classrooms. Hear their stories of trial and triumph, as well as their tips and advice. Along the way, Bo will keep you up-to-date on relevant education news, and Ed will share quarterly Journalistic Learning Initiative updates. 

Ed is a professor and researcher at the University of Oregon and serves as Executive Director of the Journalistic Learning Initiative (JLI), a non-profit organization that pioneers and promotes journalistic learning as a way of empowering students to discover their voice, improve academic outcomes, and engage in self-directed learning through project-based storytelling. 

Bo is the Communications Manager of JLI, a former high school ELA teacher, and an award-winning multimedia journalist. 

Many of the teachers you'll hear from have taken part in JLI's Effective Communicators Program, a 10-week, standards-aligned instructional plan that guides students through a journalistic learning project.

If you'd like to learn more about JLI, journalistic learning, or our Effective Communicators Program, visit journalisticlearning.org [https://journalisticlearning.org/]!