449: Middle School
Summary
Prompted by a 14-year-old’s plea, this episode explores the social and emotional turbulence of middle school through diverse stories. It features a former teacher who argues the age is too chaotic for traditional learning, a developmental psychologist who explains the brain changes driving this "terrible 12s" phase, and reporters documenting the anxiety of middle school dances. The show also includes a memoir excerpt about Mexican-American sisters who invented a wealthy white persona to cope with border-town racism, and a student news segment where kids report on the drama, rumors, and frie…
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Capella University
Listener letter: The judgment and drama of middle school
Sponsors: Safva and Betterment; Show intro
Interview: Principal on middle school development and learning
Field report: Life at a middle school dance
Sponsor: Capital One
Story: The Mimi's, a family's coping mechanism in Texas
Field report: Middle school morning announcements and news
Story: Leo's struggle with anxiety and making friends
Story: Teacher helps student navigate peer conflict and trauma
Outro and sponsor: Whole Foods Market
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