Inside The Mind of Teens and Tweens

Most of us have accepted that managing student trauma is part of every teacher’s job in the wake of the pandemic. In this episode, we look at strategies and tools we’ve been using for years that can be repurposed to help students manage the social-emotional issues they’re bringing to school. Follow on Twitter: @GaskellMGaskell @RLamourelle @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd Dr. Michael Gaskell is Principal at Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick, NJ. following experience as a special educator and assistant principal in Paramus, NJ. He continues to model the pursuit of lifelong learning as he serves to mentor new principals through the New Jersey Leaders to Leaders program. An NJPSA Stars recipient, he has been published in over 2 dozen articles in education journals and blogs, including eSchoolNews, NASSP, Edtech and ASCD Smartbrief, he has made the most-read section of ASCD Smartbrief numerous times. Mike had a book published in October, 2020 (Microstrategy Magic), and a second book published in September 2021 (Leading Schools Through Trauma).

From discipline and punishment to academic expectations, stereotypical perceptions cause many of us to treat black teenage girls differently. The phenomenon is called adultification and our guest explains how placing grownup expectations on black teens in the classroom adversely impacts their academic performance. Follow on Twitter: @socprofjones @RLamourelle @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd Nikki Jones is professor and H. Michael and Jeanne Williams Department Chair of African American Studies at UC-Berkeley. She is a Black feminist scholar and author of two books, The Chosen Ones: Black Men and the Politics of Redemption (2018), winner of the American Society of Criminology’s Outstanding Book Award in 2020, and Between Good and Ghetto: African American Girls and Inner-City Violence (2009). She is frequently cited in local, national, and international news outlets as an expert on race, violence, and policing.

There was a spike in mental health issues among teens before the pandemic, but there were many eyes on our students who could reach out and help. Pandemic isolation has introduced a new level and type of mental health struggles. What are the red flags? What can teachers and parents do? Follow on Twitter: @pfagell @RLamourelle @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC is the school counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C. and a therapist at The Chrysalis Group. Phyllis frequently writes columns on counseling, parenting and education for The Washington Post, and she’s the author of "Middle School Matters" (Hachette, 2019). Phyllis blogs at phyllisfagell.com.

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving change across the global education community, including the transition to college. Join us as we look at the new role and significance of “the gap year” and how to help students make the most of it. Follow on Twitter: @RLamourelle @MeganMOConnor @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd Megan O’Connor is serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Kaplan, one of the world’s largest and most diversified educational services providers. She is currently spearheading development of Kaplan’s new Boost Year program, designed for pre-college students to help bridge the gap between the college experience and work readiness. Prior to joining Kaplan, Megan founded, led and sold Clark, a provider of end-to-end operation software, education services and coaching for teachers who want to grow their tutoring business

It’s been a challenging year for all of us, and if adults are struggling to navigate these unsettling times, how are teens and tweens coping? In this session, we talk about how to assess how students are getting along and what we can do to help those who need support. Follow on Twitter: @RLmourelle @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Robert C. Schmidt, Ed.D, LCPC, NCC is a national speaker and consultant on building sustainable school mental health and suicide prevention programs centered on data collection, outcomes, quality of services, and student achievement. With interests embedded in research, Dr. Schmidt has published chapters in recognized books including the award-winning book by Dr. Kathryn Seifert, How Children Become Violent (2006) and Youth Violence (2011). He has led studies in the field of youth suicide, school mental health and was a contributor to Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In 2009 Dr. Schmidt published and is the author of the Risk Identification Suicide Kit (RISK) and in 2018 the RISK2, a suicide assessment instrument for ages 7-24. Dr. Schmidt previously worked at Johns Hopkins BayView Campus in Baltimore, Maryland and provided coverage to the Johns Hopkins Psychiatric Children’s Center, Baltimore Adolescent Treatment Program, Outpatient Clinic, and 24-hour Baltimore Child & Adolescent Crisis Response Team. He is the Mental Health Coordinator for Talbot County Public Schools and provides outpatient mental health services in Centreville, MD.