The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast
💜☂️ The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ is a chart-topping parenting and education podcast hosted by Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSW — former middle school teacher, school librarian, administrator, professor of education, therapist, and educational sociologist with over 20 years of experience working with tweens, teens, families, and school systems.
👩🏫📚🎓 Educated, trained, and classroom-tested in Tennessee (UT🧡), Suzanne taught 5th, 7th, and 8th grade while becoming deeply determined to understand every layer of the middle school experience in order to better serve kids. From classrooms and school libraries to administration, behavioral support, higher education, and emotional health, that journey eventually became the foundation of The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ — a warm, research-based approach to helping families navigate the emotional realities of adolescence.
💕 ND-Friendly: MSMP is designed with neurodivergent listeners and families at the heart if the show, keeping distractions, abrupt interruptions, & excessive ads to a minimum for continuity & regulation. Any carefully selected, relevant sponsors will be limited and placed primarily at the beginning or end of episodes.
✨ Today, the podcast has grown into one of the top-ranked independent parenting podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, reaching listeners in more than 115 countries and earning over 3,600 five-star Spotify reviews.
🍎 Apple Podcasts (May 2026):
#1 in Kids & Family
#1 in Kids & Family: Parenting
🏆 Spotify:
3,600+ five-star reviews
Each episode blends years of classroom experience, humor, neurobiology, emotional regulation tools, school culture insight, and real-world support for parents, educators, and caregivers navigating the beautiful chaos of adolescence. Topics include anxiety, autism, ADHD, screen time, emotional resilience, executive functioning, family systems, neurodivergence, and the emotional realities of modern parenting.
📚 The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ is especially known for its “Emotional Critical Thinking” educational theory developed by Swain, (ECT) is based in systems theory and is focused on helping families move beyond shame, punishment, and panic toward connection, re/regulation, technology resilience, and long-term self-recognized growth using simple, practical tools families can actually use, with technology as a constant thread.
👏 The show proudly remains independently produced and intentionally selective about sponsorships and featured partnerships. Companies and organizations highlighted on the show are carefully vetted for alignment with the podcast’s mission, values, and commitment to supporting children and families ethically. If you are interested in speaking engagements or advertising, email: suzanneswain@gmail.com
🦊 If this episode helped your family, classroom, or community, you can support the show and explore additional resources for parents and educators at:
msmarypoppins.com. Help spread the word by offering some stars or a review! Thank you for supporting grassroots podcasting!
Coming Soon:
Downloadable Survival Guides & More
🎤 For media appearances, conferences, speaking engagements, educational consulting, or partnership opportunities:
suzanneswain@gmail.com
💜 Extra special thanks to Janine Stella of StellaMix for supporting independent podcast production and creative collaboration behind the scenes. To learn more about StellaMix or to help make your own podcasting dreams come true, visit: stellamix.com
The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast
S2 EP 9 - Learning Empathy: Right Here Waiting
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In this thoughtful and essential episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, Suzanne M. Swain, EDS, LMSW—Education Master & Specialist as well as working school-based Child Therapist introduces a new concept she believes every family, teacher, and community needs right now: Elementary Empathy-Based Learning (EEBL).
Suzanne dives into why today’s youngest learners—especially those who experienced early childhood during the pandemic—need intentional support in developing empathy, emotional awareness, and social connection. Through relatable stories, pop-culture references like Inside Out, and decades of school counseling experience, she shares how empathy builds safety, strengthens families, and helps kids understand themselves and others.
She explains how EEBL & empathy shows up in body language, storytelling, imagination, and even anxiety—and offers simple ways adults can nurture it through conversations, routines, respect, and everyday social skills. Suzanne also explores how middle schoolers can channel big emotions through creativity and art, turning anxious energy into meaningful self-expression.
This episode is a must-listen for parents, teachers, counselors, and anyone working with kids today. You’ll gain practical tools, deeper insight into child development, and a renewed appreciation for how empathy creates confident, connected, and capable kids.
Tune in to learn how empathy grows, why it matters, and how you can bring more of it into your home, classroom, or community—one intentional moment at a time!
Check out our website for more content & playlists. Steve pics too! Pass Suzanne a note in her locker - would love to hear from you! http://www.msmarypoppins.com
Contact Suzanne M. Swain, EDS LMSW
Email: suzanneswain@gmail.com
Facebook: Suzanne Swain
Produced By: StellaMix Podcast Production
