The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast
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Practical magic for real middle school life. Regulate. Connect. Thrive. 💜
New here? Start with “Ridiculous Joy: It’s a Beautiful Life.”
It captures the heart of the show—helping middle schoolers (and the adults who love them) navigate emotions, pressure, and growing up with warmth, humor, and honesty.
Middle School Mary Poppins™ is for the kids who don’t fit the mold—and the adults who care about them. Maybe even still are.
What if middle school wasn’t something to survive… but something to unlock?
Welcome to a smart, playful, research-informed podcast reimagining the most misunderstood years of human development.
Think a little everyday magic meets emotional intelligence—
with a dash of 80s–90s nostalgia, a spark of divergent thinking, and a whole lot of heart.
☂️ Hey y’all! I’m Suzanne M. Swain—veteran middle school teacher, child therapist, educational sociologist, and proud advocate for kids who think differently here in the hills of Tennessee.
I’ve spent over two decades teaching & training inside of classrooms, counseling offices, and school systems watching one truth play out again and again:
Everything important starts in the middle.
Middle school is where identity forms, emotions intensify, creativity explodes—and where far too many kids are misunderstood, mislabeled, or managed instead of taught.
This podcast exists to change that.
Each episode blends real classroom stories, clinical insight, and pop-culture joy to explore how creativity, emotional regulation, neurodiversity, and mental health intersect during the tween and teen years.
We talk autism, ADHD, anxiety, executive functioning, and emotional overload—not as deficits, but as signals of untapped potential.
🎮 Expect:
• Gamified thinking, imaginative worlds, and creative metaphors kids actually remember
• Practical strategies for parents and educators supporting divergent learners
• Honest conversations about post-pandemic brains, emotional overload, and school culture
• Humor, warmth, and a retro remix that makes learning feel human again
At its core, Middle School Mary Poppins™ is about flipping the script.
What if the traits we’re trying to suppress are actually superpowers in disguise?
What if arts-based education and emotional literacy were foundational, not optional?
What if preventing school violence, burnout, and disconnection really does begin here?
I’m here to prove it does.
So grab your metaphorical quarters, hop in the arcade, and join us on a multiverse ride through the messy, magical middle years.
We’re the Goonies at heart. Now we have kiddos. Time for adventure!
🎧 It’s time for a retro remix of middle school.
Ready, player one?
If this show helps your family or classroom, you can support it at msmarypoppins.com → Support the Show
Hosted by Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSW. Email Steve or Suz: suzanneswain@gmail.com
The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast
S2 EP 11 - Ridiculous Joy: It's a Beautiful Life
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Joy isn’t a reward — it’s a skill.
In this episode, Suzanne explores why joy matters for middle schoolers navigating big feelings, growing brains, and constant pressure. Not toxic positivity — real, grounding joy that supports regulation, resilience, and connection.
A warm, practical conversation for parents, educators, and families learning how to make space for joy during the messiest years of growing up.
Send Suzanne a Question or Comment:
If this episode helped your family, classroom, or community, you can support the work behind Middle School Mary Poppins by visiting MSMaryPoppins.com and clicking Support the Show.
Your support helps keep this independent podcast free, research-based, emotionally grounded, and focused on helping kids, families, educators, and especially neurodivergent tweens and teens navigate the wild world of middle school with a little more hope, humor, and regulation skills. ☂️💜
It also helps support independent collaborations with carefully researched, highly vetted companies and organizations that align with Suzanne’s educational philosophy and family-centered values. Any partnerships or recommendations featured on the show are selected through a rigorous independent review process focused on affordability, innovation, emotional safety, and real-world usefulness for families and schools.
A special thank you as well to Janine Stella and StellaMix for helping support and produce this growing little umbrella movement. www.stellamix.com
Thank you for being part of this community.
