
Middle School Walk & Talk
A podcast series offering heart, hope, and health to members of our middle school communities. Hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire model wellness as they walk and talk while recording each episode. Listeners are encouraged to take a walk, too, as they listen to discussions on self-care, student well-being, school culture, and more. Middle School Walk and Talk is designed to support the concepts found in the book, The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, and is a production of the Association for Middle Level Education. For more information, visit www.amle.org.
Podcasting since 2020 • 58 episodes
Middle School Walk & Talk
Latest Episodes
Why Don't We Just Ask Them? A Conversation about the Modern Middle School Experience with Real Middle School Students
In this episode of the Middle School Walk & Talk podcast, AMLE CEO Stephanie Simpson guest hosts a vibrant conversation with five finalists from the 2025 Middle School Student Sound Off Contest, exploring what it’s like to be a mid...
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Season 4
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Episode 31
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24:04

"Start with the End in Mind" - The 2024-2025 Year in Review
In this final episode of the school year, hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire reflect on key themes from the school year, sharing insights from their experiences in Washington, DC, and Wyoming. They discuss the universal challenges of midd...
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Season 4
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Episode 30
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21:23

Not Just a Piece of Them, The Whole of Them with guest Kwame Sarfo-Mensah
In this episode of the Middle School Walk & Talk podcast, hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire welcome Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, a seasoned educator and consultant, to discuss his new book, Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Cu...
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Season 4
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Episode 28
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36:04

Ditching "Divide and Conquer": A Refreshing Blueprint for Middle School Leadership with Guests Bryan Rickert and Katie Laird
In this episode of the Middle School Walk and Talk podcast, hosts Phyllis Fagell and Jessica McGuire sit down with Brian Rickert and Katie Laird, a dynamic principal + assistant principal duo from Trumbull, Connecticut, who share their innovati...
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Season 4
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Episode 27
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27:20

Avoiding Firefighter Syndrome with Guest Darrin Peppard
In this episode of Middle School Walk and Talk, hosts Jessica McGuire and Phyllis Fagell sit down with Darrin Peppard, a former middle school teacher, principal, and superintendent turned leadership coach, who shares his unexpected jou...
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Season 4
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Episode 26
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19:58
