Middle School Mary Poppins

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, & honesty.

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A podcast for the kids who don’t fit the mold—and the adults who care about them. Maybe even ARE them still.

What if middle school wasn’t something to survive… but something to unlock?

Welcome to Middle School Mary Poppins—a smart, playful, research-informed podcast reimagining the most misunderstood years of human development. Think Mary Poppins 2.0 meets Mr. Rogers, with a splash of 80s–90s nostalgia, a dash of divergent thinking, and a whole lot of heart for kids navigating adolescence in 2026.

Hi! I’m Suzanne M. Swain, EDS LMSW—veteran middle school teacher, child therapist, educational sociologist, and proud advocate for kids who think differently. I live and work near rural, rapidly growing Tennessee, where I’ve spent over two decades inside 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.

My work is deeply influenced by thinkers like Howard Gardner, Carol Dweck, Jean Piaget, and Erik Erikson—but this is not an ivory-tower podcast. This is theory translated into real-life tools for families, educators, and kids who are tired of being told they’re “too much” or “not enough.”

🎮 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 a gain

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?

We’re 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 can do this. We’re the Goonies, after all.

🎧 It’s time for a retro remix of middle school. Ready, player one.

🎉💕🐶🤩🩷🥳⭐️👍☕️

If this episode helped your family or classroom, you can support the show at msmarypoppins.com → Support the Show.

Co-host

Steve

Steve is the unofficial (but very serious) co-host of the podcast. He’s an albino Mini Schnauzer / Cocker Spaniel mix, former twin, with striking yellow eyes, a light purple nose, and a single light brown spot centered on his back, much like Snoopy. His ears have the same soft light brown highlights against his white fur.

Steve takes protecting his mom seriously. His duties include sleeping on her pillow, supervising podcast recordings, and offering commentary when needed. He loves riding in shopping carts, going on car rides, and hanging his head out the window with the wind in his fur.

Steve adores his older brother, Ralphie, and never goes far without his beloved baseball bat toy — because a Steve has to have his bat. He also maintains a mysterious rivalry with Henry the Shih Tzu across the street. Steve is currently a Lieutenant and hopes to work his way up the ranks someday.