Recent and Upcoming Events
Phyllis speaks to businesses and parent organizations, and at both public and independent schools
Middle School Can Set You Up For Life
Your sweet kid suddenly turns into an unpredictable, moody tween or teen. And that’s just Monday. By the end of the week, you’re shell-shocked and wondering what happened. In this interactive talk, Phyllis shows you that you’re not alone, and shares tips that will help you preserve your relationship with your child as you guide them through the ups and downs of middle school. Everyone can emerge with their sanity intact!
IDEAL AUDIENCE: Parents of Middle Schoolers, PTOs, PTAs, Middle School Teachers and Counselors
How Educators Can Bring Out the Best in Middle Schoolers
Phyllis provides an overview of the developmental phase and middle schoolers’ distinct needs. She shares best practices and evidence-based strategies, arming educators with a number of ways to connect with kids, build a positive culture and elicit students’ best work and behavior.
IDEAL AUDIENCE: Administrators, teachers, coaches, counselors, school social workers and psychologists and anyone else who works with middle school students.
When School Is Your Workplace
Everyone wants kids to treat each other with kindness, and parents, coaches, mentors and educators are role models who can set the tone. The politics, the processes, and the mysteries of working in a school can be difficult to manage. In this talk, Phyllis helps you sort out the do’s and don’ts of life in the grown-up versions of middle school and offers tips and techniques for navigating a complex professional environment with success and grace.
IDEAL AUDIENCE: Middle School Teachers, Administrators, and Counselors
Other Topics
Phyllis also has presented on a number of topics for parents and educators, including:
Creating a coping toolbox (stress and anxiety)
Mindful parenting and mindfulness in the school setting
Eliciting students’ best behavior
Educating sexually healthy students
Helping kids make smart, ethical decisions
How parents can help kids work through frustration (academics)
Raising and educating emotionally healthy tweens
IDEAL AUDIENCE: These talks can be geared toward parents or educators
Testimonials from Speaking and Workshops
A few weeks ago we invited Phyllis Fagell, a highly regarded therapist and school counsellor, to offer thoughts to school leaders on building resilience and well-being in our schools during the time of COVID. Phyllis’s talk included some extremely helpful takeaways and strategies. As an outgrowth of this conversation, many of you inquired about resources available to navigate the challenges of supporting health and well-being in your individual school settings.
- The Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington
Director of Middle School at LOWELL SCHOOL, Washington DC
I cannot thank you enough for the outstanding and thoughtful workshop you provided our MS faculty yesterday. Your knowledge, expertise, and relatable examples truly captivated the range of experience in the room. Thank you for providing some light in these days of uncertainly and darkness.
- Kavan Kin-Wing Yee
Director of Middle School at LOWELL SCHOOL, Washington DC
``This was one of the better sessions I've ever attended. The tips and tools were very practical and the scenarios are real and common mindsets students present with every day. This will be very easy to take back to school this fall!``
- ASCA@home 2020 Feedback
``Wow! You needed the full hour. I couldn't write fast enough. So many great ideas and I'm so glad I went to your session. Outstanding job in sharing ideas.``
- ASCA@home 2020 Feedback
``Practical, helpful, and the presenters were so caring and empathetic. I loved it so much!``
- ASCA@home 2020 Feedback
``I wanted to commend you all on this live event. Of all the resiliency webinars we've been sent from various corners, this concrete set of instructions, solutions, and guidance broke through and made good sense. I was particularly struck when she said that our kids aren't going to remember what they learned during this time, but they'll remember who helped them through it.``
- Whitman cluster parent
``This was one of the best presentations I have attended over the last five years of attending and presenting at AMLE! Awesome!``
- Testimonials from participants in Phyllis's AMLE2019 session
Phyllis said that if we don’t teach our children about love, the outside world will do it for us. That is so true.
- Kim Saulsbery
School Counselor and Speaker
The feedback from counselors was excellent! Here are just a few of the comments: ‘Outstanding presentation. You should have her back!’ ‘The presenter was great—very engaging and hands-on.’ ‘This was one of the best presentations that I’ve been to in a long time!’ ‘This training was so useful. I’d love to have many more like this in the future!’ Thank you!
- Jennifer Hitchcock
``Thank you for the fantastic webinar you facilitated for the Skyworks team yesterday! We’ve gotten great feedback from attendees. Your recommendations and advice are very relevant, useful and timely.``
- Becky Hoffman, SkyWorks
``Wonderful session. So appropriate and enlightening. This kind of information is so helpful. Phyllis has great stories of ways she handles different situations.``
- Testimonials from participants in Phyllis's AMLE2019 session.
``Give them a bigger room. Bring up copies of her book so we can buy them right now.``
- Testimonials from participants in Phyllis's AMLE2019 session.
Phyllis Fagell is my new go-to source for sage advice in child development. She speaks from the heart but also from real experience.
- Michele Borba
Educator, Speaker and Bestselling Author of Unselfie - Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in an All-About-Me World
I loved your presentation on how to build school-wide empathy through design thinking. You provided such wonderful ideas that I can take back to school and use immediately! Thank you for your out-of-the-box ideas in working with both traditional and non-traditional learners.
- Shannon Gruzeski
School Counselor Stanton Elementary Rockwood, School District Saint Louis, Missouri
We had a board meeting this morning and once again, everyone was raving about your talk. Would you be interested in coming back? I wasn't kidding when I told you how well-received you were. Everyone truly values your insight and would love the opportunity for another discussion.
- Ilana Tanowitz
Congregation Beth El
What an amazing parent session with @Pfagell this morning! Thank you for joining our @HavergalCollege community and sharing your wisdom and expertise with us. We’re all looking forward to your visit this Fall.
- JJ Patterson
``Thank you so much for your talk yesterday morning. Your insight and knowledge on middle-school life is invaluable to my everyday teaching, and the feedback I received from audience members (both in person and through the livestream) has been nothing be positive!``
- Leah Corradi
St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School
Phyllis Fagell is the kind of counselor every kid deserves. She loves her work and it clearly shows in her dedication to understanding her students' challenges and helping them manage their out-of-control emotions. I especially appreciate her effectiveness as a character educator and her understanding that relationship-building is the most important skill people need in their personal and professional lives.
- Annie Fox
Annie Fox, M.Ed. author of Teaching Kids to Be Good People
Let me reiterate that you were so amazing on Saturday. You are a talented woman! Thank you for your time and for giving us so many great things to think about.
- Tamara Snyder
Board Member, Zhava
Gallery
Phyllis and Principal Chris Iasiello (Wyckoff, New Jersey) kicked off Eisenhauer Middle School's back to school night with a conversation about talking to middle schoolers about everything from the election to managing fear about coronavirus. Link: shorturl.at/luBS3
Phyllis and Principal Chris Iasiello
Phyllis is a keynote speaker for Girlstart's "Fall Into Stem" 2020 event series. https://give.girlstart.org/event/fall-into-stem-with-girlstart-registrations/e297649
Girlstart
Phyllis is a featured speaker at the Association for Middle Level Education's (AMLE) 2020 conference, where she is delivering three presentations -- on bringing out the best in middle schoolers, helping them retain optimism when times are tough, and "keeping the small stuff small." For that last talk, she'll present with Nathan Maynard and Brad Weinstein, authors of "Hacking School Discipline." AMLE organizers created this personal emoji for the event!
AMLE 2020
Phyllis was a panelist on the Mississippi Association for Middle Level Education's (MAMLE) "Chat & Chew" discussion about middle school.
image0-7
Phyllis was a guest on an episode of Dr. Nick Morgan's "Just One Question." https://youtu.be/4X7ZeEorbm0
image0-5
The Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington invited Phyllis back to deliver two presentations, one for AISGW Heads of School and one for AISGW Division Heads. Both talks addressed ways to build a resilient school community.
image0-3
The technology company Skyworks brought Phyllis in to talk to its employees across the country about parenting middle schoolers in the age of Covid-19.
sw
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) brought Phyllis in to deliver a talk to its employees on parenting during the pandemic.
FEC
Phyllis did a professional development training with Lowell School faculty, focusing on middle schoolers' social-emotional needs. "Middle School Matters" was Lowell's staff summer reading pick.
lowell
Phyllis gave a parenting presentation to employees of Amazon as part of their Amazon @Home series.
image0-2
Phyllis was the speaker at the kick-off event for the European Middle Level Educators Association's "Monday's for the Middle" series. The organization also chose "Middle School Matters" for their book club.
image0-8
Phyllis was a guest on the Tom Matt Show -- an interview that also was featured on Michigan Talk Network, PBS radio and WKAR'a AM870 and FM 105.7 stations.
image0
Phyllis was a panelist on a webinar from the Center for the Developing Adolescent, University of Virginia's Curry School of Education ans Youth_Nex on how adults can support adolescent development from 6 feet away (or further).
image0 (4)
Phyllis delivered a live webinar to more than 1,300 Care dot Com participants about parenting middle schoolers. Participants were employees from businesses and organizations, including Amazon and many universities.
image
Phyllis and educators Jessica Lahey and Derrick Gay led a conversation about "Back to School" and preparing for a smooth re-entry, as part of the Parenting in Place series.
image0 (3)
Phyllis and educators Jessica Lahey and Derrick Gay led a conversation about "Back to School" and preparing for a smooth re-entry, as part of the Parenting in Place series.
image1 (2)
Phyllis delivered the live virtual keynote for Adolescent Success's "Education Extravaganza" conference. The organization is the Australian equivalent of the Association for Middle Level Education in the United States, and its work is devoted to supporting young adolescents.
image1 (1)
Phyllis was a guest on the "Out of the Trenches" podcast, talking to host Dana Goodier about taking risks and navigating difficult work situations. https://outofthetrenches.podbean.com/e/episode-10-phyllis-fagel/
image0 (5)
News anchor Mike Dubberly interviewed Phyllis on Good Day Alabama about the benefits and drawbacks of remote learning, and how to prepare students for a school year that likely will be a mix of in-person and virtual learning.
image0 (2)
Phyllis was featured on Fox 5 DC. Reporter Tom Fitzgerald spoke to her about specific steps parents and guardians can take to prepare kids for school, whatever form it takes. During the quarantine, many children regressed or became more fearful, but as Phyllis pointed out, all kids need help adjusting to a dramatically changed educational experience.
image1
image0
Phyllis presented to an audience of Holton-Arms School and Landon School parents on "How to Raise Kind Kids & Ready Them to Make Smart Decisions."
Holton-Arms School and Landon School
Phyllis and Dr. Mary Alvord co-presented at the American School Counselor Association 2020 conference (ASCA@home) on "Helping Anxious Students: Simple Techniques You Can Use to Redirect and Re-engage Students When Their Emotions Get in the Way."
IMG_0870
Phyllis joined a panel of experts for a "Second Wave Summit"discussion on how to meet K-12 and university students' social-emotional needs as everyone prepares for the upcoming school year and the new normal.
Screenshot 2020-07-07 at 10.21.32
Phyllis, Debbie Reber and Catherine Steiner-Adair led a webinar for AISNE (Association of Independent Schools of New England)on how educators can create boundaries and practice self-care while still supporting families. Link to webinar: https://knowledgebase.aisne.org/covid-19-webinar-series
image1
Phyllis is part of a special live weekly series designed to help parents during this challenging time. The "Parenting in Place" masterclass series features 18 experts, including Katie Hurley, Jessica Lahey, Christine Carter, Leslie Priscilla Arreola-Hillenbrand, Tina Payne Bryson, Michele Borba, Madeline Levine, Debbie Reber, Julie Lythcott-Haims, William Stixrud, Nefertiti Austin, Christine Koh, Catherine Steiner-Adair, Devorah Heitner, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Audrey Monke and Ned Johnson. See the whole line up and register here: www.parentinginplacemasterclass.com
image0
Phyllis spoke to the parents of rising Concord Middle School (Concord, Ma.) students, covering key elements of the phase and giving them an overview of ten key skills their children will be working to acquire over the next few years.
Screenshot 2020-05-27 at 12.20.44
The authors of "Hacking School Discipline" invited Phyllis to be their guest speaker at this Facebook Live event.
IMG_9315
The authors of "Hacking School Discipline" invited Phyllis to be their guest speaker at this Facebook Live event. https://www.facebook.com/groups/HackingSchoolDiscipline/permalink/559011608323174/
Hacking School Discipline
Phyllis was part of the Deer Valley Unified School District (Arizona) "Parenting in the Pandemic" series. Her episode was titled "Under Pressure: The Care and Keeping of Your Family During COVID-19 and Beyond."
Screenshot 2020-05-12 at 12.26.30
As part of the Maryland School Counselor Association's Mental Health Awareness Month webinar series, Phyllis presented to educators, offering them tips for working constructively with middle school parents.
IMG_8980
Phyllis presented to the elementary schools in the Whitman cluster in Bethesda, Maryland. The format was Q and A, and her talk was titled, "Weathering the Storm."
Q and A Weathering the Storm
Phyllis co-led an AIMS webinar called "Emergency Learning to Distance Learning: Social Emotional Learning Considerations."
IMG_8666
Phyllis and Sheridan Head of School Jessica Donovan presented virtually to all interested community members on Parenting through the Pandemic.
IMG_8987
Phyllis did a virtual presentation to members of the Havergal College Community, with a focus on parenting tweens and teens in grades 5-10.
IMG_8365
Phyllis and Head of Sheridan School Jessica Donovan spoke to K-8 parents in their own community about social distancing and remote learning.
IMG_8357
Phyllis did a webinar for Your Teen Magazine on parenting tweens and teens through the pandemic
IMG_8361
At the request of the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW), Phyllis delivered a live webinar for school leaders on promoting staff wellness.
IMG_8145
Phyllis conducted a live webinar on raising middle schoolers for parents at Alexandria Country Day School, in Alexandria, Virginia.
IMG_8147
Phyllis was a guest speaker on the Positive Parenting Club series in Berlin, Germany.
IMG_8053
Phyllis was a guest on the podcast "Language During Mealtime," talking about middle schoolers and COVID-19."
phyllis instagram
Phyllis visited Marymount International School in London, where she spoke separately to groups of sixth, seventh and eighth graders, and to Marymount faculty and parents.
IMG_7424
St. Catherine's School in Richmond, Virginia
Phyllis delivered separate assemblies for sixth and seventh grade students at St. Catherine's School in Richmond, Virginia, then presented to the joint faculty of St. Catherine's and St. Christopher's School. In the evening, she presented to the schools' parent communities.
St. Catherine's School in Richmond, Virginia
Phyllis spoke to attorneys at Covington & Burling, a global law firm in Washington, D.C.
At Covington & Burling
Nationally-Recognized Author Phyllis Fagell Speaks at Lake Tahoe School
IMG_5024-e1576009496740-1000x530
Phyllis gave a presentation on helping kids thrive in middle school to parents and educators at St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School in Washington, D.C.
Thriving in Middle School and Beyond
Phyllis delivered separate presentations to faculty, central office administrators and parents at Bell Middle School and Seven Bridges Middle School in Chappaqua, New York.
Chappaqua, New York.
Phyllis delivered separate presentations to faculty, central office administrators and parents at Bell Middle School and Seven Bridges Middle School in Chappaqua, New York.
IMG_7038
Phyllis did two separate presentations at HC Crittenden Middle School in Byram Hills, NY. First she spoke to the school's faculty about best practices. That evening, she presented to parents in the community.
HC Crittenden Middle School
IMG_7007
Phyllis keynoted the New York State Middle School Association conference. She spoke about bridging the gap between home and school and partnering to help middle schoolers acquire the skills they need to be successful. She also did a breakout session with educators on strategies for working with anxious or perfectionist students.
IMG_6742
Phyllis keynoted the New York State Middle School Association conference
IMG_6741
Phyllis gave a presentation to Carderock Elementary School Parents called, "Preparing for the Unpredictable: How To Raise Kind Kids and Ready Them To Make Smart Decisions."
Carderock Elementary
Phyllis talked to parents of kids in grades four through nine at Convent & Stuart Hall Schools in San Francisco.
Sacredsfcollage
Phyllis was the keynote speaker for the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine & Engineering conference called, "A Population Health Perspective on Middle School Success: Activities, Programs, and Policies." The workshop, held in Oakland, California, explored factors that affect the health and well-being of middle-school aged adolescents.
IMG_6252
Phyllis spoke to students at Lake Tahoe School in Incline Village, Nevada, then presented to faculty at their staff meeting and later that evening to the parent community.
collage1tahoe
Phyllis presented to a full session of educators at the 2019 Association for Middle Level Education conference in Nashville, TN.
AMLE Conference 2019
Phyllis presented to educators at The Association for Middle Level Education at the organization's 2019 conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
IMG_5497
Phyllis spoke to parents, educators and administrators about middle school at Natick High School in Massachusetts as part of the Spark Kindness series.
IMG_5447
IMG_5423
Phyllis presented to parents and educators at Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda, MD, focusing on the ten key skills kids need to thrive in middle school and beyond
PF
Phyllis spoke to the faculty of Stone Ridge School about her book, "Middle School Matters," and the many ways parents and educators can improve students’ middle school experience.
IMG_4861
With AMAZEparents at the Advocates for Youth, talking about friendships, communication, and emotions in relation to middle schoolers.
Phyllisbookfeature
Education association PDK International invited Phyllis to participate in a panel discussion with National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, Fordham Institute Senior Fellow Robert Pondiscio, AACTR President and CEO Lynn Gangone, and PDK CEO Josh Starr about the organization's latest poll on what Americans have to say about the public schools. For more on the poll: bit.ly/2iGh3ty
IMG_4789
Phyllis and her Washington Post editor Amy Joyce discussed “Middle School Matters” at Politics and Prose in Washington, DC.
IMG_4040
“Middle School Matters” at Politics and Prose in Washington, DC.
IMG_4571
IMG_1188
Phyllis spoke to Responsibility dot Org bloggers about making peace with unmet expectations and retaining optimism amid a pandemic.
Responsibility.org
Phyllis spoke to parents and educators at the Parents Council of Washington 2019 Best Practices Forum, focusing on social and emotional wellness.
IMG_1624
Phyllis spoke at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. about how parents can help their kids cope with stress and anxiety. She addressed specific personality types, from the chronic worrier to the perfectionist to the kid with “Eeyore Syndrome.” Phyllis shared many of her favorite concrete strategies, along with general tips about effective communication. As she noted, skills such as emotion regulation and the ability to sit with discomfort and maintain perspective are completely teachable. They’re also particularly important at a time when the CDC is reporting skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression in kids.
Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C
Parents Council
IMG_4620
Phyllis and Sheridan Head of School Jessica Donovan presented at the Character.Org National Forum. Educators from around the world--including New Zealand, Canada, Colombia, Oklahoma and Texas--came to hear them talk about how Sheridan, a National School of Character, uses design thinking to increase school-wide empathy.
Character.Org National Forum
Phyllis's audience included educators from around the world, including New Zealand, Canada, Colombia, Oklahoma and Texas.
Character.Org National Forum
Phyllis and Sheridan Head of School Jessica Donovan presented "Less Stress for All: A Schoolwide Approach to Mindfulness" at the ASCD conference in Anaheim, California. ASCD is comprised of teachers, principals, superintendents and administrators.
Phyllis presented to parents, psychologists and educators on "Helping Kids Navigate Homework with More Confidence and Less Conflict"
Presenting at McQuaid Jesuit in New York
Phyllis Fagell
"Phyllis presented to a full house of parents and educators at Eisenhower Middle School in Wyckoff, New Jersey."
Gallery
Book Phyllis To Speak At Your Next Event
Phyllis Speaks to Parents, Educators and Professionals