Phyllis Fagell is a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor and journalist.
My students may worry about a parent’s affair, or their DUI, or their unethical behavior at work. Meanwhile, parents think their kids know nothing, and that they’re shielding them by denying anything is wrong. That…
My friend called me upset. While driving her kids home, she had crashed into another car. No one was hurt, but her car was wrecked and she kept replaying the incident in her mind. Could…
What if our weaknesses and idiosyncrasies are actually strengths in disguise? Dave Rendall made this concept the center of his presentation at the ASCD 2017 conference. As a K-8 counselor, I know this isn’t the…
I still have the handmade pillow I sewed with a friend in fourth grade. We wrote “best friends forever” in puffy paint across the surface. I also have the “slam book” my friends and I…
A year ago, an eighth grade student came into my counseling office looking stricken. Over the weekend, Lara’s parents had told her they were moving from Maryland to a country in South America. Her father’s…
Even my iPhone thought I was overextended. On a Sunday night, a message flashed across my screen: “There’s a lot going on tomorrow. There are nine events scheduled, and the first one starts at 4…
I recently ran into a former coworker, a science teacher on the cusp of change. He was starting a family and considering a switch to administration. We started talking about how we solve dilemmas. An…
Kate kept wondering why her principal hadn’t responded to her email. One of her student’s parent’s had sent a note to both of them complaining about her homework policy. Kate had written the principal a…
