PODCAST
The Grade Level Guru Podcast
Why Middle School Students Struggle: Executive Functioning
Episode 7a -- 6/22/26
Math homework shoved in the Spanish folder isn’t carelessness. It’s an organizational skill gap — and it’s 100% teachable.
Episode 7b -- Coming Soon
Episode 7c -- Coming Soon
Why Middle School Feels So Hard
Episode 6a -- 6/8/26
In elementary school, kids get training wheels. In middle school, those come off — and suddenly academics feel impossible. Here’s why.
Episode 6b -- 6/15/26
Your kid’s English teacher doesn’t want their opinion. They want their argument. Here’s the line that changes everything in middle school writing.
Episode 6c -- 6/18/26
Middle school math isn’t harder for no reason — it’s all building toward algebra, the single biggest predictor of future success.
Is My Child Ready for the PSSA?
Episode 5a -- 4/26/26
The PSSA was never designed to tell you how your kid is doing. Here’s what it’s actually measuring — and what it isn’t.
Episode 5b -- 5/4/26
Got your kid’s test scores back? Don’t stick them on the fridge. Here’s the one conversation every parent should have instead.
Episode 5c -- 5/13/26
The real takeaway from PSSA season isn’t the score — it’s whether your kid showed up and tried their best.
Is My 8th Grader Ready for High School? 4/21/26
17 year old kids afraid of their moms in the best way:
Three students broke their teacher’s computer and spent all night terrified of their moms finding out. Here’s what actually happened.
“I hope my child’s as afraid of me at 17 as these kids were of their moms.” A teacher’s funniest classroom story.
Executive functioning skills in high school can make or break a student:
The 3 soft skills 9th grade teachers see kids missing most: school supplies, deadline awareness, and just… showing up on time.
Only checking grades at midterms? You’re missing all the zeros. Here’s why parents need to log in to portals weekly, not just at report cards.
GPAs and Practice for Life
Most high schools don’t explain what a GPA is until it’s already too late to fix a freshman year mistake.
It’s not about the backpack or the due dates. It’s about building the kid who can handle their first apartment, first job, first everything.
Middle School Math Readiness 4/14/26
Weaknesses and Red Flags
If your fifth grader doesn’t know their times and division tables by heart and can’t add and subtract in their head fluently, fractions are about to become a nightmare. Here’s why.
Straight A’s in math but low test scores? That combo might mean your kid isn’t doing the work — accommodations are.
Algebra: The gatekeeper of success
Algebra is the gatekeeper to physics, chemistry, and “way more interesting learning.” Miss it, and doors start closing fast.
Failing algebra in 8th grade is one of the strongest predictors that a kid won’t graduate high school on time.
Test Scores and Tutoring
“Flashcards. They might not like it… but they will thank you.” One teacher’s blunt advice for parents of struggling math kids. Doing something is a must.
B in math and 70th percentile on tests? The best move if your kid’s grades don’t match their test scores? Ask the teacher exactly how much help they’re really getting.