Bouncing Back with Karen Brisport

Karen Brisport
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Bouncing Back with Karen Brisport explores what middle school students may be communicating through their behavior, emotions, and everyday struggles. Through real-world school stories and practical reflection, each episode helps parents, educators, and school counselors look beyond what happened and consider what a student may need next. From classroom behavior and anxiety to friendships, belonging, confidence, and academic pressure, discover practical ways to better understand and support tweens and teens.

  1. 3d ago

    When the Hoodie Went Back Up

    Every time the teacher asked, the new eighth grader removed her hoodie. Every time the teacher turned away, she put it back on. Eventually, the teacher stopped treating the repetition as simply another correction and asked one question: “Is there a reason you wear the hoodie?” What came next brought a teacher, counselor, parent and principal into a conversation that began with something as ordinary as a classroom dress-code reminder.

  2. Sep 13

    When the Bell Rang, He Froze

    The bell rang, the teacher told everyone to put their books away and line up, and almost the entire seventh-grade class moved toward the door. One boy didn’t. His teacher had seen something similar the day before, and this time she carried that observation beyond the classroom. When the Bell Rang, He Froze follows what happened when several adults began working from the same repeated classroom moment.

  3. Sep 6

    The Visit Before Sixth Grade Began

    A week before sixth grade, a mother noticed that conversations about school were going nowhere. Then her daughter finally explained what was bothering her: unfamiliar teachers and the possibility of getting lost. An email to her homeroom teacher led to an invitation to visit the school before classes began. What happened during that visit is worth noticing, not because anyone gave a perfect speech, but because of what the student said before she walked back out.

  4. Aug 30

    He Came for Breakfast, Then Returned

    The morning after summer school ended, one student walked reluctantly back into an almost-empty school cafeteria for breakfast. He ate quickly, hoping to leave before another student appeared. Then his counselor and gym teacher walked in, and a conversation about lunch, basketball, and bringing his neighborhood friends changed what he did next. This week’s Bouncing Back with Karen Brisport begins with a student who wanted to get out of school and follows what happened when he was given a reason to return.

  5. Aug 23

    When the Teacher Needed Support Too

    On the last day of summer school, a group of students gathered around their teacher’s desk with one question: “Did we pass?” She was still entering grades when her response became loud enough for the counselor walking past the classroom to hear. What the counselor did next wasn’t only about the students, and the way the class eventually walked out that afternoon is worth noticing.

  6. Aug 16

    Before the Student Slammed His Desk

    A student who was usually quiet suddenly slammed his fist on his desk and announced that his parents would call the district. It would have been easy for that moment to become the story of the day. But the teacher had already been watching something happen across the entire classroom. This week’s Bouncing Back with Karen Brisport begins with what happened before the student’s reaction became impossible to miss.

  7. Aug 9

    The Words She Overheard at Recess

    It wasn't the classroom that changed this story, it was a conversation during recess. Five students believed summer school had given them a label they couldn't escape. One teacher happened to overhear their words, and instead of dismissing them, she shared what she heard with the school counselor. What followed wasn't a motivational speech, but a series of intentional opportunities that reminded students of what they had already accomplished. Sometimes the conversations adults happen to hear become the beginning of something students never expected.

  8. Aug 2

    The Morning Summer School Changed

    One difficult summer school morning began with a student watching her friends leave for the beach while she walked toward the school building. By the time she reached the front entrance, her frustration spilled into words that every nearby adult could hear. What happened next wasn't about one conversation, it became a story of a bus matron, a dean, a counselor, teachers, a principal, and a parent each contributing something meaningful. This episode explores how recognizing one student's morning led to an idea that transformed the atmosphere of an entire summer school program.

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About

Bouncing Back with Karen Brisport explores what middle school students may be communicating through their behavior, emotions, and everyday struggles. Through real-world school stories and practical reflection, each episode helps parents, educators, and school counselors look beyond what happened and consider what a student may need next. From classroom behavior and anxiety to friendships, belonging, confidence, and academic pressure, discover practical ways to better understand and support tweens and teens.

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