

Life Is The Future
Scott Todnem
Thoughts from the Health Education classroom, brought to you by Scott Todnem and his middle school students.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 23, 2019 • 20min
Teens & Physical Attraction (Part 3: Conclusion) - S1 E15
The conclusion! Attraction... dating... crush interests. Luke and Tadiwa interview all four students in the final segment of this short series-- Haley and Ella are joined by Mark and Noah, and the large group of 8th graders discuss and debate binary gender behavior. This is Part 3 of the conversation about physical attraction differences in teens.
RESOURCES!
Teachers: Teenagers in Love
Parents: Adolescence and the Teenage Crush
Students: Scarleteen.com (For older teenage audiences)
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com

Apr 18, 2019 • 18min
Teens & Physical Attraction (Part 2: The Girls) - S1 E14
It continues! Attraction... dating... crush interests. Luke and Tadiwa interview two more students, Haley and Ella, and the four 8th graders discuss more binary gender behavior. This is Part 2 with the girls. Part 3 will conclude the topic of conversation, as all four 8th graders join our hosts in one large conversation with gender and attraction differences in mind.
RESOURCES!
Teachers: Teenagers in Love
Parents: Adolescence and the Teenage Crush
Students: Scarleteen.com (For older teenage audiences)
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com

Apr 16, 2019 • 15min
Teens & Physical Attraction (Part 1: The Boys) - S1 E13
Attraction... dating... crush interests. Luke and Tadiwa interview two other students, Mark and Noah, and the four 8th graders work through the giggles to discuss attractions and social health. This is Part 1 with the boys. Part 2 will include two 8th grade girls to continue the conversation with gender and attraction differences in mind.
RESOURCES!
Teachers: Teenagers in Love
Parents: Adolescence and the Teenage Crush
Students: Scarleteen.com (For older teenage audiences)
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com

Mar 30, 2019 • 12min
Special Edition - NPR Contest 2019
This is a special podcast episode and our official entry for the 2019 NPR Podcast Challenge, recorded right in the Health Education classroom at Scullen Middle School.
Our hosts Luke and Tadiwa take the lead and interview two other 8th grade students, Aminah and Armani. All four students give their thoughts and debate about gender differences in middle school and in life, focusing on expectations, stereotypes, athletics, and social media.
The students wanted to keep their podcast raw and barely edited-- a lot like a typical conversation between teens, either in the classroom as a group discussion or on their own time as an informal debate.
Contest info here: www.npr.org/2018/11/15/65050011…cast-challenge-home

Feb 26, 2019 • 15min
Physical Injury & Resiliency - S1 E12
Almost everyone will sustain a physical injury in life that they need to overcome. Luke and Tadiwa interview two other students, Sarah and Blake, and the four 8th graders discuss setbacks, recovery, and resiliency after injury.
RESOURCES!
Parents: What Physical Injury Taught Me About Mental Health
Students: Got Bounce? Resiliency For Teens.
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com

Feb 19, 2019 • 16min
The Decision Making Process - S1 E11
Decisions, decisions! Luke and Tadiwa interview two other students, Aaliya and Aryan, and the four 8th graders discuss decision making-- including choices and related topics like like academics, sports, musical interests, procrastination, and the influence of others.
RESOURCES!
Decision Making Study: Teenage Brains Have a Totally Different Way of Making Decisions
Rational Decision Making: DECIDE Model
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com

Jan 24, 2019 • 20min
Teenagers & Phone Addiction - S1 E10
The age of phone addictions! Luke and Tadiwa interview two other students, Sara and Mason, and the four 8th graders discuss phone use-- including overuse and addiction, friend connections, and social media.
RESOURCES!
Students & Teachers: Smartphone Addiction
Parents: Psychology Today
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com

Jan 17, 2019 • 19min
Teen Relationships & Dating Expectations - S1 E9
Back at it in 2019! Luke and Tadiwa start off by interviewing two other students, Ella and Noah. The four 8th graders discuss teen relationships and a bunch of related topics like expectations, break-ups, media portrayal, and sexual well-being.
RESOURCES!
Students: LoveIsRespect.Org
Parents: Coping with Teen Dating
Teachers: Teaching Consent & Sex Ed in America
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com

Dec 18, 2018 • 14min
Teen Gratitude & Coping with Change - S1 E8
Change is inevitable. Luke and Tadiwa finish 2018 by interviewing two other students, Sydney and Tolu. The four 8th graders discuss positive items in teenage life, with a focus on what they are thankful for as well as how teens perceive and handle change.
RESOURCES!
Students: Coping with Emotions
Parents: Surviving Your Child's Adolescence
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com

Dec 4, 2018 • 17min
Teen Values & The Masks We Wear - S1 E7
What are your priorities? Luke and Tadiwa interview two other 8th grade students, Colin and Devin. All four discuss life values, with a focus on what teens tend to prioritize and the influence of friends and family in their lives. They also get into the "masks" people wear in terms of hiding or protecting our authentic self.
RESOURCES!
Parents: Teens Aren't Just Risk Machines
Students & Parents 5 Masks We Wear & Why We Should Take Them Off
Teaching insight, blog posts, and more from the Health Education classroom: LifeIsTheFuture.com


