Episode 127: Anxious Kids, Anxious Adults: Communication, Accountability, and the Work Beneath Behavior with Peck
In this episode of Schurtz & Ties, Kasey Schurtz and Brian Miller welcome back therapist, former educator, and author Charle Peck, LCSW, M.Ed. for a candid conversation about student anxiety, adult stress, and the communication breakdowns happening in schools right now.
Together, they unpack why anxiety is genuinely increasing—not just being labeled more often—how social media, rapid societal change, and outdated systems are colliding in classrooms, and why many conflicts stem from students and adults speaking different emotional languages. Charle challenges common narratives around “coddling,” reframes ego and accountability, and offers practical, non-hokey strategies educators can use immediately to regulate classrooms without sacrificing expectations.
This episode is honest, grounded, and hopeful—focused on helping adults lead with clarity, compassion, and courage in a complex moment for education.
👉 Learn more about Charle’s work at https://www.thrivingeducator.org/
📘 Explore her book on behavior, communication, and emotional regulation (linked below).
Guest:
Charle Peck, LCSW, M.Ed.
Therapist, former teacher, consultant, and author
Website: https://www.thrivingeducator.org/
Charle Peck returns to Schurtz & Ties for a wide-ranging conversation on anxiety, behavior, and communication in today’s schools. Drawing on her experience working with both students and adults, Charle helps educators rethink what’s really happening beneath challenging behavior—and why many well-intended efforts around SEL have left teachers feeling unsupported and frustrated.
Rather than offering buzzwords or quick fixes, Charle focuses on nervous systems, communication mismatches, and the adult work required to lead effectively in classrooms and schools today.
Are kids really more anxious—or are we just talking about it more?
Charle explains why the rise in anxiety is real, pointing to smartphones, COVID, social media, and generational disconnection.Students have the language—but not always the skills
Kids may be able to name feelings, but often haven’t been taught how to communicate those feelings in ways adults can hear and respond to productively.Why “coddling” is the wrong conversation
The problem isn’t empathy—it’s skipping discomfort, risk-taking, and skill-building while leaving adults unprepared to coach students through hard moments.The adult gap in SEL
Schools taught social-emotional skills to students without teaching them to the adults expected to model, respond, and regulate in real time.Ego, fear, and parent conflict
Many tense parent conversations are rooted in fear—not defiance. Leaders can’t fix ego, but they can lower the temperature and keep the focus on the child.Empathy and accountability
Compassion doesn’t mean lowered expectations. Clear boundaries, calm repetition, and simple language matter more than perfect phrasing.Practical classroom strategies that don’t feel “hokey”
Charle shares simple, playful movement strategies and “rapid resets” that help regulate energy without singling out students or disrupting instruction.Behavior is communication
Kids aren’t trying to “get at” adults—they’re signaling unmet needs, skill gaps, or dysregulated nervous systems.
Anxiety grows when systems don’t adapt as fast as society does
Adults often feel threatened when students gain emotional language they themselves were never taught
You can’t change someone else’s ego—but you can lead calmly around it
Playfulness and movement are underused tools in behavior support
Teaching is serious work—but it doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time
📘 Charle Peck’s Book
(Charle’s book on behavior, communication, and emotional regulation—referenced throughout the episode—is available via her website.)
🔗 https://www.thrivingeducator.org/
