In this episode of Nimble Youth, host Matt Butterman is joined by pediatrician Dr. Gretchen Hoyle for an in-depth look at Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)—a condition that’s often misunderstood and underdiagnosed in children and adolescents.

Together, they explore the early signs of OCD, common misconceptions, and the deeply disruptive impact OCD can have on school performance, social life, sleep, and family dynamics. Dr. Hoyle also walks through the screening tools clinicians use and outlines a range of treatment strategies—including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), SSRIs, and emerging therapies like digital platforms and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

🎙️ Episode 14 – Screens, Scores & Students: How Technology Is Transforming the Classroom

Guest: Wyatt Hoyle, High School Math Teacher
Host: Matt Butterman
Duration: ~40 minutes
Listen at: www.nimbleyouthpodcast.com

📘 Episode Summary

In this insightful conversation, host Matt Butterman sits down with Wyatt Hoyle, a high school math teacher in rural Colorado, to explore the promises and pitfalls of technology in the modern classroom. From learning platforms like Google Classroom and Canvas to AI-assisted testing and the growing challenge of cell phone distraction, we take a ground-level look at how digital tools are reshaping education—sometimes for better, sometimes not.

Hoyle shares firsthand experiences with how students engage with tech, how teachers and administrators monitor academic progress, and the surprising ways students—and sometimes parents—struggle to navigate today’s online learning environments.

🧠 What You’ll Learn

• 📱 The Role of EdTech Platforms: How tools like PowerSchool, Infinite Campus, Canvas, and Google Classroom each serve specific—but separate—functions in managing grades, assignments, and communication.

  
  

• 🧾 Digital Transparency vs. Digital Confusion: How tech makes learning progress visible to parents but can also lead to misunderstandings (and sometimes exploitation) when tools are misused or misunderstood.

  
  

• 📵 Cell Phones in the Classroom: Why Wyatt uses a cell phone locker system, how students react, and why even some parents push back.

  
  

• 🤖 AI in Education: When AI tools like ChatGPT and QuestionAI help… and when they hurt. Plus, a look at adaptive testing technologies like MAP testing.

  
  

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Bridging the Digital Gap: How schools can better support parents—especially older or less tech-savvy caregivers—in understanding these platforms.

  
  

• 🧑‍🏫 The Teacher’s Take: Why AI can never replace the human presence in the classroom—and why face-to-face meetings still matter.

  
  

🛠️ Resources Mentioned

• PowerSchool & Infinite Campus – Used for attendance and official grades

  
  

• Canvas & Google Classroom – Used for assignments, daily communication, and real-time progress

  
  

• MAP Testing – Adaptive standardized testing that adjusts based on student responses

  
  

• AI Tools (e.g., ChatGPT, QuestionAI) – Used for both support and, unfortunately, academic dishonesty

  
  🔗 For quick-reference guides to these platforms and parent tutorials, visit the show notes at www.nimbleyouthpodcast.com
  
  

💬 Quotable Moments

“If your kid is missing assignments, you can probably find them online—but you need to know where to look.” — Wyatt Hoyle

“Even as a teacher, my students often know more about gaming the system than I do.” — Wyatt Hoyle

“Everyone—parents, schools, teachers—wants the same thing: student success.” — Wyatt Hoyle

🔔 Subscribe & Share

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🌐 www.nimbleyouthpodcast.com

🎧 Episode 13 – The Youth Mental Health Crisis: A Therapist’s Perspective

Host: Matt Butterman
Guest: Michael Hayes, LCMHC – Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Pathways Counseling, Winston-Salem, NC
Duration: ~40 minutes

In this powerful and timely episode of The Nimble Youth Podcast, host Matt Butterman sits down with Michael Hayes, a licensed clinical mental health counselor who works directly with teens and young adults navigating the growing mental health challenges of our time.

From skyrocketing anxiety and depression to digital overload and disconnection, Michael brings a therapist’s front-line insight into the emotional and developmental storm many young people are weathering. He also offers hope — not just through clinical wisdom, but through practical strategies for parents, teachers, and caregivers who want to support the next generation with clarity and compassion.

Together, Matt and Michael explore:

• 📈 How the youth mental health crisis has evolved since the rise of smartphones and through the COVID era

  
  

• 😟 The link between untreated anxiety, depression, burnout, and self-diagnosis

  
  

• 📱 The impact of technology, social media, and information overload on brain development and identity

  
  

• ⚠️ Mixed messages from authority figures, and how they fuel confusion and mistrust among teens

  
  

• 🧭 Why too many choices and a shifting job landscape can paralyze rather than empower young people

  
  

• 🧠 How screen addiction mimics substance withdrawal — and how to set healthy boundaries early

  
  

• ❤️ The importance of modeling resilience, curiosity, and boundaries as a parent or mentor

  
  

• ✨ Why embodied, real-world experiences — like volunteering — are essential to healing and growth

  
  

• 🙌 Glimmers of hope in a generation that, despite the noise, still shows empathy, engagement, and purpose

Key Quote:
"You cannot afford to be intimidated by your children or by the fact that they have a perspective that differs from yours. They are watching closely — and your example matters more than you know." — Michael Hayes

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Dr. Vivek Murthy

  
  

• Arthur C. Brooks, Professor at Harvard and author on happiness and purpose

  
  

• Fred Rogers’ quote: “Look for the helpers.”

  
  

• Pathways Counseling, Winston-Salem, NC
  
  

🎓 Next Episode:
We’ll speak with an experienced educator about the use of technology in the classroom — both the drawbacks and the exciting possibilities of new tools in shaping how kids learn. Stay tuned!

📬 Subscribe and share:
Visit www.nimbleyouthpodcast.com for more episodes and detailed show notes. If you find this episode helpful, please share it with someone who cares about youth mental health.