It is likely you have heard the terms “executive function” and “academic coaching”, but what does the combination of these look like?
Typically, students will come to us as previously high achievers, very bright and talented. They just seem to have trouble with things like organization, time management, follow-through and procrastination. The first thing we want to tell you is you are not alone!
Executive functioning issues can hinder even the brightest of students. But with the right motivation and encouragement, these students can shine once again!
Now these students are faced with the uphill battle of getting themselves organized, prioritizing according to what they DON’T necessarily want to do, balancing multiple other things they DO want to do, and are lacking the motivation, reason, discipline, or even the ability (at times) to force themselves to get all of it done. How can we help them get back on track?
1. Focus on proactive planning strategies; breaking assignments up and adding shorter deadlines to ensure incremental progress
2. Add accountability by scheduling check-ins to show progress on work
3. Demonstrate organization techniques and will regularly check in to ensure they are staying organized
4. Teach and enforce the use of an academic planner to account for where they spend their time, and learn how to be more efficient when working so they can enjoy their down time more
Because we make them prove they are doing it! A lot of the things we teach are common sense and the students are aware of what they “should” do. They just have trouble actually doing them or lack the motivation. Others suffer from a fear of failure, in that they are subconsciously afraid that if they put their best efforts forward and do not achieve perfection, they are somehow “less than”. Still others are closet perfectionists and feel like if they can’t get a perfect score on something it is not worth doing, so they get paralyzed, shut down, and cannot make any progress. Regardless of their root reason, all students with executive functioning deficits struggle with the same issues.
Our coaches are dedicated and really CARE! They have worked with many students with similar struggles and will not preach, get frustrated, or nag them. Our techniques are effective, and our students are reaping the benefits!