ACADEMIC COACHING AND TUTORING IN KENT, OH

1.  Put things in context. Show relativity to the here and now. For some students, thinking about how the writing assignment in front of them could benefit them in their future career is an impossible thought. Provide real life examples of assignments you thought were pointless at the time, but ended up teaching you something that you used at a later time, either in your career or in life in general. For example: I took a class 3 times before passing it by the skin of my teeth. I could not understand at the time that both the professor and the situation were both pushing me to be better and to work through challenges as they arose. There were no work arounds and I simply had to put in the work to get through it. This taught me a lot about myself and I still think about it when I am facing a difficulty in my life. I learned that if I really put my mind to it, I can get through even what seems impossible at the time. Though it was very frustrating at the time, looking back I am glad for the experience.

2. Break things into tiny parts. Sit down and look at all the assignments in your student’s calendar. (If they have things organized to this point!) Have an honest conversation about what they are dreading doing, as well as what they might enjoy or at least know they can get done without help. Together, use a paper planner to map out how they can work on the difficult items for 15-20 minutes each day, culminating in completion a day or two before it is due. Intersperse the easier items so they can make progress on those as well. For those who need to see progress, it may make sense to have them create a visual chart to show about how much is completed after each day. Provide a lot of positive encouragement after each completion. If they miss one, instead of reprimanding, try helping them determine what got in the way and come up with a new plan to complete that part, helping them to move forward, not look back.

3. Plain old bribery. Yes, we know how it sounds. But for some students, they are just not at a point where they can find a “good enough” reason to do work they find no value in, no matter how much you try to convince them. In these cases, find what does motivate them. If they are YouTubers or Gamers, for instance, the promise of a new piece of equipment or game upon completion of a class with a certain grade. An athlete, some new gear. Etc. The reward does not always have to hold a monetary value. If your student appreciates nature or being with their friends, the promise of a hiking trip or party could motivate them as well. The idea is to use whatever necessary to get momentum started. Once they see the positive result from their hard work the idea is that they will eventually move toward more independent learning and the setting and achieving of their own micro-goals.