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Academic & Executive Function Coaching
Academic & Executive Function Coaching are for students who want to meet their academic potential, leverage their strengths, and increase academic success. When students struggle with the skills and routines they need to meet their learning goals, there is often a need for academic coaching. Sessions provide an opportunity for students to learn a range of organizational, study, and time management tools to support their unique learning process. Academic coaching is especially useful for students who need additional skills and support to meet the challenges of increased academic demands and/or have executive function challenges, ADHD, or learning differences.
Based on the unique goals and needs of the student, sessions may focus on:
Building student awareness:
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- Students learn how the brain works to maximize its learning potential
- Habits and grades are tracked to make patterns visible to the student
- Students are guided through tools to manage time and realistically plan their work
- Anti-procrastination strategies and tools are introduced
- Short-term and long-term goals are identified and discussed weekly
- Problem-solving skills are developed with coaching through obstacles or challenges
Learning a variety of study skills including:
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- The Study Cycle process to improve test performance and confidence
- Individualized study routines and plans
- A toolbox of study techniques that can be applied to a variety of subject matter
- annotation and note taking skills
- making notes and study tools quizzable along the way for great efficiency in finals season
- understanding how to get information into long-term memory
- How to vary learning and study strategies for greater interest and success
- The Study Senses: The four ways our brain learns best
- How to create an exam/finals study plan to optimize testing success
Developing organizational skills:
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- Understand what working memory is, and how planning/reminder tools prevent working memory overload
- Introduce and solidify the consistent use of a paper or on-line planner
- Learn a variety of tech and non-tech reminder systems, and adopt a reminder routine
- Backward planning: Break large projects into small, doable chunks with calendared tasks
- Create a study schedule, identify needed tools, and optimize the study space
- Use a “set-up” routine to combat procrastination
- Ongoing support to solidify organizational routines that work for the student
Coaching toward learning independence:
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- Giving students a place to make commitments with an accountability partner for follow through
- Using the Pomodoro technique to increase productivity and decrease procrastination
- Identifying and implementing solutions to challenges
- Trying and evaluating various skills and routines, with the goal of finding approaches that work for the individual
- Creating do-able roadmaps for learning and studying to decrease overwhelm
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Coaching students through why and how to self-advocate with teachers
Testimonials:
Our child struggled with the increased academic and organizational demands of college during their first quarter. Fortunately, Ivy came along at just the right time. She taught him study skills, organizational habits, and the mentality needed to bridge the gap between high school and university success. By the end of the year, he was able to perform at a much higher level with much less stress. ~ William M., parent, college student
We are so grateful for all of the help you’ve given. It has been well worth it and made a huge impact. For me, it has been very satisfying to watch the adoption of organizational tools that have been summarily rejected in the past. You really have a special talent. ~ R.K., parent, college student
In coaching, I was able to learn how to properly manage my time in order to complete homework without getting overwhelmed. I learned how to take notes during class and still pay attention to all necessary information during lecture. I also learned how to effectively translate my notes into a study tool for final exams. P.S. I got all A’s this quarter. ~ Gabe M., college student
Ivy has taught both my daughters over the years. My kids have loved working with Ivy and have both benefitted enormously. Ivy really sees the whole person and cares about their success, not only outwardly and academically, but also how they feel about themselves. She is a teacher, guide and advocate, finding out what motivates them and helping them achieve the goals they set for themselves. ~ Carmen H., parent, high school student
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