Academic skills Coaching or Tuition and Tutoring?
Research is clear: executive functioning skills predict academic achievement in school. However, the research often leaves out that teenagers can’t wilfully improve their executive functioning skills or their ability to focus. Nature selected for a brain that needs two decades to develop. Executive functioning skills coaching for teens teaches them why and how to work with their current strengths. They begin to set visual reminders, create plans, and practice the emotion regulation skills that put them in control of their responses to distractions, allowing them to better tolerate difficult emotions like stress and anxiety.
Tutoring, Tuition and Supervision
Tutoring services are for students who typically have the ability to work independently and an interest in learning. These students simply need continuous encouragement, redirection and support to stay on track. Student tutoring and supervision sessions focus on specific coursework. Tuition is a good solution for those students studying for a specific assessment or getting caught up in details on specific assignments. Supervision services include 1-1 support, as well as a family plan for major projects and essays. Evenings and weekend appointments available for 1-1 and small groups.
Executive Functioning Coaching
Through coaching, students learn the academic ‘soft-skills’ to improve note taking, study habits, and reducing overall avoidance. Executive functioning skills coaching compliments -not replaces- work with other professionals, from learning support teachers to counsellors and psychologists. Students learn EF skills in the context of the relationship, through strategically reinforcing their most effective work habits and teaching new skills.
Coaching addresses learning and behavioural challenges; coaching is not therapy. Medical insurance does not reimburse for coaching services.
Examples of Executive Functioning Skills Lessons
Metacognition
Organisation
Planning
Task Initiation (Getting started)
Sustaining Attention, Focus
Cognitive Flexibility
Time management
Emotional Regulation
Response Inhibition
Goal Directed Behaviour
Mindset and Motivation
Working Memory
The Skills Coaching Process
Session one:
Productivity Coaching begins with a functional assessment to of a teen’s habits and routines. Using an adapted version of the EFI (Executive Functioning Inventory) and parent interviews, we define the concerns, reasons for those concerns, and what has worked so far. We review any recent psycho-educational reports alongside a example of an EF skills lesson to address the concerns.
Session two and beyond:
Using the curriculum map, we cover each of the key EF skills in depth. Then we develop and implement strategies aimed at improving a behaviour (e.g. forgetting work, failing an assessment, etc). The aim of the plan is to develop skills. As a side effect, students tend to develop confidence and take on more challenging work.
Session follow-up:
Every lesson includes student work for in-between sessions and a parent component to support their progress. The best results happen when the student practices their new sills in and between the session. A call or email discussion can follow any session to support the and encourage progress at no cost.
Mindfulness skills:
Executive functioning coaching sessions typically incorporate Mindfulness skills. Evidence shows that students who practice ‘Focusing’ by giving up effort -not exerting more of it- improve their focus and overall mental health. Once students improve their ability to let distractions float by and rather than feeling hijacked by them, they begin increasing time on their intended task.
Tucker
Case Management
Case management services teach students the necessary skills for making the most out of their courses. The teacher-student relationship is a key part of Case management. This is useful for translating the findings of psycho-educational assessments into actionable solutions. Case management can also assess the effectiveness of the school’s individualised learning plans and offers strategies to enhance implementation.