Private Tutoring Archives

The Best Approach to SSAT or ISEE Preparation

May 21, 2023 Leave a Comment

Competitive private day schools and boarding schools are operating with varying and evolving test-optional policies. Many will require admissions testing in the fall. Like at the college level, test-optional policies ought to be considered cautiously, and we strongly recommend planning to exceed any minimum admissions requirements in order to be more competitive. To this end, many families wonder about the best approach to ISEE or SSAT preparation.

For any grade level transition between grades 5 and 11, we recommend starting about a year in advance with an eye toward official testing in November and December. While test preparation and school planning can certainly feel overwhelming, there are many factors within a family’s control, and starting early provides a structure that’s comforting for both children and parents. By initiating the SSAT or ISEE planning process about a year in advance, families stand to create the greatest number of school options.

Many families currently enrolled in private schools with CTP testing assume that CTP testing and ISEE testing are very similar, but they’re not. While they do share the same publisher, the ERB, the tests serve different purposes and have different formats. Like the NY State Testing Program in public schools, the CTP is designed as a grade level achievement test, whereas the ISEE (as well as the SSAT) is designed as an above-grade level measure:

The lower level ISEE test is designed for admissions to grades 5 and 6, and it covers math content and vocabulary well through 7th grade.
The middle level ISEE test is designed for admissions to grades 7 and 8, and it covers math content and vocabulary well through 9th grade.
The upper level ISEE test is designed for admissions to grades 9 to 11, and it covers math content and vocabulary well through 10th grade.

The best way to approach SSAT and ISEE preparation is to start early. We strongly recommend diagnostic testing during the winter/spring term so that we are able to better assess instructional needs and pacing over the spring, summer and fall. Sometimes educational testing is needed, too, in order to explore a suspected learning disability and appropriate accommodations. This educational testing should be completed during the spring or summer.

The best approach to SSAT and ISEE preparation is content-based, which means remediating and/or accelerating instruction for each student with the goal of achieving mastery. Surely there are test-taking strategies, but choosing an appropriate strategy generally still requires an understanding of the content. Simply “working backwards” or using “process of elimination” isn’t effective if a student doesn’t have a starting point or means of assessing the reasonableness of an answer choice.

We also value an approach to SSAT and ISEE preparation that focuses on the bigger, more important picture of middle and high school readiness. This readiness includes mastery of a certain body of content as well as a skill set around managing the workload itself (executive functions) and persisting through a difficult task and process (grit). Since the testing has to be done in most cases, it’s best to take advantage of all the learning opportunities related to the testing experience.

There’s also family debate about SSAT vs. ISEE testing, and some families feel they need to prepare for both, which isn’t necessary or advisable. Most NYC independent schools AND boarding schools accept both ISEE and SSAT scores. There are three main factors to consider when making the choice: 1) The ISEE has no wrong answer penalty, and 2) The ISEE presents sentence completions vs. analogies, and 3) The SSAT presents 5 answer choices, whereas the ISEE only presents 4 answer choices. We’re happy to discuss these factors further as they relate to your family’s situation.

For 7th grade students interested in specialized public high schools, there is SHSAT testing to manage as well. Historically this testing happened in October, but this past school year, it occurred on November 17, 2022. The previous school year, this testing occurred in January 2021. We do not yet have confirmation of the test date for Fall 2023.

Are you ready to start planning?

Please contact our office.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed.
Board Certified Educational Planner and Learning Specialist
My Learning Springboard, Inc.

Understanding Pandemic Learning Loss

May 5, 2023 Leave a Comment

Parents and educators have observed firsthand that the pandemic caused massive disruptions in the academic, emotional, and social lives of students. The compounded effect of the past three years is responsible for significant pandemic learning loss. Meira Levinson and Daniel Markovits note in their article for The Atlantic that no other historical event has so suddenly and so drastically changed the way that American children spend their days–not the Great Depression, not World War II. For children and teens especially, a year or two is a large chunk of their lives. As we wrap up the second full year of in-person schooling since the onset of the pandemic, we are beginning to have enough data and perspective to better understand the impacts that the pandemic has had on our students and how we will continue to recover from them.

Quantifying Pandemic Learning Loss

Recent studies show that the pandemic’s major disruptions to daily instruction have set today’s students back significantly. A meta-analysis of studies conducted in 15 countries by Nature Human Behavior suggests that pandemic learning loss for students is the equivalent of 35% of a school year’s worth of learning. Indeed, 2022 US National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) logged significant drops in reading ability and the greatest decline in student math performance in American history. Students in New York state were hit especially hard. On average, their math and reading losses were double those of their peers across the country. In purely quantitative terms, the pandemic’s impact on learning has undone decades of progress in American student performance in English and Math. Getting test scores back to pre-pandemic levels would take decades at the current rate of recovery.

American students in 2022 were, on average, about 15 to 24 weeks behind in math and nine weeks behind in reading compared with 2019. History scores have also fallen significantly. National test scores for 2023 reflect an “accelerated…downward trend [in history] that began nearly a decade ago” with only 13 percent of eighth graders achieving scores deemed proficient in U.S. history, and about 40 percent scoring “below basic,” according to The New York Times.

Pandemic learning loss disproportionately impacted students who were already struggling academically before the pandemic, to the point that statistical declines across subjects have largely been driven by the lowest-performing students. Students from lower-income families and districts also tended to suffer greater setbacks than students in high-income families and districts. At the middle- and high-school levels, male and female students experienced similar rates of academic achievement declines across all subjects. Results reported by the Enrollment Management Association indicate that performance gaps between students of different racial identities are wider today than they were pre-COVID. Public school students experienced significantly larger declines than private school students. Asian and Black students at the middle-school level experienced much sharper declines in quantitative scores than their peers of other racial identities.

Across socioeconomic lines, children whose schools remained remote longer tended to suffer greater academic setbacks. Most often, the schools that managed to limit the amount of time students were in Zoom school were often well-resourced private schools. In fact, many elite private schools practically avoided pandemic learning loss due to lower student-teacher ratios, more in-person instruction, and greater ease in implementing remote learning measures when their buildings were closed during the 2020-2021 school year.

Beyond Test Scores: Mental Health Impacts of the Pandemic

The social isolation of the pandemic caused suffering in people of all ages but this is compounded in children and teens, who are still developing the skills needed to form and maintain friendships, collaborate with others, and cope with their emotions. 94% of the 362 school guidance counselors surveyed by The New York Times last April reported higher rates of anxiety and depression among their students; 88% percent said students were struggling to regulate their emotions; and almost 75% said that students were struggling to resolve conflicts with their friends. A CDC survey of high-school students from January to June 2021 found a 20% increase in teens who felt “persistently sad or hopeless” over the previous year. 20% of the students surveyed had “seriously considered attempting suicide.” The rates of hospitalization and suicide attempts were even higher for girls. In response to this data, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health in 2021. The declaration itself notes that while the pandemic exacerbated the mental health crisis in children and teens, the growing rates of mental health concerns predate it.

As we come to grips with this alarming situation and plan for the future, it is also important to note that students who were able to maintain social connections–whether to a friend, counselor, or teacher–during lockdown and remote learning, tended to fare much better than those who did not.

A Patchwork of Solutions

What’s especially concerning about pandemic learning loss is that there is no tried and tested method for recovering so much missed instruction at scale. So how have districts been spending the $190 billion dollars provided as pandemic relief funds? Some of the most common academic recovery interventions among schools surveyed by Future Ed, a research lab at Georgetown University, are summer learning, instructional materials, investing in software, afterschool enrichment, and tutoring. Among the most promising and prevalent interventions is “high-dosage” tutoring, where school districts hire a “tutor corps” that can provide individual and small-group instruction to students. States crafted their own plans, but most address some combination of making up for lost instructional time, investing in student mental health, hiring new staff, training existing staff, and infrastructural investments like expanding internet access for students.

The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University released a study that measures the impact of COVID recovery interventions and has identified some effective strategies for alleviating pandemic learning loss. However, the study notes that, “The implementation challenges district leaders recounted suggest that the simple-sounding logic of academic intervention—identify students in need and provide them extra support—belies a host of complex design and implementation decisions.” In other words, the reality is that even apparently straightforward academic interventions are cumbersome to implement at scale, and would require historic action to be effective.

As states and districts weigh their options for how to address these historic setbacks in the academic success and emotional health of American students, we must remember that the statistics we’ve outlined here are helpful for painting a picture of our present reality in aggregate. Yet, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that the development of academic ability, emotional resilience, and self-regulation are deeply personal journeys that each individual student undertakes. Students’ academic abilities and emotional wellbeing are certainly impacted and conditioned by context, but in addition to the way that states, districts, and independent schools end up addressing pandemic learning loss, one thing is for certain: our students will need our continued support, encouragement, and guidance as we continue to make our way out of this strange and difficult time.

To discuss your family’s needs in more detail, please contact us to schedule a call.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed., Board Certified Educational Planner, and Faya Hoffman, M.A., Board Certified Educational Planner

Sources

Betthäuser, B. A., Bach-Mortensen, A. M., & Engzell, P. (2023). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Human Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01506-4
Howard, J. (2023, January 30). Children lost about 35% of a normal school year’s worth of learning during the pandemic, study suggests. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/health/covid-learning-loss-study-wellness/index.html
Levinson, M., & Markovits, D. (2022, June 23). The Biggest Disruption in the History of American Education. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/covid-learning-loss-remote-school/661360/
O’Neill, J. (2023, March 15). New York 4th-graders lost twice as much ground as peers and lost year of learning during pandemic virtual learning. NY Post. https://nypost.com/2023/03/15/nys-4th-graders-saw-test-scores-plummet-during-pandemic/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=pasteboard_app
Bryant, J., Dorn, E., Pollack, L., & Sarakatsannis, J. (2023, January 11). COVID-19 learning delay and recovery: Where do US states stand? McKinsey & Company. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/covid-19-learning-delay-and-recovery-where-do-us-states-stand
Braga, Dana, and Kim Parker. “Most K-12 Parents Say First Year of Pandemic Had a Negative Effect on Their Children’s Education.” Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/10/26/most-k-12-parents-say-first-year-of-pandemic-had-a-negative-effect-on-their-childrens-education/. Accessed 5 May 2023.
AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/. Accessed 5 May 2023.
Kane, Thomas. “Kids Are Far, Far Behind in School.” The Atlantic, 22 May 2022, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/schools-learning-loss-remote-covid-education/629938/.
“Academic Recovery.” FutureEd, 7 June 2022, https://www.future-ed.org/academic-recovery/.
“With an Influx of Covid Relief Funds, States Spend on Schools.” FutureEd, 3 Jan. 2021, https://www.future-ed.org/with-an-influx-of-covid-relief-funds-states-spend-on-schools/.
Carbonari, M., Davison, M., DeArmond, M., Dewey, D., Dizon-Ross, E., Goldhaber, D., Hashim, A., Kane, T., McEachin, A., Morton, E., Patterson, T., Staiger, D. (2022) The Challenges of Implementing Academic COVID Recovery Interventions: Evidence From the Road to Recovery Project. Research Report. Cambridge, MA: Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University. Accessed on May 5, 2023. https://cepr.harvard.edu/road-to-covid-recovery
Mervosh, S. (2023, May 3). It’s Not Just Math and Reading: U.S. History Scores for 8th Graders Plunge. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/03/us/us-history-test-scores.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Koo, J. K., Wright, K. D. (2023). Effects of COVID-19 on Educational Outcomes: Enrollment Management Association Special Report. Enrollment Management Association.

Addressing Math Gaps

May 4, 2023 Leave a Comment

$Math Gaps$ Math Gaps and How to Fill Them

What happens to students who fail to master fractions by 6^th grade? Nothing much, apparently; they continue to work on more advanced areas, building on shaky foundations. Among the myriad of topics covered in mathematics, the following three have a disproportionate effect on future development: fractions, negative numbers, and algebra. Shakiness in these areas leads to math gaps and weaknesses in trigonometry, calculus, statistics, and other topics and endless frustration with standardized tests.

Fractions

Teachers generally present mathematics as a cumulative subject; it requires the mastery of basic techniques before tackling more advanced concepts, which assume complete knowledge of these techniques. Many of my students, for example, learn how to solve systems of equations and happily master these techniques when solutions are integers. Add fractions to the mix, though, and they begin to struggle and lose confidence in the whole topic. These weaknesses and math gaps persist into high school and beyond; in conversations with NYU mathematics professors, they shared that the biggest complaint was that many students couldn’t handle algebraic fractions. Of course, there isn’t time to redo the 6th-grade curriculum at that late stage.

Fractions also tie into other areas – students need to convert freely between fractions, decimals, and percentages; they also need to deal with decimals within fractions e.g.

Simplify:

and (my students’ pet hate) fractions within fractions e.g.

Simplify:

Given how broad and complex this topic is, teachers and tutors should review it throughout middle and high school.

In my experience, a standard method of teaching fraction manipulation leaves much to be desired: a focus on mastering concepts at the expense of developing computational skills, which makes students confused about both. Many of my students take a ponderous approach to fraction manipulation: when solving proportions, for example, we may encounter something like the following equation:

The students may painstakingly find a common denominator and then sometimes struggle with what to do next when cross-multiplication yields the solution in a couple of short steps. Once students understand that the two methods are equivalent, they should routinely use the more efficient one. When they master fraction manipulation in 5^th or 6^th grade, they are free to master more advanced topics as they progress through High School.

Negative Numbers

Fractions aren’t the only stumbling block; handling negative numbers is a topic that causes many of my high school students to struggle. A significant weakness is distributing negative signs outside parentheses and thinking of the relation between negative numbers and the number line. It’s supposed to have been dealt with by 7^th grade and is not touched upon again.

Algebra

Moving from the concrete (i.e., numerical) to the abstract (i.e., algebraic) is a leap that many students never complete consistently. Teachers usually cover this step by 8^th grade, but many students feel abandoned at this point. Algebra is not re-visited until 10^th grade, with geometry typically filling the time gap in 9^th grade, so 8^th-grade progress is often lost by 10^th grade when students have to make the enormous leap to Algebra II, leading to even more frustration and bigger math gaps. The modular nature of most school curricula exacerbates the weaknesses we are discussing, so I favor a more integrated approach that is rare in most American schools but common elsewhere.

There are other areas that could be added to the list, such as geometry and exponents, but the above topics hold the most significant foundational importance. It’s almost pointless to study trigonometry and calculus, for example, without mastery of these areas – it’s akin to playing a sport without training.

Now that I’ve highlighted some common math gaps and areas of frustration for students and their teachers, what are the possible solutions? Students who barely master skills will lose them fast without constant reinforcement – it happens to all of us, to a degree – but school teachers are under pressure to cover a curriculum that doesn’t give them latitude to return to skill-building. Frequent testing puts students under pressure to forget the material they’ve just covered as they anxiously prepare for the next test.

Students and their tutors can fill these math gaps by:

Creating a study program to review past material for students.
Avoiding a “one size fits all” approach – each student has their way of understanding the areas outlined above.
Ensuring that students don’t fall behind on quizzes and tests.

We live in a competitive environment; there is competition for middle schools, high schools, university places, internships, jobs, and graduate schools. Successful students cover more than what is offered in school, so students can’t afford to be left behind. It’s far better to tackle these issues as early as possible and then reinforce them regularly, with the help of tutors if necessary, in order to mitigate unnecessary math gaps.

By Kovan Pillai, PhD and Math Specialist as well as Executive Director of the New York Math Circle

Drafting Process: Just Get Your Ideas Down

April 29, 2022 Leave a Comment

The hardest part of writing an essay for most students is beginning the drafting process. Once the first draft is done, it’s relatively easier to fix up the paper, refine a thesis, and put the final polish on it.

The best advice on getting drafts finished is from Stephen King. No one can deny that Stephen King is very good at finishing first drafts. Sixty-three novels, 5 nonfiction books, and 11 short story collections comprise an opus of several hundred thousand pages that many people have loved. And, next to J.K. Rowling, he’s the best-selling author of all time. It’s fair to say that Stephen King knows a thing or two about beginning and completing the drafting process.

According to Stephen King, the first draft is supposed to come out as fast as possible, so fast you never stop writing:

“I write as fast as I can and still remain comfortable. If I write rapidly… I find that I can keep up with my original enthusiasm and at the same time outrun the self-doubt that’s always waiting to settle in.” – Stephen King On Writing

King explains that the thing that slows him down the most is editing (and self-doubt) while writing. He asserts it is impossible to edit while writing because writing is the process of getting your ideas out and reflecting and refining them happens during editing.

A student starts with an idea and then doesn’t like the way they phrased their sentence. They stop and edit, and edit, and rewrite that clever phrase. By the time they finish, most students have lost the thread that inspired them and have a hard time getting started again. The flow of the drafting process is lost.

The fastest way to finish papers is to simply get your ideas down without stopping. It seems like an oversimplification, but to get those drafts you need to say something like: “don’t worry about who is reading it, don’t worry about how it sounds, just explain it to me.”

This part of the writing process is kind of magical because whatever a student is most interested in or passionate about comes out in their own words. There’s so much life and character in an honest opinion or a thoughtful explanation and you really get to know a person by how they write. No judgements, no critique, just speak.

The dictation option on Google Docs (it’s under the TOOLS menu) can really help get those ideas down and enhance your drafting process. You can even try having your child explain what they want to write about to you and just let the dictation tools in your smartphone convert their words to text. You can help your kids compose those pesky first drafts anywhere.

Don’t worry about the details, the grammar, the order, the citations — all of that comes later. Start with passion and don’t stop until you’ve gotten it all down! Once it’s “down” on the page, your drafting process can progress to further refinement via the UP draft and then the DENTAL draft.

My Learning Springboard is here to support you throughout the drafting process. To organize writing coaching for yourself or your student, please contact Brad Hoffman or Faya Hoffman.

By Grant Bergland, MFA and Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed. and Learning Specialist.

Enhancing Metacognition and Executive Functions

December 5, 2021 Leave a Comment

The importance of thinking about thinking cannot be understated, especially for students who learn differently or find themselves struggling to keep up. Metacognition, defined as “the awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes,” builds independence and resilience among students by allowing them to recognize unhelpful habits and negative self-talk. Metacognition enhances the development of executive function skills; student learn to actively reflect, think strategically, and put on their future glasses. A student with limited metacognitive ability might stare for 30 minutes at a worksheet, only to conclude that they “cannot think of anything to write about” or simply “can’t do it.” On the other hand, a more metacognitively aware student in the same situation might be able to ask themself, “Why am I having a hard time with this assignment, and what can I do to change that?”

Often, bolstering metacognition also provides the very tangible benefit of simultaneously improving time management skills. Instead of putting off assignments without fully grasping the compounding effects of consistent procrastination, students working on metacognitive awareness begin to ask themselves more specific questions about self regulation. How long will this take me to accomplish? In what order should I complete these tasks? Where will I work most effectively? What can I do to avoid “time robbers”? What other obstacles might arise, and what will I do in that situation? While some adults often take this kind of metacognition for granted, for many students these are non-intuitive skills that can be practiced and improved.

In many ways, the process of developing self-monitoring is much like the process of an actor rehearsing a play. Just as an actor must balance their own thoughts, habits, and routines with those of the character they portray, the student is asked to step back and compare their own actions to the student they would like to become. How am I similar to this person? How am I different from this person? What would the character do in this situation? Is that different from how I am reacting at present? If so, how do we merge into one?

Great actors will ask these questions independently as they prepare for a role, but once inside the rehearsal room, performers are also supported by a whole team of creatives offering thoughts on character, style, and structure. An executive function coach might serve as the student’s metacognitive “director,” tasked not only with spearheading creative vision but also with designing a space for all players to work to their fullest potential. Just as a director guides the actor through “blocking” or planning out the progression of a scene, an executive function coach works with students to manage the progression of their daily, weekly, or annual academic responsibilities. In either case, this work includes managing both the physical and emotional structure of events.

Like a director building systems to support an actor’s performance, an executive function coach will help students to:

Identify goals

Almost all script analysis techniques require storytellers to identify the main “event” of a scene and then consider how this event stacks into the larger story; without any understanding of purpose, the performance will likely miss the mark. Similarly, students without any understanding of what they are working towards may become academically disengaged or burned out from unnecessary pursuits of perfection. Executive function coaching helps students enhance their metacognition skills to identify personal priorities and then actively craft schedules that reflect those dreams and values. Once this backbone is in place, coaching sessions also provide the necessary time and space for practicing metacognition: How did the week go academically? Am I on track with the benchmarks I’ve set for myself? Am I where I’d like to be as a thinker and learner? With academic priorities outlined, it becomes easier for students to justify study sessions over social media or brain-breaks over all-nighters. Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC-SLP of Cognitive Connections suggests the “C.O.P.s” method of anticipating a student’s weekly activities, where “C” stands for “chill time” spent in leisure, “O” stands for “obligated time” like school, appointments, or extracurricular activities, and “P” stands for “productive time” where students complete assignments and chores. Coaches assist students in listing their most common “chill,” “obligated,” and “productive” activities, and then help students craft and visualize a standard week that aligns with their overarching goals.

Build flexible structure

Only amatuer performers attempt to replicate exactly the same performance each night. Experts, on the other hand, effectively incorporate and encourage spontaneity within the director’s predetermined structure. Just as directors and actors recognize that it is impossible to map out every move, coaches and students work under the assumption that schedules will change from week to week. The goal of assignment tracking and scheduling is to provide useful structure, and metacognitive coaching equips students with tools for managing the unexpected. For example, coaches or parents might use transparent page protectors to hold copies of their student’s schedule; this way, the student can easily make adjustments using dry erase markers. Metacognition at this phase may turn “Volleyball tournament this weekend!” into “Hmmm, I have a volleyball tournament this weekend. How does this change up my schedule? Will this cut into my study time? What do I need to adjust to stay on track?”

Self direct

After opening night, the director leaves, and maintaining the artistic integrity of performance becomes the actor’s responsibility. Executive function coaches also expect to exit after ensuring the performance can run smoothly on its own. They slowly guide students towards independence, stacking skills into routine until students feel comfortable implementing planning processes by themselves. At the outset, a coach might start by creating a hard-copy or digital planner system for students to simply list assignments. From here, students begin to practice creating realistic time estimates for single tasks, enhancing their metacognition and executive function skills. Once this is achieved, coaches encourage students to map out full days or weeks. Ultimately, students extrapolate upon these skill sets and begin managing long-term projects or career goals.

Recognize that it may feel strange at first

It may feel unnatural for students to step into this new “character,” but coaches are there to help. Creating a new routine takes time, and just as a director supports an actor’s artistic process, mentors also provide guidance, ask useful questions, and empathize with the growing pains of new habit formation. Actors are constantly required to perform movements that feel awkward at first; for the sake of visual storytelling, a right-handed actor might need to pick up a cup with their left hand, or kick a soccer ball with their left foot, or execute a complicated dance move. In all cases, actors will practice the process until the unnatural becomes second nature. In other words, they “fake it till you make it” – or as author Amy Cuddy suggests, “fake it till you become it.” Students are introduced to this kind of mentality, and are reminded that faltering at first or accidentally missing a day is all part of the learning process. Metacognition also eases this transition, and provides a method through which students can wonder about their actions safely and without judgement: a student who starts with the mindset of “I am bad because I didn’t turn in my homework” might be coached towards a growth mindset of, “Hmmm. I notice that I didn’t get this assignment in on time. What do I think about that? Why is that? Was the situation avoidable? Why is this important to me?“ Through encouraging metacognition, coaches and parents can turn missteps into learning opportunities.

Iterate constantly

Ask any director or actor about their creative processes, and you will never receive the same answer twice. Some teams work outside-in, drawing inspiration from paintings or movement or music, while others work inside-out, drawing upon their personal experiences and motivations. The same goes for mentor-mentee teams in executive function coaching: different projects and different people require different tools. While coaches can, of course, call upon foundational techniques time and time again, the real creativity in both mentoring and artmaking comes from adapting these foundations to the situation at hand. The benefits of iterating for each student are twofold: first, the student ends up with a more personalized system, and second, iterating provides a great opportunity for teaching metacognition. This might look like, “You seem a bit hesitant to update your digital planner. Why is that? Can you think of anything that might work better for you? Could we move to a hard copy planner or a whiteboard system?” By talking through suggested adjustments, coaches model awareness of learning processes and help students to think more concretely about iterating for themselves.

Ultimately, executive function coaches view metacognition not only as a tool for academic development, but also as a springboard for personal growth. Our passion is helping students “perform” (pun intended) to the best of their abilities, both inside and outside the classroom.

By Ali Stoner, Private Tutor, Laurie Gross, M.A.T. and Family Advocate, and Brad Hoffman, MS.Ed. and CEP.