Coaching Executive Functions - Part 1

 As you being to work with your students on executive functions, it will be important to determine what strengths and what struggles students are currently having.  There are many online resources to have students fill out questionnaires or for you to evaluated.  I will list a few of them below.

Smart But Scattered

Questionnaire -- can be modified to meet your needs

Some other ideas include creating your own Google Form to collect data or having students do a 3-2-1 journal entry.  A journal entry could be 3 things I am really good at and enjoy about school, 2 things I have always struggled with during school and 1 thing I am willing to change about they way I learn.

Student buy in - executive functions

 So, now you have done some work on improving your own executive functions.  The next step is how do we roll this out to our students.

The first thing I want you to think about is the following feedback -- all direct quotes from my high school students from the last 2 or 3 years.  Here is a link to follow.

In all honesty, some students are more ready to hear about executive functions and some students are not as ready to learn about executive functions.  Part of that is due to the age group you are working with, and part of it is going to be due to previous school/work experience and the previous successes or struggles of your students.

One strategy that I have found effective is to list out the different struggles that students sometimes have in the classroom (could be academic, emotional, social, etc).  I have listed some pretty typical responses below.

• Working on long term projects
• Determining how long tasks will take -- usually not allowing near enough time
• Communicate specific details in an organized matter (both written and orally)
• Balance wants/desires with needs/responsibilities
• Managing independence
• Paying attention and avoiding distraction
• Realistic goal setting (similar to determining how long tasks will take)
• Regulating behavior -- being appropriate, having an appropriate response
• Procrastination -- don't we all suffer at times 😀
• Staying calm when schedules/routines change
• Keeping track of needed/necessary materials
• Proofread/check own work
• Transition from one activity to another

Once students have identified areas that give them stress or that are areas of growth, here are some things to keep in mind as you begin to work with your students

• Be prepared to negotiate and compromise -- students need to have voice/choice
• Set intention -- you are trying to help the student become more successful and independent
• Chance to be an adult -- making choices, having opinions values, setting limits
• Acknowledge progress (don't expect perfection).
• This is not about fixing behaviors -- this is about empowering students with the necessary skills
• Be open to talk about your own strengths/struggles and how you use your executive functions outside of the classroom

Do not....

• Believe your way is the best way -- we are all different and need different things
• Compare them to a sibling/classmate -- we are all different and need different things
• Give a compliment and criticism in the same sentence... 
• "You finally organized your room, it is about time.  Why can't you be more responsible!!"
• Be angry or critical -- regulate your own emotions first

Getting students to buy in can be overwhelming work.  Keep in mind to acknowledge it won't be perfect, but is it progress?

In the next blog post, we will look at some specific coaching strategies.

Managing Our Own Executive Functions First

 As teachers, parents and students begin to learn more about executive functions and the amazing impact it can have, often times, we need to take a step back (or a mindful moment) and reflect on our own strengths, strategies and struggles regarding executive functions.

The main executive functions are listed below:

Planning & Prioritizing

Organization

Task Initiation

Sustained Attention

Time Management

Emotional Regulation (Emotional Control & Response Inhibition)

Working Memory

Flexibility

Goal Directed Persistence

Metacognition

As successful adults, we know that we have to implement these ideas and skills to be successful in life, but if we take time to reflect, we also know there are places where we are more successful and where we have room to grow.

For instance, one of my areas of strength is organization (as a full time teacher and mom to three).  I have my own organizational strategies and I am very comfortable sharing those with students and giving them ideas for how to keep track of items, assignments, organize a folder, etc.  One area that is more of a struggle for me is working memory.  I have to really think about that skill and then grow that skill in myself (and determine what strategies are effective) before I am ready to share strategies with students.

The next blog post will focus on getting student buy in for our work with executive functions.

Why executive functions

 Executive functions are a set of skills that help us manage our day to day activities and responsibilities.  It is critical that we teach these skills to our students -- we cannot expect them to know about these skills.  Think of it in terms of teaching a child to read, to ride a bike, to throw a ball, to bake cookies, etc.

Students have more responsibility, requirements, demands and distractions and building these executive functions help them manage all of it in a healthy way.

There are many resources that are available to help us, as teachers to begin our journey to executive function awareness and implementation.  I will list a few below.  

Executive Functions & Self Regulation

What are Executive Functions

General Information about Executive Functions

The next post will talk about the importance of getting our own executive function strengths and struggles identified before we work on implementation with others.

Welcome

 My name is Jennifer Wessels and I have been working for 4 years to implement executive functions in my high school classroom and building.  This blog will provide resources along the way to help explain the background behind executive functions, my strategies, struggles and success stories.

The first piece that I want to share, however, is the work that I have done with self-care for my students (as part of emotional regulation.

Here is a video that details my journey with self-care this year in my classroom

Video Link