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.
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