Three Questions That Guide Executive Function Coaching
Our Executive Function Coaches like to break down how they support students into three main questions:
- Do you know what you need to do?
- Can you plan/manage/organize what you need to do?
- Can you do what you need to do?
We find that steps 1 and 2 are usually the easiest for students to learn (and that’s not implying that they’re easy!). However, most college students are able, with support, to build organizational systems, change the way they manage their coursework or study, and start to become more effective planners.
We find that the most difficult step is step #3: Can you do what you need to do? This is often where students slip up.
Broken down even more, getting work done involves two separate skills:
- Initiating a task.
- Maintaining focus on a task until it is completed.
For students with ADHD or anxiety, this can be especially challenging.
What Is Productivity Coaching?
Productivity Coaching is supervised work for students who need real-time support at getting started and staying on-task until the work is completed. The students who need this most are the ones that will meet with their coach, make a strong plan, but then have a difficult time getting work done and executing the plan over the course of the next 7 days.
In our Productivity Coaching, students jump on a virtual call with one of our Productivity coaches, they share their screen, they pull up their work, they state what they need to work on, and they get to work. Our coaches will stay on the call and check in with students to help them stay on task as well as provide the accountability they need to be productive. It is our goal to have 4 minutes of contact or less per hour with students.
How Does Productivity Coaching Support Students?
Now, many people hear about this work and think, “Isn’t that just going to perpetuate their challenges?” or “Isn’t that just babying them even more?” The answer is no.
Students who struggle to initiate and stay on task need real-time support. Productivity Coaching holds students accountable to a routine of work production. Each time a student has a productivity session, they are more likely to be able to get started and work on their own the next time. In addition, students who are being productive and getting work done are also seeing better grades. All of these things lead to happier and more confident students.
Overall, we’ve seen Productivity Coaching be a game-changer for college students, particularly those who are dysfunctional and struggling to meet deadlines. A common winning formula for students is to see their Academic Coach one hour per week and then work with a Productivity Coach 2-3 hours/week. By engaging in this process, students are getting support in each of those 3 steps described earlier and are able to find success and build skills at the college level.
If you think your student could benefit from Executive Function support, connect with us at info@statestreeteducation.com. We would love to hear from you!