EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
An interview with BES’s Director of Educational Specialists, Laura Byington
What is executive functioning?
I always tell students that executive functioning is the skills & habits that help us be successful, outside of their actual classwork. Executive functioning encompasses skills like initiating tasks, organizing, planning, prioritizing, and self-control. We use these to help manage not only our work and school lives, but also our personal ones.
How does it relate to personal and academic success?
Executive functioning enables us to make goals, plan our actions, and complete tasks. It gives direction to our actions and is vital to completing projects at school or work, and making sure we’re keeping up with our personal responsibilities and goals. In a school setting, it can look like: time management, breaking up projects into smaller tasks, setting a schedule to study for tests, regularly checking grades, and reaching out to teachers to self-advocate.
What is executive functioning coaching?
Executive functioning coaching is one-on-one work on how to approach daunting tasks like schoolwork! A student is paired with an executive functioning specialist who works with them to create an individualized strategy for how to set goals and make/stick to their plan! Coaches impart this knowledge by getting to know the students, and then teaching & modeling behaviors that will help them to be successful while also serving as an adult who helps hold them accountable.
Who benefits from it?
All students can benefit from executive functioning coaching, but it’s particularly useful for those who struggle with how to be successful at school. A student can be very naturally bright & curious, but not earn the grades they want at school because they’re disorganized or haven’t been taught how to manage their time. Students with learning or attention deficits have the added challenge of focusing and absorbing the material correctly, so having a coach to help organize their school lives and advocate for their accommodations can be paramount!
Why is it important?
Skills involved in executive functioning help us all to keep up with the demands of school, work, and day-to-day lives. They make initially overwhelming tasks feel doable and reduce the stress and risk of not prioritizing correctly and falling behind. Executive functioning encompasses many essential tools in our arsenal to be successful in school and beyond.
How is executive functioning coaching different from tutoring?
The biggest difference is tutoring is centered around content and working towards mastery of content skills. This often looks like reteaching skills or teaching them for the first time.
Executive functioning touches all subjects. It is about how to be organized and successful for school and beyond.
What might surprise people about Executive Functioning coaching?
Often parents expect us to be telling kids what system to use and making sure they do it. Executive Functioning coaching is more about modeling than it is explicit instruction. It is about showing vs telling.
Why do you do this work?
I am a former classroom teacher and have seen first hand how often students will “get” content but not be able to be successful in school. This especially happens if you have a learning disability such as ADHD or dyslexia. It’s easy for little skills to fall by the wayside and can be the reason students don’t succeed. I love being able to sit down 1:1 and help coach students to be able to carry these skills through all classes. This work is very rewarding and necessary for many students.
How does executive functioning relate to mental health?
When students use skills in their executive functioning toolbox it reduces stress; it makes big projects manageable and breaks down overwhelming to-do lists. Often it is very helpful that someone else besides parents has these conversations with the kids. It can take the burden and pressure off of parents to have a third party involved. It is always great to have another advocate for kids in their corner.
What does a typical session look like for a student getting executive functioning support? A 4th grader, 11th grader, or junior in college? (be specific and break down a session)
Here are 3 examples of what executive functioning support can look like:
A 4th grader: A typical session for a 4th grader may include cleaning out their backpack, making sure they have supplies, and ensuring assignments are in the right place. If students get accommodations I may check in with their teachers to ensure they are getting their services. Parents are kept closely in the loop.
An 11th grader: There is so much going on in high schoolers lives, between school and extracurriculars. Sessions are mainly driven by assignments and planning out the week. We work together to make a plan for all upcoming assignments and when studying will take place. I work with students to make sure assignments are under control, checking on grades, reaching out to teachers, and supporting students in self advocating.
A junior in college: Work with college students is centered around making sure there is a system in place that makes sense and feels helpful and doable for them. We look at grades and upcoming assignments to plan when work will get done and how they can support their learning, such as going to office hours.
What are your 3 best strategies for folks struggling with executive functioning?
Frequent check ins for grades and assignments.
Checklist system to know what’s complete
Declutter work space (inbox, backpack, folders, desk, etc)
This is an example of a Google Docs assignment calendar I used with a high school student. We would update it each time we met, and the student was able to cross off assignments as he completed them on his own as well. The advantages of a living document like this are that current assignments/meetings/study schedules/late assignments/due dates are all in one place and parents, coaches, & students can view what’s due.