Part One of a Two-Part Series
Have you ever had a student who was notorious for being disorganized? I have. His name was Jordan. He would always forget his assignments, miss deadlines, and be late to class. One day, I asked him why he was so disorganized. He replied, "I don't know. I guess I'm just not very good at juggling all of the balls in the air." I laughed and said, "Well, maybe we need to find you a different job. Like a clown."
That story is not real, but executive functioning skills are. EF skills are essential for success in school and life. Teachers can play a vital role in helping students to develop these skills. By providing students with opportunities to practice their executive functioning skills and by being patient and supportive, teachers can help students reach their full potential.
Therefore, it is essential that we, as online, independent study educators, prioritize and proactively teach our students EF skills.
What are executive functioning skills?
Executive functioning skills are the mental skills that help us plan, organize, manage our time, and make decisions. They're like the air traffic controllers of our brains, helping us to keep all of the different parts of our minds working together smoothly. These skills are crucial for success in both academic and real-world settings and core components include:
- Working Memory: The ability to hold and manipulate information in one's mind.
- Inhibition: Controlling impulses and thinking before acting.
- Shift: Shifting between tasks or mental sets flexibly.
- Initiation: Beginning tasks independently.
- Planning/Organization: Creating a roadmap for completing tasks.
- Organization of Materials: Keeping track of belongings and materials.
All K-12 students are right in the middle of learning the EF skills necessary for academic success, with some having an easier time with it than others.
However, research tells us, and we see from experience, that students learning in an online environment have an added challenge.
| Students using personal digital devices are more likely to become easily distracted, have trouble initiating and completing tasks, are engaged in off-task media or attempt (unsuccessfully) to multitask, and have difficulty problem-solving when technology doesn't work as expected. ~https://www.kennedykrieger.org |
How do students develop executive functioning skills?
Executive functioning skills develop over time, with practice. As children get older, they learn to better control their impulses, delay gratification, and think ahead. They also learn how to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.
This natural development can be helped along with the assistance of teachers and adults in the students’ lives.
What can teachers do to help students develop executive functioning skills?
Create a Structured Environment:
Establish routines to help students predict and plan for their day- including time frames for work, breaks, etc.
Use visual schedules to outline tasks and deadlines- such as Google Calendar.
Maintain an organized physical space to reduce distractions.
Teach Time Management:
Introduce the concept of time through visual aids like timers and clocks- this might include alarms on phones, Alexa, etc.
Break tasks into smaller, manageable segments with clear time frames- especially longer and/or more difficult tasks
Encourage the use of planners or digital tools to manage assignments and deadlines.
Foster Goal Setting:
Help students set realistic short-term and long-term goals- and check in with them regularly on progress, what’s work, and what might need to be modified.
Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable steps- creating action items can support students to engage with their goals.
Celebrate successes to reinforce the value of goal-setting- even small successes should be celebrated!
Provide Explicit Instruction:
Clearly explain expectations for tasks and assignments- and check in with students to ensure they understand! This might look like having them explain what they need to do.
Break down complex tasks into explicit step-by-step instructions- this may include sentence frames or other scaffolds to support student work.
Offer models and examples to demonstrate successful approaches.
Promote Self-Reflection:
Encourage students to reflect on their work and identify areas for improvement- then set a plan with them to make those improvements.
Teach problem-solving strategies to address challenges- to support students when they get ‘stuck’.
Foster a growth mindset by emphasizing the importance of effort and resilience- and model this yourself!
Stay tuned for tomorrow's thrilling installment of this 2-part post! You won't want to miss out on the juicy details of how you can help your students develop essential executive functioning skills. See you then!
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