There is some overlap between academic coaching and tutoring. Tutors help students solve quadratic problems, but they can also focus on academic-related tasks. Academic coaches assist students with general learning skills, but may do so within the context of academic-related tasks, like helping quadratic equations solvers.
This is where tutoring and academic coaching are very different. They serve very different purposes, and the learning-related tasks that academic coaches address are just as varied as the needs of students who could benefit from Virtual Executive Function Coaching and Tutoring. Here are the reasons why this is so.
Learning academically – and in fact, succeeding in all aspects of life – requires multiple cognitive tools. These are sometimes called “executive functions” skills. These skills are essential for students to succeed in middle school and high school.
Time Management – Allotting time for schoolwork, extracurricular activities and friends, family, parttime jobs, sports, or other commitments.
Prioritizing and planning – Identifying the priorities to complete the various tasks at hand and then sequencing them so that the most important assignments are completed first and multiple-component tasks are performed in a logical order.
Task Initiation: Overcoming procrastination to begin a task
Correctly Directing Attention and Keeping Focus – This is especially important when tasks are long or have multiple components
Organization – Maintaining a record of all materials at school and home, managing digital data and organizing ideas for essays, research papers, and studying for exams.
Metacognition is literally “Thinking about Thinking”, reflecting on one’s own learning and being aware of what drives them to make good or bad choices in academic matters.
Academic coaching is about being focused on students’ needs and helping them to improve their executive function skills to be better versions of themselves. Because academic coaching can help students in many other areas of life, they are often more successful than just doing better at school. Students can also benefit from academic coaching.
Their confidence, empowerment and effectiveness will increase.
- Effective strategies for time and organization management can be learned and used
- Stress can be reduced in the areas of their life that are most important to them
- Effective problem solving skills can be learned and applied
Academic coaching can be very beneficial for students who are:
- Do not start assignments!
- Are you chronically late with your work, or don’t do it at all?
- You are easily distracted and find it difficult to stay focused.
- Have disorganized study materials
- Multiple classes are better than one class.
- Do you have Attention Deficit Disorder? Or other learning-related issues?
- Do not appear to be motivated