Building Savvy Skills through Group Coaching
What if your teen could start mastering the organization, time management, and planning strategies they need to be successful in school...and life?
Learn More about Small Group Cohorts
Group coaching brings similarly situated students together to learn concrete strategies widely applicable to their struggles within their age group. Each session centers on topics related to organization, time management, planning, and other executive function skills. Students will explore strategies with opportunities for discussion and feedback from peers and an executive function coach with a Ph.D. in education and over 15 years of experience working in local schools.
Each program includes live in-person sessions for six weeks starting in August and cycling throughout the year. Capacity will be limited to no more than six students per group. Sessions will be 45 minutes each and scheduled for Wednesday evenings (6 PM for the Middle School cohort and 7 PM for the High School cohort).
Oct/Nov Class Registration is Open
Achievement Unleashed: Building Savvy Study Skills for Better Academic Performance
This six-week course will cover topics related to the science of learning, helping students to understand how their brains work and why certain strategies are more effective than others. Students will learn how to build quizzable tools, take notes, develop study plans, and overcome procrastination so that studying becomes an ongoing habit rather than a last-minute ordeal.
- Meeting dates: October 9, 23, 30 and November 6, 13, 20
- Cost of course: $375
Jan/Feb Class
Achievement Unlimited: Building Savvy Strategies for Effective Time Management
This six-week course will cover topics related to setting goals and prioritizing, creating efficient and effective routines, dodging digital distractions, and maintaining focus. Students will also learn advanced calendar strategies and project management foundations.
- Meeting dates: January 8, 15, 22, 29, and February 5, 12
- Registration opens November 1, 2024.
- The price for all six sessions is $375.
Executive Function Skills Can Be Learned
As a parent, you don't have to do this alone.
Whether you’ve tried being your child’s personal assistant or left them to do their own thing for a while, here’s the truth:
Now, more than ever, teens face a lot of pressure between school and the online world.
The world is a very different place from the one we grew up in.
But there are ways we can leverage traditional pen/paper and digital technologies to help us become more organized and purposeful with our time.
Are you ready to enlist the help of an executive function coach who has a deep understanding of the educational system and assistive technologies?
How Group Coaching Works
With a group for middle school students and a separate group for high school students, each 45-minute session will focus on a topic related to executive functioning skills. Students will have opportunities to learn specific strategies related to the session’s topic and engage in discussion, problem-solving, and troubleshooting with peers who are likely experiencing similar challenges. After each session, parents and students will be provided supplemental materials to recap and support the strategies as they’re being implemented at home.
The Fall 2024 schedule is as follows:
August/September Class
Achievement Unlocked: Building Savvy Habits for School Success
Wednesdays @ 6:00 (Middle School Cohort); @ 7:00 (High School cohort)
August 14, 21, 28 & September 4, 11, 18
Week 1: Setting Goals and Understanding Teachers’ Expectations
Week 2: Managing Time and Tasks
Week 3: Developing Routines to Keep You Organized
Week 4: Projects, Tests, and Homework (Assigned & Implied)
Week 5: Progress Monitoring & Self-Advocacy
Week 6: Troubleshooting & Putting It All Together
Group sizes will be capped at a maximum of 6 students.
All sessions will occur at the Building Savvy Learners office, 505 Medlock Rd., Decatur, GA 30030.
The early bird price for group coaching classes is $300 per 6-week class through June 30. After June 30, the price will increase to $375, and space is limited.
October/November Class
Achievement Unleashed: Building savvy Study Skills for Better Performance
Wednesdays @ 6:00 (Middle School Cohort); @ 7:00 (High School Cohort)
October 9, 23, 30 & November 6, 13, 20
Week 1: How learning actually works
Week 2: Building quizzable tools
Week 3: Note-taking strategies
Week 4: Building solid study plans
Week 5: Overcoming procrastination
Week 6: Advanced strategies, troubleshooting, and wrap-up
Registration Opening August 22.
But is this right for my child?
Executive function coaching, whether group or individual, is a commitment. It takes time, effort, and patience to cultivate stronger executive function skills. There are no quick fixes or shortcuts, but there are strategies that can help.
Group coaching is a good fit for students who want to improve their organization, time management, and planning skills, but either haven’t learned effective strategies or know that the strategies they’ve tried aren’t working as well as they’d hoped. Students who thrive in a group coaching program are ones who want to change and aren’t afraid to ask questions or try new things.
Group coaching is NOT a good fit for students who are resistant to help. If the student is convinced their way of doing things is working (even if it’s not), and they aren’t open to outside help, then they may not be ready to engage in the kind of work that can make group coaching successful. Individual coaching or counseling may be a better fit for those circumstances.
If you’re still not sure whether this would be the right fit for your child, or if you’re undecided between individual coaching or group coaching, then please schedule a zero-obligation 30 minute discovery call with me. In that call, we’ll have an opportunity to discuss the specifics of your child and determine what the best course of action might be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What’s included in small group coaching?
A: Each small group coaching session centers on a topic relevant to students with executive function challenges. We’ll explore the topic and several strategies to address the challenge, working to find one that will fit your student the best. At the end of each session, students will be given access to digital and printable resources, and parents will be given a summary of the strategies presented and tips to support the student with implementation throughout the week.
Q: What if my child needs more support?
A: Each small group is capped at six students to provide student-centered instruction. But if your child needs more support beyond the group coaching, they’ll have opportunities to enroll in individual coaching sessions.
Q: May parents join the sessions, too?
A: I wish we had space to accommodate parent attendance, but our physical space is limited and reserved for students only. That’s why we include a detailed summary of strategies and tips to support the student each week at the end of class. Plus, many teens feel uncomfortable discussing executive function challenges in front of their parents, so we want to preserve the small group space as a safe space to tackle those issues.
Q: What happens if my student is absent?
A: While we want students to attend each week, life and absences happen. If your student is absent, they’ll still get the session summary of strategies to attempt to implement throughout the week. They may also attend virtual office hours (TBD) to get caught up on the content. No make-up credits or partial refunds will be issued for missed classes.
Q: What happens at the end of the six weeks?
A: Developing executive function skills takes time! Once group coaching ends, you’ll have a few options to continue supporting your child’s EF skills. We’ll offer small group coaching on various topics throughout the year, so they may want to enroll in another course. Or they may want to sign up for individual coaching check-ins at weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly intervals to support and sustain the skills developed in the course. If you’re not certain which option is the right next step, you may schedule a call to discuss.
Q: My child is very busy, and I’m not sure they’ll be on board with this. May we try it out?
A: If your child is too busy to commit to the 45-minute weekly sessions for six weeks, then now might not be the time to join this program. Students who are committed to do the work and try the strategies will find the most success in group coaching.
Q: What does my child need to bring to sessions?
A: Your child should bring anything they would typically take to school with them: backpacks, Chromebooks/devices, etc. We’ll work on organizing students’ physical materials, but we’ll also want to access their online materials (e.g., learning management platforms like Google Classroom, Canvas, or Schoology, school calendars, etc.), so they should bring a device to each session just in case.
Q: I have additional questions not answered here. Who should I contact?
A: Please reach out to us at [email protected].