493- An Educators’ Guide to Fortifying Executive Function
Mar 12, 2024
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Educator Brandon Slade shares tips on boosting executive function skills in students with ADHD, emphasizing the importance of planning and time management. Topics cover misconceptions, mindset, routines, advocacy, and emotional control. Strategies for educators include setting clear schedules, promoting growth mindset, and using tools like Time Timer. Success stories highlight collaboration between educators and parents to support students with ADHD.
Integrating EF support strategies benefits all students in classrooms, not just those with ADHD or learning differences.
Empowering students with advocacy skills enhances their academic success through effective communication with teachers and self-advocacy practices.
Organizing online resources and setting structured assignment cadence aids student understanding, engagement, and overall course management.
Deep dives
Understanding Executive Function Skills
Executive function skills encompass cognitive processes enabling individuals to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, manage time, and achieve goals. These skills are vital, especially for students with ADHD and learning differences, as they facilitate academic success. Strategies shared in the webinar include teaching these skills through an academic lens, addressing students' varying abilities, and providing inclusive support to enhance executive function development.
Personal Journey and Expertise
Brandon Slade, founder of Untapped Learning, shares his journey of being diagnosed with ADHD at an early age and later recognizing his challenges in college. Transitioning from special education to executive function coaching, his expertise emphasizes concrete strategies for developing these skills. With a focus on time management, organization, attention, task initiation, and metacognition, his approach centers on practical and research-based methodologies.
Effective Instructional Strategies and Routines
Practical instructional strategies discussed in the webinar include clear communication of expectations, positive reinforcement versus accountability, and providing visual aids to enhance understanding. Emphasizing routine-based approaches, implementing tiny habits, and incorporating movement breaks to improve attention span and reduce stress. Keystone habits, such as sleep and exercise, are highlighted as lead dominoes for increasing focus and organization while building long-term discipline.
Importance of Organizing Online Resources
Organizing online resources plays a crucial role in facilitating learning for students. By ensuring that syllabi and online portals are clear and easy to navigate, educators can enhance student understanding and engagement. Setting a structured assignment cadence, along with accountability checkpoints for larger tasks, helps students stay on track and ensures a smooth flow of information. Additionally, uploading lessons in advance not only aids students in accessing materials efficiently but also reduces administrative burdens and enhances overall course management.
Teaching Advocacy Skills
Empowering students with advocacy skills is essential for their academic success. Many students struggle to advocate for themselves due to intimidation or lack of knowledge on how to ask for help. Role-playing scenarios and providing clear guidance on how to communicate respectfully with teachers can significantly improve students' ability to articulate their needs. Teaching them to draft clear and concise advocating emails and storing them in their inbox for easy access equips students with a practical tool to effectively communicate their requirements throughout the academic year.
Brandon Slade provides educators with the tools they need to teach crucial executive function (EF) skills. While EFs lag in many children with ADHD and learning differences, integrating EF support strategies will help all students in your classroom.
Executive Function Skills for Students: More Resources
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