Mnephonics Institute of Human Development

CAHSEE and CST Proficiency Services

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A Letter to Educators

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Most of us have areas of our lives we want to change; many of us have good ideas for making those changes, but it can be extremely difficult to establish new patterns without help. How many times have you resolved to change a habit and made concerted efforts to shift your behavior, only to end up back where you started?

Coaching provides the support and structure to make lasting changes. This professional relationship can help anyone to specify his or her goals, get unstuck, develop a concrete plan, and then follow through.

Academic coaching is a structured partnership between a coach and student. The goal of this coaching partnership is improved scholastic performance and increased enjoyment and enthusiasm for the learning process. The coach provides support by assessing needs; setting goals; and offering feedback and guidance. The student provides a desire to improve and a willingness to look at new ways of doing things.

Typically, academic coaching involves a weekly session, usually over the telephone (or at the home of the student) that lasts 15 to 20 minutes and sometimes longer. The student and coach will meet for the majority of the time which, although highly individualized, often focuses on the "THREE A's": Attitude (feelings and expectations about the learning environment), Aptitude (the current state and development of skills), and Approach (strategies, plans and goals).

Once a week, the coach will update the parent or guardian on progress and give a "heads-up" on ways they can support their young person between coaching sessions. In all cases, parents are welcome to take part in the coaching sessions either as participants or as observers.

Is Academic Coaching Another Name for Tutoring?

No. Academic coaching is much more global in its focus. Coaches work with the "whole person" by offering a wide range of assistance and support. Tutoring, on the other hand, is very specific, often to the point that it targets a particular topic, such as algebra, French, or Civil War battles. Tutoring often prepares the student for specific tests, like the SAT or ACT.

It is true that a good tutor will also do some coaching and an academic coach will often tutor the student, but the two roles are very different in scope, and it is not unheard of for a student to work with both.

How Long Does Academic Coaching Take?

Most academic coaching is situational and limited in its scope. Often it is a response to a specific problem or challenge in the learning environment, such as poor performance or lack of motivation. In other situations there may be no scholastic issue other than a feeling that the student's potential is not being realized. Studies have shown that a four-month coaching session has great benefit by reinforcing skills and habits necessary to do well in school.

Who Can Profit From Academic Coaching?

Any child or adult in the learning process can improve his or her chances of success by working with a coach. That said, there are practical issues that arise when working with children under seven or eight that make it most effective for an academic coach to coach the parent and then have the parent coach their child. In general, though, if youngsters understand and respond to a series of rewards for appropriate behavior, they can profit from academic coaching. Adults and young adults can almost universally get value from the coaching partnership.

Can Academic Coaching Be Used In Place of Medication?

No, academic coaching does not replace drugs prescribed for medical conditions such as ADD or ADHD. Issues as to the appropriateness of medications are wholly the domain of parents, students, and medical professionals. However, an academic coach should know of any medications taken by the learner and can work constructively with the healthcare provider in hopes of augmenting the effectiveness of any prescribed medications

How Can Your Student Benefit from Coaching?

Enhanced self-esteem
Better study habits
Improved social and communication skills
Increased motivation
Greater scholastic accomplishment
Less struggle with and more enjoyment of their educational experience
Fuller development of accountability and responsibility

What Are Some of the Things Students Accomplish with Coaching?

Efficient personal management
Effective planning and scheduling practices
Development of proactive behaviors
Regular practice of goal-setting and goal-clarification activities
Academic and social balance
Increased self-knowledge of learning style
Implementation of wellness habits
Development of self-discipline
Managing fear and self-esteem issues
Continued personal and academic growth
Ability to move out of “comfort zone.”
Renewed excitement and curiosity for learning

Initial Coaching Session (90 minutes)

Setting personal mission statement
Values assessment
Setting long-term goals
Determining obstacles to meeting goals
Learning styles assessment
Inventory skill strength and resources
Defining what tasks should be targeted

Upon completion of evaluation, Coach Sydnor will email an evaluation report to the parents within 48 hours.

Weekly Coaching Sessions (15 to 20 minutes)

Review successes and why they worked well
Analyze problems and obstacles
Assess current skills and supports
Define needed skills and supports
Review long-term goals and personal mission statement
Set short-term goals for upcoming week

Examples of Target Behaviors Improved by Coaching

Determine an organization/schedule method that will work
Gain consistency in plotting due dates, deadlines, targeted dates, appointments
Develop a better method of note-taking
Learn more efficient study strategies
Develop test-taking strategies and reduce test anxiety
Learn to set and keep personal time limits for school and leisure
Learn to break tasks into manageable steps and assess time needed
Upcoming project will need research (10-20 hours = 2,3,4, or ?? evenings?), materials (shopping in advance), writing or construction time (10 hours = 2 afternoons or 5 nights?), someone to edit (ask and schedule), final draft (2 hours) I don’t really understand this bullet point
Study schedule for final exam may need a semester-long or 6-week plan that includes reviewing a set number of chapters with notes per week, organizing a study group, utilizing flash cards for drill and practice (after dinner for 20 minutes each night), reviewing old tests, creating study guides
Accept responsibility for getting as much as you can from the resources available to you
Improve communication with teachers
Realize that there are many choices and different ways of doing things, and that every individual needs to find what works for them

Some of the Methods Used

Developing written goals
Creating an ideal day and week
Applying the Art of Achievement through the 7Cs (Clear Conception, Confidence, Consistency, Commitment, Concentration, Character, Capacity to Enjoy)
Keeping weekly “To Do” lists with specific tasks prioritized and clear steps
Learning exercise to improve efficiency in memory, listening, reading, writing, vocabulary, etc
Role-playing conversations with teachers to negotiate and problem-solve
Receiving schedule reminders from coach, either by phone or online
Use chining??? (I’d like to know what it is, too) to see where things break down so future problems can be anticipated

Coaching is not therapy. Coaching provides the mechanics of a skill, but the individual develops the skill through guided practice until the skill become consistent and habitual. Coaching focuses on individual success. Failures are compared to successes only in terms of objectively looking at why one situation worked and another did not. The goal is to define individual skills and resources, build on them, and make positive behavioral change that the individual desires. A coach provides information, guidance, structure, and that extra "push". This push motivates individuals to stay on track by helping them to focus on personal goals.

Individual coaching is typically conducted by telephone, or in person when possible, with interim email contact as needed. Students can be coached twice or three times weekly. Parents are called weekly and given a report on students' academic progress.

Coaching Agreement

A successful coaching relationship is built upon a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities. We ask each client to join us in clarifying our roles and responsibilities before beginning work together.

In general, we agree that the coach WILL:

Listen closely to the needs of students and parents
Ask powerful and insightful questions
Give honest feedback
Offer strategies to develop organizational skills
Help set goals and develop the plans to meet them
Model proactive and responsible behaviors
Provide structure, support, and encouragement

The coach will NOT:

Diagnose or treat any condition
Provide counseling or therapy
Do the work of the student

The student WILL:

Agree to work constructively in the coaching relationship
Listen to new ideas and provide some of his/her own
Take the risk of "stretching" a bit
Adopt new and more effective approaches to learning
Give feedback to the coach about his/her concerns
Take ownership for his/her progress and accomplishments