From Struggling Student to Successful Teacher: My Journey with Executive Functioning Challenges

Middle School Boy and Girl Collaborating at School

I was a backpack stuffer.  All the papers I received during the day were crumpled and stuffed at the bottom of my backpack, crushed by the weight of objects I didn’t need. I couldn’t find anything. Homework assignments were turned in late or not at all. Permission slips never made it to my parents. And I would rather not discuss what happened to my lunch.  I failed every binder test. I didn’t know how to put papers in my binder or manage my time. I couldn’t break down long-term projects into manageable chunks. I struggled. All of this conspired to tank my self-esteem. I wanted to do well in school but didn’t know how.  Does this sound familiar to anyone? Looking back, I now know I needed help with executive functioning.  Executive functioning is managing time, focusing attention, remembering instructions, prioritizing, and completing multiple tasks. This applies to school, home,…

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Exploring Executive Functioning Skills & Parent Tips

Exploring Executive Functioning Skills & Parent Tips

Executive functioning skills are all the skills needed to engage in goal-directed behavior, such as planning a vacation or organizing a birthday party. We use them every day, throughout the day. Many people think of it as organizational skills, but it’s much more. Executive functioning skills also help us with emotional regulation. The Three Categories of Executive Functioning Skills: Executive Functioning is Situational If we think about a student being given an assignment or an activity to do at school, we can describe several different executive functioning skills needed to complete this task successfully. The student first needs to select an approach and figure out how to start the activity. Once they have started, how do they sustain focus and motivation? If they have questions or get stuck, can they ask for help? Then, how do they know when they’re done and have satisfied the requirements?  Another area that requires…

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