How Coaching Works

Teaches the student how to organize to make the best use of his or her time. Helps the student track missing, incomplete, and upcoming assignments, projects, and tests. Instructs the student how to utilize planning and organizing systems to prioritize the work, help complete it on time, and remember to turn it in. Educates the student how to break down long-term assignments into smaller, more manageable pieces so work can be completed on time with less anxiety.

Uses a student's past performance record including abilities, test scores, and interests, to determine an individual plan for studying for quizzes, tests, and exams. Aids the student in material review. Helps the student in test practice, rehearsing answers to tough questions and applying the same time limits that he or she will face in test taking for a better prepared and less anxious student on test day.

Advises the student what to do on test day from the time the student leaves the house, to the moment he or she arrives in the classroom, through the mechanics of test taking. Demonstrates how to maneuver objective versus subjective test questions. Reminds the student to have all necessary materials like pencils, pens, laptops, calculators, etc. when he or she arrives in class. Instructs how to perform quality checks of answers before turning in the test, and most of all, how to stay calm.

Provides the student with techniques to confidently communicate with his or her teachers directly, including how to ask for help. May communicate with teachers regarding assignments, projects, accurate quiz/test dates, and expectations. Helps the student track all assignments, projects, and tests, using a planner (or Google doc, spreadsheet, etc.) to help ensure school to home communication.