by Gretchen | Nov 12, 2012 | Academic Coaching, Procrastination
So many teens come to me distraught about how much they procrastinate! They always reveal it quietly, shamefully, as if procrastination is a huge sin. But what if procrastination isn’t all bad?! What if — in fact — there are some gifts to be found...
by Gretchen | Oct 29, 2012 | Academic Coaching
Sometimes my teenage clients crack me up so much I can hardly contain the giggles. Tonight was one of those nights. Allen was a mess last year. Total sportster, he couldn’t stand school. He had zero motivation, which translated to tons of zeros on he report...
by Gretchen | Oct 22, 2012 | Academic Coaching, Communication
A couple years ago I gave a talk called “Parenting for Academic Success” that I gave for Diablo Valley College’s New Horizons Program. It was the beginning of the school year (just as it is now), and these 50 parents were HUNGRY for help on how to...
by Gretchen | Oct 15, 2012 | Academic Coaching, Organization
My client Jasmine is in 7th grade, has ADHD, and is an organizational disaster. Last week I asked her to organize her accordion folder by class; this week she had failed to do so. Papers were everywhere, in all kinds of disorder. And then…I pulled out a tool...
by Gretchen | Oct 8, 2012 | Academic Coaching, Study Skills
Doing poorly on a test is not a failure: it’s a powerful learning opportunity! Students can learn so much by taking a close look at what they did well on tests — and where they went wrong. I love Cal Newport’s three pieces of advice for how to do a...
by Gretchen | Oct 1, 2012 | Academic Coaching, Organization, Procrastination
Homework. Blech. No one likes it. Especially on weekends. So how should students manage their time during their precious weekend time? When is the best time to do homework, and when is the best time to relax? In my experience, most students want to save their homework...
