Student Coaching

Student coaching is the relationship between a coach and a student for the purpose of improving academic achievement. Student coaching helps students to improve their performance in the following areas:

  1. The ability to set clear and realistic goals
  2. Prioritizing activities
  3. Organizing space
  4. Identifying “time traps” that distract learning, such as addictions (TV, internet, telephone), perfectionism and forgetfulness
  5. Identifying “internal saboteurs” that increase self-criticism, lower self esteem and interfere with focusing
  6. Creating consistent study habits
  7. Identifying and optimizing learning strategies that work for the individual based on his preferred learning channel

Student coaching asks question in four basic areas:

  1. Questions to facilitate long-term planning: Examples: What’s your “big agenda”? Where would you like to be professionally in 5-10 years? How do you see yourself as a student in the next 4 years?
  2. Questions to facilitate prioritizing and short-term planning: What absolutely has to be done this week to succeed in the test next week? What are the small steps that you need to take in order to complete the project on schedule? How can you organize your personal life more efficiently?
  3. Questions to improve “start up” performance: What is a daily mantra that can get you focused when you are distracted? What will you give up by not doing what you plan to do today? What is your saboteur telling you and how will you talk back to him? What or who can remind you to “just do it”? Which rewards would move you in the direction of your goals?
  4. Questions to facilitate positive feedback and learning from mistakes: How do you learn best? What is a powerful perspective for you, as a student? How will you monitor your daily achievements?

Student coaching focuses on creating productive habits and increasing the overall well being of the student.

I meet with students on campus, on the phone or in my clinic. The first meeting focuses on designing the agenda and discovering values and perspectives, strengths and problem areas. During subsequent meetings, I collaborate with the student to create weekly goals and plans, and to develop strategies and skills that will bring about a change in the student‘s perceptions and performance.