A Guide to the Benefits of Academic Coaching

Around 75% of students in the U.S. have expressed stress, boredom, or fear when it comes to school. The reason might be that everyone learns a bit differently.

Where one student can learn via the traditional method of writing notes and taking a test, another may learn better with hands-on experience. Most schools only cater to student A, so student B gets left behind.

That’s where academic coaching comes in. Coaches can cater their sessions toward a student’s particular talents and learning abilities.

That’s only one way that a coach can set students up for success. Check out this guide to learn more about why you should consider coaching services for your child.

What Is Academic Coaching?

Academic coaches are a bit like athletic coaches. The difference is that they guide students in sharpening their study skills rather than playing a sport.

Most coaches revolve their sessions around time management, test-taking, procrastination, note-taking, and reading. A typical session looks a little different depending on the age of the student.

If your child is still in elementary school, their coaching session may include backpack organization, color coding their folders, developing a homework routine, and writing their homework assignments down in a planner.

When it comes to middle and high school students, coaches will focus a lot on test-taking. They’ll also help students fine-tune their homework schedules, plan for long-term projects, and stay focused in class.

The Difference Between Coach and Tutor

Many people confuse tutoring for academic coaching and vice versa. Tutoring is specific to a single class. If your child is struggling in algebra, you may get them a math tutor, for example.

Academic coaching is a lot broader. Students can apply the skills they learn during their coaching session to all their classes.

Students That Can Benefit From Academic Coaching Resources

Almost any student can benefit from online coaching, but there are some that need it more than others.

The biggest examples are students with learning disabilities, students with ADHD, students in challenging AP classes, and student-athletes.

Students With ADHD

Millions of children have been diagnosed with ADHD. It’s a condition that can affect a child’s ability to sit still in class, organize their notes, learn when it’s appropriate to speak up, manage their study material, and create effective routines.

Academic coaching can help these students by teaching them time management and organizational skills.

Students With a Learning Disability

A learning disability can be classified as anything that affects a student’s ability to pay attention in class, read, or write.

These students are no less intelligent than their peers. They simply need a little support in order to succeed. An academic coach can provide this support by helping them develop better study habits and executive function skills.

Students in AP Classes

Academic coaching services aren’t only for students with learning struggles. It can also help those in AP classes.

These classes come with a lot of pressure to succeed. A student may get discouraged when they make less than an A on a test. Their academic coach can encourage them and help them regain their confidence.

Their coach can also assist them with any challenging concept that they’re having a hard time latching onto. Coaching will allow students to develop the study skills they need to make it through tough classes.

Student-Athletes

Student-athletes are busy kids. They’re expected to fit academics between practice and playing games. Some may find their grades slipping because it’s a lot for one child to manage.

Academic coaches can provide student-athletes with a little relief by teaching them how to organize their notes and prioritize assignments.

Benefits of Coaching Services

There are many reasons why you should consider an academic coach if your child is struggling in school. Having a coach in their corner can give a student the confidence they need to succeed.

Coaches can also help your student improve their executive functioning and provide them with a personalized learning experience. That’s only the beginning.

More Self-Confidence

Students feel discouraged by bad grades. After a while, they may even start to give up. An academic coach can give them their confidence back by teaching them the skills they need to improve their grades.

A student may have excellent grades, but feel like they’re not good enough to challenge themselves further by taking harder classes. Having an academic coach in their corner can give them the push they need to give it a try.

Improve Executive Functioning

Executive functioning is the set of mental skills that allows a person to focus, plan, remember information, and multitask. These are all things that are essential for having a successful academic career.

Coaches help students develop their executive functioning skills by allowing them to take charge of their learning. They ask them what they want to focus on for the day.

From there, the coach will walk them through building a plan that will help them meet their goals. They’ll teach them to juggle tasks and manage their time so they can get things done.

More Self-Advocacy

While your child is still in middle or high school, they have you to advocate for them. You can reach out and make sure they get the help they need in school. You can hire a tutor to help them with subjects they’re struggling with.

Once your child gets into college, however, they don’t have you there to advocate for them as much. If they’re struggling with a subject, you can encourage them to seek out academic resources, but you can’t schedule a tutoring session for them.

An academic coach can teach your student that it’s okay to ask for help. They’ll show them how to use the resources available to them to succeed in class.

One of the hardest parts of asking for help is talking to the instructor. Many students feel intimidated by it. An academic coach can give your student the confidence they need to overcome their hesitations to schedule a meeting with their professors.

Encourage the Growth Mindset

Sometimes when a student is struggling with a class, they lose motivation rather than confidence. After the third or fourth failed test, they may convince themselves that they aren’t good at that particular subject and there’s nothing they can do about it.

Instead, a student should be telling themselves that they need to study extra hard for that class. They can handle the work as long as they focus and not give up.

This is what is better known as the growth mindset. An academic coach can give them the tools they need to embrace it.

Better Time Management

Your child will have to juggle multiple classes while they’re in school. They may have a lot of assignments due at the same time. They also have to schedule their schoolwork around their extracurricular activities.

When they get to college, they’ll have to juggle their assignments along with clubs and basic chores. Without proper time management, they will become overwhelmed.

Your child’s academic coach will try out a number of time management techniques with them until they find one that works. They’ll also show them how to make the most out of their study sessions and cut the amount of time they spend on test prep in half.

Higher Grades

Bad habits such as procrastination and poor time management lead to students turning in their worst work. When a student isn’t using their study time wisely, they will be underprepared when it comes time to take tests.

With an academic coach teaching your student how to manage their time and study, their GPA will begin to improve.

Prepare for Life After High School

While in high school, students have a lot to manage, but it will get even worse once they enter college. Tests take longer to prepare for and homework assignments are more involved.

The skills they learn from their academic coach will help them handle the extra workload without becoming overwhelmed.

If your child skips college and goes straight to the workforce, that’s okay too. Time management and organization are universal skills that a person can use in any situation.

Personalized Learning

No student learns the same way as another.  That means a traditional school setting doesn’t work for everyone. Students that can’t learn by taking notes during a lecture will sometimes get left behind.

During session one, your child’s academic coach will access them to learn what kind of student they are. They’ll find out their strengths and weaknesses and create a learning plan that will cater to them. ‘

Less Anxiety

Bad grades can be stressful. Students are under a lot of pressure to do a good job in school.

Some students will do poorly on tests due to nerves. They don’t believe that they can pass, so they don’t.

Working with an academic coach can cut a student’s anxiety in half. They’ll learn study habits that will give them the confidence they need to ace tests.

Academic coaches can teach students stress relief techniques that will help them stay calm under pressure.

Accountability

Breaking bad study habits isn’t easy. Many try only to fall back into the same bad habits.

That’s why having an accountability buddy in the form of an academic coach is so important. They can both encourage your student and hold them accountable when they slip up.

Getting the Most Out of Academic Coaching

The benefits listed above will only work for your child if you send them to their coaching session with the right tools. You must also let them know that change takes time. They won’t see immediate improvement after a single session.

Set realistic expectations with your child, encourage them to do their best, and seek out multiple resources.

Send Your Child With the Right Tools

Send your child to their coaching session with any tools that they’re currently using. For example, let’s say that your child is having an issue with time management. Have them show their coach their study calendar.

This will provide the academic coach with a good starting point. They can work with your student to add to the time management strategies they’re already using.

Help Them Understand Change Takes Time

Your child may become frustrated when they don’t see improvement after their first coaching session, but improvement is a process.

It will take a few sessions before they’re able to finally start breaking bad habits and begin embracing better ones.

When you see that your child is frustrated, sit down with them and explain that change won’t happen overnight. Set realistic expectations with them and encourage them to try their best and not give up.

Use Other Resources

Academic coaching is a great tool that will help your child improve. However, it’s not the only tool.

Many students find success by using tutors and teachers along with academic coaching. Your child can join a study group or seek out online PowerPoints and podcasts.

Invest in Academic Coaching for Your Child

Is your child struggling in school? Academic coaching can teach them the time management and study skills they need to improve their GPA.

Once their grades begin to improve, you’ll notice a drastic change in their mood as well.

Most coaches understand that not every student learns the same way. Our experts in academic coaching and executive functioning provide personalized strategies that can help your student succeed. If you’re interested in hiring a coach, contact us to set up a time to talk.