From the Fox's Den - SAOTG September Newsletter
Staying Ahead of the Game LLC
Award-winning academic coaching & tutoring service based in Texas for students in 3rd grade through college.
As we settle into the school year, the rhythm of classes, assignments, and exams is starting to pick up. While the beginning of the semester offers a chance to set good habits, it also introduces a variety of challenges for students to navigate. From managing new technology to figuring out effective study strategies, it’s important for students to find their footing early.
This month, we’re focusing on proactive Executive Function (EF) strategies that can make all the difference in a student’s success. From avoiding common pitfalls like over-reliance on school portals to learning how to ask for help the right way, we want students to spend the month of September getting ahead and staying ahead.
Here are our EF-driven tips for this month:
Avoid Relying Solely on School Portals — School portals, like Google Classroom and Canvas, have become a key part of education. While important, school portals are only half the story. Portals are great for determining due dates, accessing resources from teachers (e.g., PowerPoints from class, answer keys for review sheets, extra practice), and checking grades or missing assignments. However, portals are not good for planning out assignments (i.e., task management). Encourage students to use their planners for breaking down assignments into manageable chunks to ensure all deadlines are met. Planners are the key to personalizing the raw data from portals and turning it into productive action.
Ask for Help the Right Way — Many students rush to tutorials or office hours the day before a test, but that’s often too late for meaningful help. Being proactive is key. Encourage students to review upcoming exams and work backwards to figure out the best time to meet with their teacher. Clarifying expectations early will allow for enough practice and preparation, making the test day far less stressful. Remember: preparation, prediction, and performance all play a role in acing exams. Nail all three and students are sure to succeed on test day.
Choose Study Groups Wisely — Study groups can be a great tool, but not all are productive. With study groups, composition drives (or inhibits) comprehension, so students should be selective when choosing their study partners. It’s important to find peers who are equally committed to success. Group size matters, too. Groups that are too large or unfocused can turn into distractions rather than study sessions. Keep groups small—ideally no more than five people—and choose members who bring focus and dedication to the table.
In Case You Missed It – On August 19th, Evan Weinberger, SAOTG Founder & CEO, participated in two back-to-school segments on KHOU 11’s Great Day Houston and KPRC 2’s Houston Life. These segments included actionable advice and insights to help students start the year strong with a focus on organization, setting goals, and staying motivated. They are still available on the TV network websites linked above. Also, don’t forget to download our Back-to-School Resource Guide—it’s filled with useful tips to help students thrive! Click here to access the guide.
SAOTG in the Community – Our Founder & CEO has been busy connecting with like-minded professionals in our community. Over the past two weeks, Evan attended two major open houses: one with the Houston Area Mental Health Professionals network and another with the Houston Center for Counseling. Evan will even be co-hosting the next event for the mental health network in the coming months. We're excited to continue building strong community connections that support SAOTG’s mission. Stay tuned for more networking and speaking engagements in the near future!
Vote for SAOTG on Nextdoor – Though we are the largest academic coaching & tutoring organization serving Greater Houston, our headquarters remains in Bellaire. All of our accolades and awards mean a lot to us, but we were especially honored to be voted by our Bellaire neighbors as a Neighborhood Fave in 2023. So let's keep it going for 2024! If you’re a Nextdoor user in Bellaire, please consider supporting us by clicking the “Fave” button on our Nextdoor page. Our Founder & CEO is a proud Bellaire resident, and we love being loved by our local community!
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