Usually we address our blogs to the parents, but this month, we are writing for our students. Perhaps you can print this and give it to them, saying something like: “Honey, you know we are happy to get you a homework coach if it will help you in school. The HomeworkCoach company has written up a few ways to really make the most use of the coach. He (she’s) your resource, and it’s OK for you to take the lead in telling him (her) how they can best help you….”
Before Each Session
· Be prepared for each session. Make sure you have all necessary books, notes, materials, and assignments before your coach arrives. Double check that you have all assignments written down correctly by either checking with a classmate or checking the school website.
· Know your goals for the session.Know what assignments are the biggest priorities and which you will need the most help with. Let your coach know where you feel there are challenges-your coach is a great resource and can help you to identify problem patterns and come up with strategies for addressing them in the future.
· Make a list of questions. Create a page in your notebook called “Questions for my coach”. Then whenever you think of something during the week that you need to ask, write it down. That way, you won’t forget to ask and your coach can address your concerns during the session.
· Make a list of helpful strategies. Create a page in your notebook called “Strategies” and make notes during the week of which new strategies you enjoyed and found helpful and which new strategies were not helpful. This will help your homework coach to know what works and what doesn’t work so that she can help you be your academic best.
During Each Session
· Be an active participant. Your homework coach is there to help you better understand concepts and teach you strategies to be more academically successful. Your coach is not responsible for doing your work-you will only get as much out of the session as you are willing to put into it.
· Talk to your homework coach. Your coach cannot help you if you don’t let her know what you’re struggling with and where you need help. Always be open and honest -even if that means admitting that you didn’t actually do an assignment or turn it in. If your coach isn’t aware that a problem exists, she has no way to help you solve it. Tell your coach about your goals and concerns. Remember that your homework coach is your resource-don’t passively follow along with what the coach says, but tell your homework coach what you need!
· Explain your thought process and problem-solving approaches to your homework coach. This is very important as your homework coach needs to know how you understand and process information. By explaining your reasoning and processes, your homework coach can help identify obstacles and problem areas as well as help you determine what works best for your personal learning style.
· Address important issues first. If you address your main concerns early in the session, you can ensure that you don’t run out of time before those issues are addressed.
· Speak up. You should never feel like you can’t speak your mind with your homework coach. If you don’t understand something or feel confused, don’t be afraid to stop your coach and ask questions. Never forget that your homework coach is there to help you understand and be your academic best-you never have to pretend that you understand something if you don’t.
· Take notes during your sessions. Write down new methods and strategies that your homework coach teaches you during the session so that you can apply them to future assignments and continue to integrate them into your learning approach. Take notes in whatever format is most helpful to you. It may be helpful to do this on the “Strategies” page of your notebook-this way you have a written reminder of the strategies and you can make note of what works and what does not.
· Be aware of how your homework coach approaches problems. Observing the strategies your homework coach uses will give you hints on how to tackle a new task when your coach is not around. Asking yourself what your coach would do in a given situation may help you to find the answer to your problem.
And finally, coaches are not perfect nor are they mind-readers. If you have done your best to explain what you need and your coach just doesn’t seem to get it, don’t hesitate to tell your parent(s). They can contact HomeworkCoach (or whichever agency you are working with) to ask for a change in coach. This is important! You deserve the best coach possible.