Editor’s Note: The following article as seen in Richmond Magazine is reprinted by permission. *

 

Rudlin Torah Academy seeks to prepare students for the future with a new executive functioning coach

With the recent national decline in cognitive skills among adolescents, the staff at Rudlin Torah Academy are taking a unique approach to improve what’s known as executive functioning — students’ ability to plan, focus and regulate behavior.

Beginning this fall, the co-ed Hebrew day school will introduce an executive functioning coach to their program, according to Rabbi Elisha Paul, head of school at RTA. “There’s a large research base that says these types of skills help students succeed when they become their own independent managers of their time.”

Students will work with Mary Margaret Ryan, the director of coaching at New Agenda coaching, who will use different approaches according to their grade level and specific needs. Those who need extra support can work in small groups with an additional coach from New Agenda to develop active studying and listening strategies, regulate stress, and organize their classroom materials. After observing students’ progress, Ryan will tailor individualized approaches.

She will then collaborate with RTA students and teachers each month to engage them in hands-on learning rather than exclusively using digital tools, Paul explains. Upper elementary and middle school students will use old-school planners to teach them organization and improve their executive functioning.

“As they cross things off, it gives them that hit of dopamine,” Ryan says. “That dopamine is feeding their brain and giving them the energy and empowering them to continue to meet that goal.”

Faculty and staff have begun professional training to help students implement these strategies in the classroom, Ryan says. The new programming emphasizes the importance of employees modeling consistent protocols for students.

“These are things they’re going to need for life,” Paul says. “More and more, the people skills, the organizational skills are going to become increasingly important for people to master as they’re going through education and getting into the job market.” —Skye Hathaway

*This article appeared in the publication’s August issue under School News – the latest on the Private Education Front. The authors of the articles are Audrey Polverari, Kelsey Robinon Mia Debelevich and Skye Hathaway.