Effective Students Academic Glossary

A trained instructor responsible for equipping students with habits and skills they need to become successful on their own.

Example: Dennis hired an academic coach to help him develop academic grit so he could improve study habits and see better results. 

Related Reading: What Is the difference between an Academic Coach and a Tutor?

An acronym for one of the most common neurological disorders diagnosed among young children, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; symptoms include difficulty focusing, daydreaming, fidgeting, lack of impulse control and an overall inability to concentrate. 

Example: Marie is struggling to complete her homework without getting distracted due to having ADHD.

Related reading: ADHD & Executive Functioning

Describes circumstances in a person when two conditions appear simultaneously. In context with ADHD, this term is sometimes used to refer to an individual who also experiences learning differences and/or struggles with executive functioning. At Effective Students, we typically refer to overlapping conditions as those that “walk together”.

Example: Examples of learning differences that are frequently comorbid include Dyslexia and ADHD, ADHD and Executive Functioning, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder to name a few.  Comorbitity can occur but is not always the rule.  

Responding to information in proportion.  For example: big problem big response, little problem little response or even better, big problem controlled response.

Example: Kaitlin demonstrated emotional control when she learned she was not able to sleep over at her friend’s house and calmly asked her mom if she could just go for dinner. 

Sometimes referred to as ‘self-management skills’, executive functions refers to a wide range of cognitive abilities affecting planning and executing, memory, critical thinking, and one’s ability to exercise self-control. These abilities are considered essential to function throughout school, work, and everyday life. Students who struggle with executive function may have difficulties starting or stopping tasks, focusing and following directions. 

Example: Dennis is very bright but he struggles with executive functioning, especially on projects or un-preferred tasks so he doesn’t leave enough time to prepare and therefore struggles to perform well.   

Being able to make changes comfortably, even in your thoughts. (opposite of rigid).

Example: Flexible thinking allows students to adjust their approach to learning or solving a problem without feeling overwhelmed or ‘stuck’.   

A parent who constantly shadows their child and frequently inserts themselves in tasks the child needs to complete on their own or with some coaching to develop independence.  

Example: Tanya’s teacher has seen signs her mother is a helicopter parent because she is packing her backpack for her on a regular basis. 

This term refers to behavior of acting before thinking, usually getting the person who does it into a bit of hot water.  Also known as – blurt, ready-fire-aim, squirrel, hey – watch this…

Example: Sunny struggles with impulse control and often shouts out the answer in class before raising his hand.  

Sometimes referred to as ‘learning disabilities’, learning differences is considered a more affable term to describe a common condition where students may have challenges comprehending core subject areas such as math, reading, and other related fields; sometimes referred to as “learning challenges”. 

Example: Lindy’s learning difference means she has to learn the material in a different way but is not a reflection of how smart she is.  When this is not understood it can hinder her ability to show her intelligence.  

Refers to the process of recovering lost education after a gap or major disruption occurs with traditional academics. 

Example: Remote learning was very challenging for Breonna. Now, she’s considering enrolling in a class over the summer to improve her grade and make sure she masters the material. 

Related reading: Learning Recovery and the Role of Executive Functions

Having a system to categorize information and materials.

Example: Organization helps students reduce anxiety, save time, better manage their assignments and keep track of upcoming due dates. 

Looking ahead to see your responsibilities/fun, choosing to complete tasks in an efficient order to achieve success.

Example: Planning & prioritizing helped Diego see his responsibilities, complete his homework and still have enough time to play video games before dinner. 

Being aware of yourself, your emotions and performance.

Example: Benjamin doesn’t realize when his mind starts to wander.  His academic coach is helping him become aware of his own thinking so he can self-monitor and skillfully choose to direct his thinking. 

A parent who is prone to removing obstacles that are perceived to impede their child’s success, often as it applies to academics but can also be applied to sports or fine arts. Parents may deem any person or any thing as a potential obstacle that needs to be removed.

Example: Tanya’s  mom was referred to as a snowplow parent because she requested a transfer following her daughter’s conflict with the teacher.

The process through which the learner applies the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals. SEL is also used as a means to experience and display empathy for others, foster and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and compassionate decisions.

Starting a task, often in relation to school or assignment.

Example: Robert has learned to initiate easy tasks first and has significantly reduced the number of late assignments.

Refers to one’s ability to manage time limits and adhere to imposed deadlines; considered an essential skill for students as it applies to preparing for assessments and completing assignments on time.

Example: Toby has been using the Effective Student Method to improve his time management as it relates to his homework assignments.

An instructor responsible for helping a student improve in a specific subject area, such as science or math.

Example: Tina is working with a tutor to help improve her performance in English class.

Sometimes abbreviated as ‘2e’, this term is used to describe a gifted student who also has some form of learning disability or difference. Twice exceptional students are often highly intelligent and creative, while also exhibiting a learning disability. 

Example: Although Simon has ADHD, he has the most creative ideas and a fantastic sense of humor; his teachers consider him a twice exceptional student.

In the context of executive functioning, working memory holding information in your brain while adding more information, combining the two parts to solve a problem.

Example: Mom told her Benny to go upstairs to get ready for bed, brush his teeth and pick out his clothes for tomorrow.  Benny went upstairs and saw his brother (squirrel) and did not remember the rest of what his mom asked of him.  His working memory was being taxed so the next day, his mom gave him a sticky note with a list and he was able to look at his note and follow through.  

Executive Function Word Cloud

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