Academic Coaching

What is an academic coach? An academic coach is a skilled adult able to train a student to perform at a higher level. Just as a tennis coach would help improve a player’s volleys, ground strokes or serves, an academic coach helps students improve their study habits, organizational skills, and overall academic performance.

Students bring to the coaching session their academic responsibilities and the coach helps the students plan their strategy to complete homework or projects, study for tests, manage their schedule, organize their materials, and/or troubleshoot any challenges. Students need not be experiencing difficulty to benefit from coaching—students performing at average or elite levels may also participate to reach the next level of performance. Coaches may use standardized learning style inventories to help guide interventions and development of a student’s self-awareness. Coaching may result in:

• Increased efficiency of time management
• Improved organization
• Sustained motivation and commitment to changes
• Development of proactive behaviors
• Increased self awareness and knowledge
• Implementation of healthier habits
• Development of self discipline

The foundation for a successful coaching relationship is the alliance between a student and the coach. Dr. Smyth believes that the stronger the alliance, the greater the resulting synergy and subsequent impact on the student’s performance. Coaches approach students with genuineness, warmth and empathy as these are the basic ingredients for change and developing a positive relationship. The coaches seek to understand the student and then apply their knowledge, experience and problem-solving skills to help generate possible solutions to increase student performance.

Students need to bring to the coaching alliance a willingness to change, an openness to trying new strategies and the capacity for insight. As a result, students must have reached a level of cognitive maturity that allows for insight and perspective-taking. Thus, only students in the Middle and Upper Schools are eligible for entering a coaching relationship.

Another important aspect of the coaching relationship is the frequency and regularity of coaching sessions. Initial sessions are one hour long and succeeding sessions are 20 minutes in length and are either purchased on a 1x/week, 2x/week or 4x/week basis. They will be scheduled for start times between 3:10 and 4:30. We find the more regular the meetings, the more effect the coaching relationship has on academic performance.

To schedule a coaching appointment, contact Dr. Smyth, at the IMPACT office at 678-336-3364.