Learning is a task that we often do without thinking about it. We move through the day – and probably even our education – without ever stopping to purposefully assess our learning strategies and abilities. Academic Coaching with Kate Powers uses research-based metacognitive techniques to help each student identify their best learning methods.
Metacognition: awareness or analysis of one’s own learning or thinking processes
As students, we usually find that our learning strategies work just fine, until suddenly they don’t. This moment can be scary and demoralizing for students. This crisis in learning success frequently happens during an educational transition. Learning strategies that worked for a student in high school may leave them feeling lost and confused once they enter the collegiate level. The same shock can be occur as professionals return to school to pursue graduate education. Academic coaching can help students upgrade their skills to meet the challenges of their new environment.
In addition to study skills, succeeding in higher education requires that students master not only what is listed on the syllabus, but also conquer the “hidden curriculum”. Students move much more independently through the higher education landscape. This is a great learning and growing opportunity for students, but it can leave them feeling like they don’t have a clear path and everyone else knows something they don’t. Mastering this hidden curriculum can allow students to make the most of their college experience.
Hidden curriculum: unwritten, informal lessons crucial to a student’s education that lie beyond the formal academic curriculum.
Academic coaching can help students reach their full potential while increasing their self-determination and confidence. A students’ relationship with an academic coach can be as little as a few directional meetings, or can be a long-term partnership as students determine their path to success.
Just as it is important as understanding what academic coaching IS, it is important to understand what it is NOT.
- It is NOT a replacement for your college appointed advisor (advisors know all the detailed ins and outs of your specific program)
- It is NOT a replacement for a healthcare provider or therapist. Having a good and manageable success plan is helpful for a students’ mental health, but academic coaching can never take the place of a mental health counselor. If a student is struggling with depression, anxiety or other mental health issues, it is crucial that the student meet with the appropriate healthcare provider before meeting with an academic coach.
- It is NOT a replacement for a content level tutor. Students will see success when working with an academic coach, but they may still have to seek out more intensive content level tutoring. In fact, tutoring is frequently part of a strong academic success plan.