Executive Function Strategies Blog

Online courses can be a wonderful way to learn almost anything—from accounting to zoology. It can help to fill skill gaps, earn credits toward a degree, and contribute to personal enrichment. Many options are low-cost or even free and there is no commute! So, everyone should sign up for online classes, right?

Hold on - first consider some of the possible pitfalls before you click to enroll.

Every week, we open emails from parents and students who are thrilled with their outcomes from coaching. Last month on our blog, we shared one mom's heartfelt thanks to her son's coach, Samantha (Sam) Raimondi. Sam coached Mark (not his actual name) via Skype for a few weeks during his fall semester of his sophomore year in college. By the time Mark began online coaching, he was in deep academic trouble and doubted he could salvage the semester. With Sam's twice weekly Skype coaching sessions and daily check-ins to help keep Mark on track, he quickly learned how to use tools to organize and prioritize his work. Karen, Mark's mom, wrote to us, "Our son regained some equilibrium, hope and confidence in his abilities to get his work done, and has learned the value of using your team of supporters rather than trying to go it alone." Parents often feel helpless to assist their college-aged children when they are hundreds - or thousands of miles away. Thankfully, online coaching can often be a good solution when students need help managing distractions and structuring their time to be productive. 

If you had asked me in 2006, when Beyond BookSmart was in its infancy as a company, if it’s possible to coach students online to be more effective and productive, I’d have likely answered with a resounding “Inconceivable!” After all, our work is built on a foundation that emphasizes rapport and respect for our students. Without that, it’s an uphill trudge to influence kids to change their work habits. So, doesn’t that coaching relationship have to take place face to face — in the same space?