Sources of History

New York Times Article on Executive Functions

Posted on 27 September 2009

Whew!  Where has this first month of school gone?

There was an interesting article in Friday’s New York Times on executive function at the preschool level.  Even as a high school teacher, I found it to be an interesting read.  Check it out: Can the Right Kinds of Play Teach Self-Control?

I have been thinking a lot about executive functions as I set up my classroom.  One specific instance was when I was working on goal setting with my ninth graders.  Often I find that students write vague goals (as in, do well in this class) and are unable to verbalize exactly what it means for them to “do well” and how they are going to be able to achieve it.

This semester, when I had students write specific goals and outline the steps they needed to take to achieve them.  I required that students identify areas where they thought they could improve and then develop clear steps they could take to work on these areas this semester.  For example, a student who felt like his or her test grades were too low might make the goal to begin studying a specific number of nights before the test.  They then had to come up with a clear plan of how they were going to make time, organize their study materials, etc.  Throughout the semester, students are going to record progress towards their goals and make adjustments as needed.  I also had students write me a note when they handed in their goals with ways they thought that I could help them achieve their personal goals for the course.

This was just my first attempt and we will see how it develops as the semester goes on.