Academic Life Coach

I had never heard of an Academic Life Coach until a few months ago.  An Academic Life Coach is so much more than a tutor.  A tutor is someone who helps a student succeed in a specific subject by reinforcing lessons, teaching topic specific information, and helping a student study for a specific exam or quiz.  An Academic Life Coach teaches a student how to study in general.   They teach organizational skills, time management, note-taking strategies, and general study stills.  An Academic Life Coach can meet one-on-one with student’s needing strategies tailored specifically towards their academic concerns. 

As a school counselor, I see it all of the time.  We have so many students that are capable of getting A’s and B’s, but are getting C’s or D’s because they forget homework, can’t remember when the exam is, have poor study techniques, or no study techniques at all.  Many of our students learn these skills on their own or through support from a teacher, but there are those students that really need a plan tailored for their individual needs. 

We have students who consistently forget to do homework thus getting zeros on numerous assignments.  We also have students that do the homework, but lose it on the way to school or forget it at home.  For these students some general organizational skills go a long way. 

Gretchen Wegner is an Academic Life Coach based out of Oakland, California.  She is the sister-in law to Barb Wegner our Art teacher.  Gretchen owns her own business and enjoys mentoring students through video chat.  Most of the clients she works with meet with her weekly or monthly for one hour sessions.  Video chat allows her to work with students all across the country from their home computer. 

To view a YouTube video about Gretchen and Academic Life Coaching, please click HERE. 

Gretchen created a quick quiz for students to take to see if Academic Life Coaching could be a fit for their needs.  It is below:

• I’m drowning in paper and my backpack and binders are a disaster
• I forget to do homework or forget to turn it in
• Studying doesn’t work; my test grades still stink or wait…study?  What is that?
• I hate having to choose between good grades and a personal life
• I’m scared I won’t get into a good college
• I’m tired of my parents (and teachers) nagging me to do better
• I sincerely want to do better, but I just can’t figure out how
• I procrastinate like crazy and struggle to motivate myself

If you answered yes to more than one item or are interested in what Academic Life Coaching can offer, visit Gretchen Wegner’s website at:  gretchenwegner.com

Jobs and College Costs

According to an article on the CNN Money website from 2012, the average cost of tuition alone at a public school is $8,655 per year and the average cost for one year of private school tuition is $29,056.  This doesn't even include room, board, books, or travel.  Those items could tack on as much as $15,000 more!  Students often wonder why we push the concept of commuting to campus.  The amount of money students are spending on their education these days is painful.  Another painful statistic is the fact that the average 4 year degree is taking 5.5 years to complete! 

Students are also spending a crazy amount of money on degrees with little or no projected growth or jobs in the near future.  The Occupational Outlook Handbook produced by the United States Department of Labor lists the fastest growing occupations in 2010-2020.  ONE out of the top ten careers listed requires a bachelor’s degree!  Check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook for more information on top growing careers.    

Realizing that a four year degree is not mandatory for success after high school, we are exposing students to options other than four year degrees.  We take all of our freshmen students to the Erie County Technical School to tour various labs and to see first hand the amazing programs they offer.  We have many students that go this route and graduate high school with certifications that lead straight into a career.  We bring in speakers from the local technical schools to speak about certificate and two year programs.  We also offer the military representatives a chance to speak at our career days and set up tables in the cafeteria during lunch. 

We want students to choose a path that is right for them.  We also want students to be aware of the high college costs and to choose the right priced school or program for their needs and financial capabilities.  Currently, the school counselors are listening to the junior graduation project presentations.  One of the requirements in this presentation is to list the total cost for four years for the colleges/institutions that the student is considering.  It has been a real eye opener for students to see that four years of schooling could cost them anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000+. As always we will continue to push smart college choices, career research, and comparison of school prices with the quality of academic programs. 

Academic Online Resources

If you haven’t seen the Khan Academy website you need to log in today.  Khan Academy is a free website dedicated to create a global classroom where students from all over the world can learn at their own pace.  Our students at Fairview High School are getting a superb education, but that doesn't mean that the use of Khan Academy is not needed.  Khan Academy and other online tools can be a great enhancement to what is being taught in the classroom.

Sometimes students need information explained in a different way.  Some students like to go home and review the lesson before beginning homework.  Some students need to work at a slower pace and need time outside of the classroom to review.  Khan Academy is set up to support all of this.  Khan Academy provides online tutorials in many subject areas including math, science, economics and humanities.  The website displays lessons on particular areas within these subjects.  It allows students to search for specific topics that they may have learned about in class.  Khan Academy is even branching out to elementary students by offering math tutorials from 3^rd grade on. 

In an effort to support the use of supplemental material such as Khan Academy’s lessons, Fairview High School has created an Academic Support page on the high school website.  This page allows you to click on a Fairview High School course and see online material that supports the lessons being taught in the classroom.  Students can use this for homework support, to review lessons, or to work ahead.  This material is available through Khan Academy, Teacher Tube or other online tutorials. 

Check out Khan Academy and the Fairview High School Academic Support page today!