Supporting struggling learners with Jessica Bradley
Aug 14, 2023It's back to school season for those of us in the US!
I don't think it's a secret that I'm not a huge fan of traditional education systems. From bell schedules to having to ask to go to the restroom to the overfocus on memorization, I think these structures and expectations promote compliance and conformity. The fact that I'm not a huge fan of those things isn't a secret for sure!
While a lot of our neurodivergent kids experience social anxiety, school anxiety is another factor that can negatively affect students both academically and socially. My guest this week is Jessica Bradley, a former school teacher who now supports struggling learners by giving them the academic and emotional support they need to be more successful.
Here's a clip from this week's episode:
And that is why I think, in my program, students and parents tell us, you've only met with them once, and they're doing so much better. And I'm like, Well, I didn't teach them anything in an hour that's going to fix our academic problem. But I did talk to them and reduce their stress, which allowed them to go to that math class, and pay attention. So now they're getting support from me. But they're also able to finally intake information in class because I've reduced their stress level so much. And so that's such a big part. And you know, there's so much research too about how the two are intertwined, right? If we're doing well in school, we have great peer relationships, but the opposite has been researched and the opposite is true: If we have great peer relationships, we do great in school. So it's this very codependent relationship, that we have to continue as parents and a support person, people and all that we have to continue to foster both sides. Because they work together.
Listen to the podcast episode.
Where to find Jessica: www.the-learning-room.com
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