Blog - Seth Perler

Ending the school year: 3 don’ts & 8 dos

Please CLICK above to share. Parents, the end of the school year comes so fast. Here are some effective tips that I use over and over with my clients to help with the challenges of this phase. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you — Seth Reading the transcript? Great! We're currently uploading hundreds of transcripts so you can … [Read more...]

Where does your ENERGY go?

Each day your child uses energy in 4 major areas. When people use too much energy, they get into reserves, which has consequences. 🎦 YouTube: Visit my official YouTube channel here. Subscribe, like & comment to support my work 👉 Share: To support me, please *CLICK* at the top to share on FB or Pinterest. ✏️ EF101: Here’s my jumpstart course for parents and teachers. 💚 Give: Love my work and want to donate? 🙏 Thanks! — Seth Video transcript: Hey, what's up? It's Seth with … [Read more...]

Jesse Hagopian’s Lesson Plan for Liberation

I don't usually do this, but I love what this guy is doing, so I'm gonna tell you about it! If you're a parent or teacher, you should sign up for Jesse's blog. I've been following Jesse for a long time. He posts blogs every once in a while when he has a strong opinion about a current event in education. I love his passion and wanted to share his work with you so you can learn from him! I do not know Jesse and he does not know I'm posting this on my blog. I'm doing this purely because I … [Read more...]

For Students: HOW to end the year?

Please CLICK above to share. Here's a video for students on HOW to end the year. I outline 8 key concepts that will help. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you -Seth Reading the transcript? Great! We're currently uploading hundreds of transcripts so you can read them asap, but they are NOT all edited yet. This is a big process. If … [Read more...]

Helping YOUNGER kids with EF. Helping ADULTS who struggle with EF.

I received this email: "Hi Seth, I heard you on the Tilt Parenting podcast and love everything you have to say. My son is 2e, but is only in third grade, so I think he's still too young to benefit from your coaching. I was wondering if you your blog has ever addressed what to do if a parent also suffers from executive functioning issues. Going through my son's journey with him made me realize that I also have ADHD (inattentive type) and a lot of executive functioning issues. I'm really … [Read more...]

Faster Than Normal Podcast with Peter Shankman

New Podcast Episode: Peter Shankman, Faster Than Normal Podcast I was recently featured on Peter Shankman's podcast and we discussed my personal ADHD story. We went into my struggles in school and how that felt. How I ‘accidentally’ got a job working with ADHD kids. What made me certain about my newfound path. What I think about the skills & systems that teachers and schools give kids with ADHD. Some of the challenges that teachers in your position encounter. A … [Read more...]

P.E.P.R.: How to help your child with LONG TERM assignments

The end of the school year is a time when a lot of students struggle to manage the overwhelming amount of work they need to do. It's incredibly important to understand the role of PEPR assignments so you can help your child navigate this time. If you like this vlog, please CLICK a share button. Thanks! Seth … [Read more...]

SPRING BREAK. Do this. 7 easy things.

Please CLICK above to share. Hey parents (teachers, you might like this one too), Here's a quick video I made to break down some of the things you might want to keep in mind as your child enters spring break. As we know, this is an interesting time of year because the end of the year comes up QUICK, and it's easy for students to fall further behind. When kids get too far behind and they can't recover from it, they have to retake classes and deal with other consequences. This video … [Read more...]

Executive Function Masterclass: TILT Podcast with Debbie Reber

Recently Debbie Reber interviewed me about Executive Function on her podcast, TILT Parenting. This is my favorite parenting podcast and I recommend subscribing. Check out the new EF Masterclass podcast 1/2 here. Check out 2/2 here. Freebie: Here’s the free PDF assessment mentioned in the last show with Debbie: Executive Function Assessment. This assessment explores the most important aspects of your child’s executive function in an easy to understand format. It will give you clarity … [Read more...]

What’s the PURPOSE of Education anyhow? (Video)

Please CLICK above to share. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you — Seth Reading the transcript? Great! We're currently uploading hundreds of transcripts so you can read them asap, but they are NOT all edited yet. This is a big process. If you notice anything wrong and want to help us, feel free to click this Google Form to share it. … [Read more...]

Why I left teaching?

No buy-in or ownership of child

Please CLICK above to share. A mom emailed me this: Hi Seth, Do you have any information/insight you can share on getting teens to take ownership/buy-in? I constantly bang my head against the wall as I try countless tools/techniques to make life easier/better for my teenage daughter. The one thing that is missing is the buy-in from her. I've come to the conclusion that I can continue to spend endless hours reading and searching for ideas that will benefit her but until I have her buy-in … [Read more...]

6 Math Issues that Plague Teen Students

Here's a guest post by Adrianne Meldrum of Math for Middles! Adrianne is an amazing online math tutor, mom and friend. I've always been impressed by her talent, knowledge and the heart she puts into her work. Enjoy! (ps-check out her site here. She has plenty of free resources to help AND a phenomenal podcast.) When your adolescent was in elementary school, you had a general feeling that math was going well. No big issues that seemed to cause alarm in the teacher. Fast forward to now and … [Read more...]

Anxiety and Kids [Guest post]

This is the first time I have had a guest post. I am extremely picky about things like that, but I've wanted Jen to do a post for me for a long time because she is really good at her work! So, I invited Boulder somatic psychotherapist, Jennifer Delaney, MA, NCC to write a guest post specifically about anxiety, because over the years I have seen that it is a growing problem for our youth. I've witnessed more and more kids go to residential treatment centers for anxiety and other emotional … [Read more...]

How to get your child to FOLLOW THROUGH

Here's a video response to an email I received: Hey Seth, I’ve been thinking about next semester. My son did ok ( I.e. no D’s/F’s). But there were several classes that he should have had better grades in (actually most of them!). These are classes where he started off strong. His M.O. typically is as you describe, although he seems to be able to “Hail Mary” it at the end (stressful for both of us!). Out tutor does a great job working with him; the problem is the follow-through. (finishing, … [Read more...]

[New Podcast] Self-advocacy

Adrianne Meldrum, from the Math For Middles website and On Middle Ground podcast, recently had me on her show to talk about self-advocacy. A bit about Adrianne: Adrianne is a fantastic online math tutor who specializes in helping middle school students. I've known her for a while and love what she does! She blogs, produces a fantastic podcast about raising teens, and even creates phenomenal videos to help kids with math. You can sign up for her free updates and free class, Cut Homework … [Read more...]

UGYG Special Announcement

Announcement: 12/12/17 UGYG = UpGrade Your Grades Online Program Why? To help struggling students turn it around and get on a different trajectory in school. When? A semester-long program this spring If you're interested in next week's update and want a special early bird discount... Click HERE to access the form Want to share this with someone who needs it? You can **CLICK** the fb button below to share. Thanks! … [Read more...]

FINALS? #1 tip to study SMARTER, not harder

Please CLICK above to share. Here's a video for Middle School, High School and College students who have exams coming up. It's 5 minutes long and I break down my favorite study strategy - and you might be surprised by how "easy" it is. Good luck with finals! — Seth Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you — Seth Reading the … [Read more...]

TILT Parenting Podcast with Debbie Reber – Executive Function

Recently Debbie Reber interviewed me about Executive Function on her podcast, TILT Parenting. This is my FAVORITE parenting podcast and I definitely recommend subscribing! Check out the new podcast here. Freebie: Here's the free PDF assessment mentioned in the show: Executive Function Assessment. This assessment explores the most important aspects of your child's executive function in an easy to understand way. It will give you a ton of clarity regarding your child's executive function and … [Read more...]

HOW to coach YOUR child (video)

In this video, I explain exactly how I did one of my recent Educational Coaching calls (aka Executive Function Coaching). I describe the process so you can apply it to your child if you're a parent, or so you can apply it to students if you're a teacher. 🎦 YouTube: Visit my official YouTube channel here. Subscribe, like & comment to support my work. 👉 Share: To support me, please *CLICK* at the bottom to share on FB or Pinterest. ✏️ EF101: Here’s my jumpstart course for … [Read more...]

How to do SCHOOL WORK over BREAK

The semester is ALMOST over! Many students INTEND to get work done over Thanksgiving break because they are trying to get caught up on missing and incomplete assignments. This is a good idea, especially since the last couple weeks are often filled with end of the semester exams that need to be studied for, long papers that need to be written or big projects that must be completed. Unfortunately for kids who procrastinate a lot, Thanksgiving break goes by in the blink of an eye and very … [Read more...]

STUDENTS: Do THIS to save your semester (video)

It's crunch time again and you want to pass all your classes. Here's how: Be honest with yourself and others. Own it. Excuses. Print your grades (the pages WITH the details) Email your teachers with honesty and integrity Go to office hours Overhaul your materials Update your planner Make a SANE master plan Get accountability Start (sss, timers, plans) Start again Umm, now start again Repeat each weekend Be proactive with finals, projects, readings and … [Read more...]

“He threw a fit this morning about the school day being so long”

I recently received the following note: "My 8 year old is going through the dip. He threw a fit this morning about the school day being so long. He did stuff with tears and a snail’s pace as he finished getting ready for school which most likely made him late. While this doesn’t necessarily affect his grades, I know that it’s going to be a season of dragging him to school until Christmas break. What can I do to help his attitude toward the length of the school day improve? It takes … [Read more...]

My daughter is DROWNING in school

Please CLICK above to share. I recently received this email: My 11-year old daughter is drowning in 6th grade. She's a very smart kid, but too many moving parts. I'm trying to figure out how to get the school on board with helping her... it's becoming a full time job for me. In this in-depth video, I describe how the "Dip" pattern happens, how and why student resistance increases, how more overwhelm affects kids, and how making schoolwork more "concrete" helps. I also discuss 2 types of … [Read more...]

Students and the Hard Work of Change

Helping struggling students change is never quick & easy. Often, the efforts of parents and teachers are ineffective in terms of creating real change. You see, empowering a child to change requires a great deal of nuance, time and energy. This video breaks down some of the core elements I use to help my students make the changes they need to become successful in school. If this video helped you, please *click* below to share … [Read more...]

A Positive Teacher Response

Howdy! Today I thought I'd share a positive email correspondence with you that I think you'll find valuable. This is from a family that I've worked with and known well for a few years now. You see, a lot of what I do is help families decode how to communicate with the school so they can help their child. I always say that advocacy letters are always about one thing: Clarity. You're always seeking clarity regarding the situation. I recommend simple emails, short, to the point, and assume that … [Read more...]

“He loses most worksheets, project rubrics, classwork, etc!”

A mom writes about her son: He's 13, in 8th grade. He loses most worksheets, project rubrics, classwork, etc! He has a binder with sections for each class, some things make it in, and many others don't. When they do make it home, I make copies of important stuff that he needs for fear of them being lost. He doesn't know where the lost things go, help! He is missing an important worksheet due tomorrow and words/definitions they did in class that he needs to study for a test. How do we … [Read more...]

4 Ways to support your child at the beginning of school

Please SHARE below if this helped you! Thanks - Seth … [Read more...]

[Vid for students] Don’t use the school planner, use this instead

Get a monthly, academic year, with lines, stapled, minimize it, label it clearly with your name! Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you -Seth Video transcript: Good morning, it's me Seth with SethPerler.com and in this video, I'm going to tell you about planners. I know a lot of you hate planners. This video is for high … [Read more...]

Teachers: Feeling alone? (Video)

Please CLICK above to share. Here's another vlog for teachers, based on an email I received form a High School Special Education Teacher named Cynthia. Sometimes it's isolating when you're an outside-the-box teacher with alternative views. It can feel unsupportive. Sometimes it's lonely when you want to use non-traditional or unconventional methods of teaching and reaching kids. This video explores these issues and offers insights, including how to do a temp check with students to … [Read more...]

Teachers: What is EMOTIONAL REGULATION and why should you care?

Please CLICK above to share. In this video, I discuss: What Emotional Regulation is How "safety" is a key message The stress kids deal with nowadays What teachers are expected to do How to help these kids What's going on with the brain and nervous system Fight, flight, freeze, faint The amygdala Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe … [Read more...]

B2S The Truth About School Supplies Lists

Please CLICK above to share. It's that time of year again, back to school shopping. K-College, your child needs supplies. But what do they really need to buy? What goes to waste and what's most beneficial? Sometimes it's best to take supply lists with a grain of salt in favor of getting items that are best aligned with your child's learning needs. This video will help you know what to buy, what not to buy, and how to choose. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To … [Read more...]

Is my Child Twice Exceptional or 2e? [The Ultimate Guide]

Before we begin On a personal note, I absolutely love working with 2e, twice-exceptional kids. I often say, "the more complex the kid, the better", because 2e kids are truly the most interesting people I know. They tend to be intellectually deep, incredibly creative, emotionally intense, quirky, and when they get their educational needs met, they do really cool things as adults. Many of the people who "change the world" were twice-exceptional kids. They're just super cool people, and too many of … [Read more...]

“Should my child have routines this summer?”

Yep. Here's the deal: If you're reading my blog, your child struggles to navigate school. His or her executive function has not yet developed the skills necessary to manage the overwhelming number of tasks that schools require in order to be "successful" academically. So keeping them in practice with routines will help in the long run. In other words, your child struggles with things like managing homework, details, planning, time management, priorities, procrastination, organization, … [Read more...]

How to Find an Executive Function or ADHD Coach

Click here to watch a more recent video on this topic. I often get emails like the following, asking for how to find a coach: I need an Executive Skills Coach for my child who is resistant to any help, but starting to realize that she needs it as she is about to start high school... Any recs would be much appreciated. Keep up the good work. Topics In this in-depth video I go over the following topics: How to help a child who is resistant How to pick the right coach Ways to … [Read more...]

My #1 Study Tip, and It’s Actually Fun

The problem Most of the struggling students I work with come to me with no realistic idea of how to “study”. They simply don’t spend enough time or energy on studying and the quality/type of studying is ineffective. For example, many of these kids think that studying means rereading notes a bunch of times, but this is usually unengaging, inefficient and unproductive. One solution Literally one of the very best ways to learn is to teach what you're trying to master. Since it’s time for … [Read more...]

What to ask your child this Sunday

If your child is struggling to finish the semester, here's a simple and straightforward video for you. It's based on how I am helping my clients right now, so it works. How it works: It doesn't matter if your child in in 5th grade or college, just watch the video, print this and use what feels right. Tell your child that you're going to have a heart to heart about school. Tell them what time you will have it. The point is to give them time to mentally prepare, so maybe something … [Read more...]

High schooler gives up [includes email template to send teachers]

Here's a real email one of my students sent his mom last week: Ok. I have given it everything and i have nothing I can do. My 100% just isn't good enough to pass. It is too late to do anything. There goes that trip. I'm done. There are so many kids with EF challenges who are going through similar overwhelm right now. Of course there are things he can do. Of course it's not too late. But it's important to deeply understand that this is how he feels. He is emotionally overwhelmed. Here's a … [Read more...]

[Podcast] 5 Action Steps to Help your ADHD Child

I was recently interviewed on Jennie Friedman's podcast, See in ADHD. In addition to producing a fantastic podcast, Jennie is an ADHD coach out of Long Island, NY who runs workshops and speaks. In this podcast I go over 5 specific action steps to take regarding how to best help your ADHD child with their school. Listen to the podcast on Jennie's site here. (44 min) There is also a great little bonus episode 243 that we did on decluttering. (6 min) You can also find it on the iTunes link … [Read more...]

[Podcast] 7 Systems Outside-the-box Learners Desperately Need

Background I created this article and PDF - Student Systems Assessment for teachers and parents, to accompany the podcast interview of me by Jennifer Gonzalez. We dove deep into some great tips that will help you help your struggling students. Jennifer’s education podcast is called The Cult of Pedagogy and it’s perfect for any teacher or parent who cares about diving deeper into the issues that face education. Check out her podcast, subscribe and give it a review. You’ll love it. This … [Read more...]

7 Ways to help your child start the NEW YEAR off right in school

For most students, second semester starts back up in the first week of January. Check out the ideas below and use what works for you. Let me know how it goes. Happy 2017, Seth Minimize stuff - I usually recommend to my families that they do a serious downsizing of "stuff" twice a year (winter and summer). Pick a weekend in January and use it to get rid of all of the excess "stuff" you have. For example, you and your child might go through all clothes, keeping only the … [Read more...]

Homework over break!?

Uh-oh! It's already that time of year again, Thanksgiving break is upon us. At this point in the semester, many of the students I work with struggle with a very definite and predictable pattern: Swimming upstream - These kids are in "swimming upstream" mode. They are "behind" and are often getting "extensions" on late work. This is never good and only adds to the overwhelm and confusion regarding where to even begin. Naturally, they avoid making any real traction, full of … [Read more...]

Dad says, “He has continuously asked me for help with concentration”

I received this email today from a friend, the father of a senior in high school: "My son is having a hard time focusing when in class and doing homework. He says he's taking the breaks and even getting up and walking around during class to try and get focused. He has been keeping a list of things to do every day. He's getting good grades and not in any trouble but he has continuously asked me for help with concentration. He is now asking about what doctors do to help ADD. Any suggestions?" I … [Read more...]

12 Big Mistakes Students Make in September

It's early in the school year, the buzz of the first couple weeks has worn off, and habits begin to set in. Some are good, some not so good. The habits a student practices in September set the tone for the rest of the semester (and often the rest of the school year). The Pattern Unfortunately many students follow this pattern: Strong out of the gates, even excited about school, teachers, friends. Positive attitude, desire to do well. Skate. Things go along "fine" for a few weeks, no … [Read more...]

How Students Build Effective Systems (printable pdf)

The students I work with are notoriously "bad" with systems, which has a lot to do with why they struggle so much. Actually that's not exactly true, because when a system matters to the student, or when they've had enough practice with implementation, they can be great with systems. For example, I have one student who is obsessed with the game Magic the Gathering. He has extensive systems to manage how he plays this complex game. Anyhow, the point is, when it comes to systems for managing … [Read more...]

“What do you do if your child’s school wants the parent to stay out of it?”

A parent sent me this... "What do you do if your child's school wants the parent to stay out of it? I find myself trying really hard to stay out of it, and let my child contact the teacher directly. I will help him remember to do so, and help him formulate an email, but I've found push back if I contact the teacher for clarification." This is SO frustrating and I see it all too often. Don't stay out of it! That teacher does not get it. You care about your kid, so do anything you have to in … [Read more...]

PEP – 3 Things you MUST keep an eye on in the final weeks of school

PEP Papers. Exams. Projects. Unfortunately, many students fail classes at the very last minute. And, unfortunately, parents often don't find out until a week or so after summer break begins, when grades go out. Parents are often completely unaware of upcoming (and heavily weighted) Papers, Exams and Projects. Heck, many students are completely unaware (or avoiding the stress of remembering). You need clarity. Period. What can you do? Check grades daily from now until the end of school. … [Read more...]

One BIG Secret to Helping Kids Grow

We often try in vain to "help" our kids by... Lecturing Logic Reason Being rational "Talking some sense into them" But once they feel "threatened", it's not getting through. It's so easy for us, as adults, to see what "needs to be done". We can see so clearly that if they just do x, y and z, that they would make things so much easier on themselves. We just don't understand why they don't take these simple actions and it's infuriating. So what works? Believe it or not, one … [Read more...]

Quick Links