How students can avoid “Guru Syndrome”

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We all want answers, and we want them now! So it’s tempting to take advice from an expert, authority or professional when it sounds good. These “gurus” can be very convincing and their advice may work well for many people. But our kids are often very complex and they often need outside-the-box answers. This video sheds some light on this issue.

Gurus come in many forms: teachers, administrators, therapists, tutoring centers, educational products, books, articles, videos, etc.. They usually mean well and have a great deal of experience with the given challenge.

But one size doesn’t fit all. In my practice, I help students personalize reliable systems to match their idiosyncrasies because that is what gets long term results. No, it’s not easy and it’s not quick, and I’d be skeptical of anything that claims to be. Real solutions take time, energy and persistence.

Side note: fyi, I use the word guru metaphorically and humorously; not to be offensive. I actually have a great deal or respect for real gurus of all types who have dedicated themselves to serving others.

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Video transcript:

Hello, everyone, except except for ODOT cam. I’m here today to talk to you about Guru syndrome. You do not want to get Guru syndrome is very dangerous and romance and how to avoid a face syndrome is something that I see a lot of parents and a lot of kids fall into and that is this belief that they’ve been told by some Guru by some expert buy some professional buy some Authority that there is a way to do something in that that’s the way that your kid has to do it this way. Well, if you’re the student, I don’t give your middle school high school or college or parent or teacher want you to really Beware of the syndrome. Now, sometimes a guru or authority will tell you something that works perfectly for you. I say if that happens I’ll get back to you. The productivity industry and Technology. They’re all tired tography, whatever. They’re all types of various Wheels where you will see somebody who says I have a system use my system and everything will be okay and for a lot of people the system may work for the kids that I work with which is probably similar to you who tend to have issues with with cut executive function and a startling pool with organization time management priorities getting things turned in on time all all those things. These this is often don’t work. So I want you to be cautious whenever some Guru tells you this is the way I’m even his ass teacher saying this is the way you need to use the planner or even if it or even if it’s the in administrator or if you’re working with in it with a coach and education coach type person in there saying this is the way you have to use your notebook if it’s not working for you is not working for you. The rule it is that you have to have system that are reliable in that work for you if your system is not working for you for your learning style for your thinking style for your brain. And if it’s not reliable, then it’s breaking the rule in. It doesn’t matter. I don’t care what they told you now, obviously there’s your heart you have to apply the the trial but what I do with my client is I help them find systems that work for their bring. I don’t tell any of my students. This is the way this is how we’re going to do. This is the only way I tell them whatever way works for you that fine. Let’s find the way that work for you. So I want you to have a way that works through the years and years to come that you can respond. Stop by there is the status quo. There is the there are these old beliefs held by different systems about how things were and they will often tell you how you need to do things. But these things often don’t work for you. So I’m going to mention two of them right here the classic 3-ring binder. Okay, so lot of middle schools and high schools will do binder check and they for students use 3-ring binders, even though kids without with executive function issues do not do well at 3 remind me at 9 to 95% My kids do not do well with reminders because it’s way too many details to manage pieces of paper that are often meaning list. So that this stuff expect these kids to track loads of busy work paper that will never be used to guess. I don’t actually grade them on it and tell them you need to use it and then it’s implied was organized people use 3-ring binders and love them and that his truth. They feel good with three ring binders and it helps them stay overnight and it gives them a sense of control over those kids does the system keeps pushing a 3-ring binders that the planners schools will often give students planner supposed to look like hundreds of these planners that are we get a time with the month on the front with the student handbook and it was a periodic table multiplication tables and junk in the back of it and They’re so sick. And it’s all students with executive function struggles need is a planner that is just a planner to plan. I usually get the monthly ones with just 10 pages and teach them how to plan not all this clutter. So those are two things that that are can really throw people off. I’m going to talk about two more things right now one is the best you do need a reliable system for plan for managing this half that you have to do for the homework in the studying and many of my students really don’t know how to actually Stop by and we’ll rush through the homework. If doing the homework. So you do need a reliable system to track your score that is in fact true. So you do need a reliable system, but it doesn’t have to be this is the way that we plan you need to find a system for you. I have one student right now that’s using on Google keep which doesn’t have any dates on it, but he’s using it to track and manage to score. So I’m totally fine with that. I don’t care that use online planners like Google Calendar or I I don’t care which one they use as long as it’s working some of my students use to pay per player. I don’t care as long as the work. So you need to find a system that works for you do need a planet. Now. You also do need an organizational system for the massive amounts of papers that teachers pass out for some reason. Feel the need to pass out loads and loads and loads and loads of photocopy papers and and things and I see a lot of it it with my students is pretty meaningless. Honestly have to have a reliable systems for organized in the papers that do matter in your educational career. Okay, so you have to have these do I will put the stuff the goober Syndrome again will stay here is an organizational system use mine. This is the one that works. No one that works for you. Listen to your intuition ask yourself which one will work with other systems are both added another video in actually, I have another article from from way back that talks about all the different system that you need to be managing in your life and it brings it all into one simple so that you can grab that but basically Don’t just listen to Somebody. Stay distance away. If it doesn’t feel right you listen to your guy and don’t go with it make something up that works for you, finally. This is helpful to you. If you enjoy this at this gave you some good ideas. Go ahead and share it with somebody. I don’t care what you do it on Facebook email. It’s so many like, but I’d appreciate it if you share my work someday. I’ll see you soon.