Philosophy & Approach

Our Academic Performance Coaching is rigorous yet supportive. We believe that putting clients in touch with a deep sense of their potential, as well as with specific tools to actualize that potential, is the greatest service we can offer. Our coaching fosters confidence, intellectual independence, and the ability of our clients to succeed on their own.

We encourage clients to develop an awareness of themselves as learners – of their strengths, challenges, belief systems, and habits. We offer instruction in new, productive thoughts and habits, addressing study skills, executive functioning, metacognition, and mindfulness.

We take a whole-person approach and believe in collaborating, when applicable and appropriate, with each client’s family, school, therapist and/or learning specialist.

We work to ensure that each of our clients fulfills his or her promise as a successful member of the academic community.

Study Skills, Executive Functioning, and Metacognition

Even highly intelligent students struggle in school when they have not yet learned how to learn. The Chernik Group offers training in the skills and strategies that create the foundation for academic mastery, independence, and success.

Study Skills
Study Skills are specific approaches to learning that are essential for academic success. Examples of study skills include:

• Skills for effective note-taking (including the Cornell System)
• Listening skills
• Methods for active reading and reading comprehension (including the SQ3R method)
• Techniques for test preparation
• Test-taking strategies
• Procedures for improving memory (retention and recall)

Executive Functioning
Executive Functioning refers to skills and processes that are essential in successfully executing tasks. They include:

• Working memory (holding information in mind)
• Planning, prioritizing, and organizing tasks
• Organizing materials
• Time management
• Task initiation (beginning tasks without procrastinating)
• Flexible thinking
• Self-monitoring
• Self-regulation (modulating emotional responses)
• Self-control (stopping non-productive actions and thoughts)

Metacognition
Metacognition refers to the practice of thinking about thinking. Metacognition allows students to use their own cognitive processes to actively regulate and improve their academic performance. Metacognition supports study skills and executive functioning and allows students to more effectively approach learning tasks, monitor comprehension, identify questions, evaluate progress, maintain motivation, and manage stress.

Metacognition is a type of mindfulness practice. Mindfulness training is an integral part of our Academic Performance Coaching program.

MINDFULNESs TRAINING

An essential component of academic success is the ability to concentrate, to focus one's mind on the task at hand, often for long periods of time. Yet many students struggle to pay attention even for short periods, distracted by their phones and other devices, the need for stimulation, and/or changing emotional states. Students can, however, be taught to concentrate. With mindfulness practice, this ability strengthens and becomes habit.

Training in mindfulness is an integral part of our Academic Performance Coaching. Abra Chernik has been practicing mindfulness and meditation since 1991 and teaching meditation and mindful living since 2008. Our mindfulness program teaches clients basic techniques that empower them to become aware of and to control the direction of their own thoughts. Clients learn to place their attention where they want it to be and to keep it there. We also introduce clients to the practice of metacognition ("thinking about thinking"), through which students learn to use their own cognitive processes to actively regulate and improve their academic performance.

Through practicing mindfulness, students increase their ability to:

• Concentrate
• Study actively
• Monitor comprehension, identify questions, and evaluate progress
• Identify blocks to learning
• Enact new habits
• Think both analytically and creatively
• Maintain motivation & sustain effort
• Reduce test anxiety
• Cope with the stress of everyday academia

The practice of mindfulness is also applicable outside of the classroom, of course, and helps students bring greater presence and vitality to all of their activities.