Executive functioning skills are a hot topic. They seem really abstract, and they can be for so many of our students. Not all of us realize that some of the frustrations we face in the classroom are actually skill deficits. What about our students who struggle with work initiation and need a lot of prompting and support to begin tasks? It can feel like a far fetched dream that they’ll initiate work independently!

 

Teaching work initiation begins with realizing what’s holding them back.

We as teachers might know that students are distracted, uninterested in the topic, or not looking forward to working on a subject that tends to be difficult. Do our students really know why they’re struggling to get started on work?

 

Strategies for work initiation are also essential.

Just because you know you tend to struggle with getting started on a work task isn’t going to solve the problem. What scaffolds can we put in place to help our students overcome the barriers? Students should know what resources are at their fingertips for support (notes, anchor charts, books, visuals, adults, peers, etc.) and understand the purpose of the activities they’re working on.

 

Initiation is a skill that not only supports independence for students, but is SO helpful for staff and peers.

When students are able to start work by themselves, it helps the classroom flow so much smoother. This can also help translate to work times at home, starting chores and tasks, and eventually to job skills. There is a reason executive functioning skills ARE foundational life skills!