Quick Tip | Executive Funtioning & Self-Control

Key Takeaways

Hello educators. My name is Kari Cole, Aim Educational Consulting. Thanks so much for joining me for today's quick tip Tuesday. So today we are continuing our series on executive functioning. Remember, executive functioning refers to a set of cognitive processes that help students stay on task, organized, and goal-oriented. These processes support how students manage their thinking, manage their behavior, and manage their attention throughout the learning process, all critical for school. Executive functioning generally involves three key areas. Working memory, which we talked about in our last segment, self-control, also known as inhibitory control, and mental flexibility. Today we're going to focus on self-control. Let's start by defining it. Self-control, or again inhibitory control, is the ability to pause, think, and regulate behavior before acting. It allows students to manage impulses, resist distractions, and make choices that align with expectations and goals. For example, when a student raises their hand instead of blurting out, waits their turn during a discussion, or continues working even when something becomes difficult, that is self-control in action. Self-control plays a critical role in attention, behavior, and learning. And we see this clearly in the area of reading. >> [snorts] >> For example, a student use a student uses self-control when they stop themselves from blurting out a word that looks close enough, and instead they stop and look carefully at each letter to decode it accurately. Or a student use uses self-control when they maintain focus during sustained reading, rather than becoming distracted or giving up when the text becomes challenging. And another example is a student uses self-control during discussion when they listen instead of interrupting, allowing them to build understanding from other students' ideas and to deepen their own comprehension. Remember, one important aspect of self-control is attention. And this idea of sustaining attention is especially important in today's classrooms. Doug Lemov talks about the importance of attention in his book, The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading. We actually featured this book on our Wisdom Wednesday series a few weeks ago. In the book, Doug explains that self-control during reading requires students to resist distraction, sustain attention, persist through difficulty, and regulate impulses towards devices and quick stimulation. And this is where technology so often can work against us. Many digital tools, especially smartphones, are designed for speed, are designed for distraction, and are designed for constant stimulation, which can train the brain for shorter attention spans. As Lemov says, our brains wire how they fire, meaning that the way students practice reading shapes how their brains develop as readers. When we create what he calls low-tech, high-text environments, we give students the opportunity to build stamina, focus, and deeper comprehension. Listen, self-control is not automatic for all students. It must be developed and supported. When students struggle with self-control, it's often not a lack of willingness, it's a lack of skill development. This leads to an important takeaway for us as educators. We can't just expect self-control. We must design for it, and we must support it. One of the most powerful strategies we have is to set up the environment to support self-control. That means minimizing distractions and being intentional about what we allow into the learning space. For example, limiting or eliminating smartphones during instructional time can have a significant impact. When we reduce access to constant digital interruptions, we make it easier for students to focus, to persist with the learning task, and to engage deeply with text. Additionally, clearly teaching behavioral expectations, providing structured routines, modeling what self-control looks and sounds like, and giving students opportunities to practice waiting, practice turn-taking, and to practice sustained attention, all help build self-control. Even small strategies, like using wait time in the classroom, signaling for attention, or creating protected, distraction-free reading time can support students in regulating their behavior and building self-control. As I close, I just want to remind you, self-control is foundational for student success, not just academically, but socially and emotionally. When we intentionally design both instruction and environment, we can make it easier for students to stay focused, make thoughtful choices, and engage in learning. Okay, we're going to We're going to continue exploring executive functioning by looking at mental flexibility in our next segment and looking at how we can support students in learning to shift, adapt, and think in new ways. All right, everyone. That's it for your quick tip Tuesday. Thanks so much for watching and I hope you have a great rest of your week.