What is Academic Coaching?
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM ACADEMIC COACHING?
- Students who want to learn HOW to be a student
- Students with learning differences and challenges including ADD/ADHD, speech, audio, and sensory processing disorders, dyslexia, dysgraphia, autism spectrum, anxiety, and depression
- Students who struggle with organization and executive functioning skills
- Students with IEPs and 504 plans who want to learn how to effectively self-advocate and use their accommodations
- Students who have missed school or fallen behind for any reason and need to catch up and stay caught up
- Students struggling to pass a class or graduate
- Students with low self-esteem; ready to give up
- Students in different curriculums:
- Middle school
- High school
- AP, Honors, IB, and Dual Credit
- Online
- College and graduate
- Homeschool and alternative education
- Parents/guardians who want to see their kids succeed with less emotional distress
Academic coaching is a process; change and growth are not immediate and effort is required to achieve them.
HOW DOES ACADEMIC COACHING ADDRESS EVERY STUDENT'S NEEDS?
- Students are taught HOW to use a planner, e-calendar, lists, whiteboards, etc. in the ways that work best for them
- Student-led scheduling creates personal ownership of the tasks
- Shows students how to break down assignments into smaller parts
- Weekly check-ins build the habit
- Imparts proven methods to improve assessment scores, course grades, and GPAs
- The academic coach helps students push through roadblocks and self-limitations
- Sharing struggles, goals, and progress with others is motivating
- Helping students get started or push past being stuck on assignments
- Body-doubling keeps students on task; being quiet but available when needed as the student works
- Encouraging students to learn to rest, not quit
- The academic coach provides outside, non-parental, accountability for follow-through
- Notes are taken about what the student has scheduled during every meeting to keep track of tasks
- Check-in points along the way to assess progress and keep the momentum
- Creates less emotionality between parents/guardians and their kids around academics
- Outside encouragement of short-term and long-term goals and rewards for reaching goals
- Encouragement and support for parents/guardians who are struggling to navigate and effectively support their teens and young adults academically
Academic coaching appointments are driven by the student and create space for conversation, leading to personal insights and plans for achieving goals.
WHAT SKILLS WILL I TAKE AWAY FROM ACADEMIC COACHING?
- The development of intrinsic motivation
- Personal responsibility and accountability
- Growth in self-esteem and confidence through successful academic experiences
- The value of setting, working toward, and meeting realistic goals
- A planning/scheduling habit that can be carried on throughout life
- How to interpret teachers’ assignment prompts, grading rubrics, and feedback on graded assignments and assessments
- Strategies and best practices for overcoming learning differences and challenges
- Self-advocacy skills for navigating the education system and ultimately life
- Effective learning and study habits
Students will grow in their resilience to overcome life circumstances, difficult coursework, learning challenges, and other hurdles by learning to take effective actions on what they CAN control.
Services
Different students have different needs, and services will be customized to best accommodate every student. During the consultation, an assessment will be made and a recommendation given for the best format for achieving student goals.
Typically, we meet:
- 1 hour per week; one session or split into two
30-minute sessions - 2 hours per week; split into two 1-hour sessions
Online
Students can be located anywhere in the United States. Zoom or Google Meet is used for online sessions, including video and screen sharing.
Online services start at $80/hour.
In-person
Services are offered to students located in Washington County, Oregon.
In-person services start at $100/hour.
About
Mary Passler
I am an enthusiastic and experienced educator with a B.A. in English and a Teaching Credential from Concordia University, Irvine. Over the past 20 years, I have taught various subjects including writing, literature, and time management to students of all ages and learning abilities in diverse educational settings. I have worked as an academic coach and English tutor for public, private, online, and homeschool students of all ages, subjects, and learning abilities in all stages of their academic careers.
In addition to academic coaching, I specialize in writing tutoring. I have worked as a professional editor and writer for books, websites, journals, and other publications. This background has honed my craft and enhanced my ability to instruct students on how to write and communicate effectively.
My focus as an educator is to foster self-confidence, resiliency, and a love for learning which lead to increased academic success. I am dedicated to working with students to overcome self-limiting beliefs and experiencing personal growth.
I am passionate about teaching people how to learn and how to love to learn!
About
Mary Passler
I am an enthusiastic and experienced educator with a B.A. in English and a Teaching Credential from Concordia University, Irvine. Over the past 20 years, I have taught various subjects including writing, literature, and time management to students of all ages and learning abilities in diverse educational settings. I have worked as an academic coach and English tutor for public, private, online, and homeschool students of all ages, subjects, and learning abilities in all stages of their academic careers.
In addition to academic coaching, I specialize in writing tutoring. I have worked as a professional editor and writer for books, websites, journals, and other publications. This background has honed my craft and enhanced my ability to instruct students on how to write and communicate effectively.
My focus as an educator is to foster self-confidence, resiliency, and a love for learning which lead to increased academic success. I am dedicated to working with students to overcome self-limiting beliefs and experiencing personal growth.
I am passionate about teaching people how to learn and how to love to learn!
Testimonials
Mary’s method maintains a clear view of the big picture and goals and then focuses on the detailed steps needed to achieve their objectives. She has done an excellent job of introducing study and time management strategies, but keeping the overall accountability on the shoulders of our children.
She is structured and flexible. She has provided us with a detailed report after every tutoring session. She is always punctual. Her tutoring has complemented their learning in an academically challenging environment.
~ Parent of 8th grade twins at Valley Catholic High School
I stopped the specialist executive functioning coaching because my son told me that working with you on executive functions was more effective and he’d rather stick to that. Thank you!
~ Parent of a freshman at Whittier College
Thank you very much, Mary! You have definitely been my best and most relatable tutor ever. Thank you for everything you have done for me. I appreciate it greatly.
~ Senior at Jesuit High School
No matter what the subject is, Mary is on top of it. She has a passion for knowledge that inspires her students. Her ability to make someone understand a difficult subject or topic is terrific. She is a naturally gifted teacher.
She has always been available outside the scheduled tutoring session to field questions or help with editing/revising a paper. Hiring Mary helped our children, and helped us as parents. We had an exceptional experience with her, and she has our full endorsement!
~ Parent of a senior at Valley Catholic High School
I just want to say it again, I appreciate you. This is a journey for all of us, and I appreciate your help in making me a better mom and overall more aware of cues and patience. Thank you Mary! You have been instrumental in my daughter’s success!
~ Parent of a junior at Pacific Lutheran University
You have been a real-life, lifesaver. This year would have likely had a different outcome with me at the helm. We appreciate you taking on our son from where he was and moving him forward through the year.
I know, without a doubt, there were lots of challenging times, but you managed him in a polite, supportive and kind manner. Your smile set him at ease at the get-go, and we feel so lucky to have had you on this journey with him. Thank you for all you have done and know we appreciate you so much!
~ Parent of a senior at Jesuit and Edison
A huge thank you to Mary for her help in making our daughter’s first year of high school a big success! She ended the year with one A-, four As, and two A+s! For a girl who seemed defeated by writing back in September, this outcome is amazing. Mary’s writing tutoring has helped her overcome her writing paralysis. I just wish we had diagnosed our older daughter’s ADHD this early and had a Mary for her back then.
~ Parent of a freshman at Northwest Academy
Our daughter feels like she is learning so much about how to be a student, how to learn, how to advocate for herself, and is definitely building confidence. She enjoys her sessions with you and feels so good after each of your meetings. I am so grateful.
~ Parent of a sophomore at Franklin High School
Thank you very much for all the detail you put into working with our son. He never complains about meeting with you and knows it is helpful to keep him organized and talking through what is working and what is not.
We really appreciate your kindness and gentle pushing in such a positive and thoughtful way, while giving him ideas on how to improve. I may not always have had the same approach, so I am learning as well.
~ Parent of a freshman at Sunset High School
I feel so much better knowing that she is working hard. I see a difference in her attitude. She is smiling more and seems to be more outgoing. Your coaching has really made a difference for her and me. I wish I had done this earlier. She is working hard to get all of her work done and turned in on time.
~ Parent of a freshman at Southridge High School
Thanks for everything you’re doing to help our son be successful Mary…I really appreciate the extra time you put in to help him complete long assignments that I know would never have gotten done without your presence. I know that he’ll be better prepared next time with your continued support. You have been instrumental in getting my kid to function in life. Thank you for all of your support over the years!
~ Parent of a freshman at Mountainside High School
Mary has done a fantastic job helping our daughter stay organized and motivated! Before working with Mary, our daughter often procrastinated because she didn’t know where to start and struggled to feel confident that she would be successful. What a difference working with Mary has made! Our daughter is now a self-starter! Using the tools Mary has provided she has gained confidence and a positive outlook.
~ Parent of a freshman at Milwaukie Academy of the Arts.