The frontal lobes of the brain (pre-frontal cortex) are the ‘executives in charge’ and can be compared to the leaders or supervisors of organisations – without good leadership, the organisation becomes unstructured and inefficient. The behaviour linked EFs: 2. Boosting Flexibility Flexibility is the ability to adapt and revise plans when conditions change; e.g. when obstacles and setbacks arise, when new information becomes available, and when mistakes occur. You have flexibility if you have the ability to ‘go with the flow’ and do not get thrown by last minute changes; and instead of being disappointed or upset when changes arise you are able to problem-solve and find ways around it. Flexibility is particularly important during this period of remote learning. Pupils are required to be more independent in their study and are acquiring their knowledge in a different format to normal; there might also less certainty about the make-up of the day. Other areas of education where difficulty with flexibility may cause a problem include: • Struggling with assignments that require creativity or are open-ended • Getting stuck on one solution or one way of looking at a problem and not being able to see other ways to tackle it • Having trouble coming up with topics or generating ideas for things to write about • Having difficulty coming up with ‘Plan B’ if ‘Plan A’ did not work
Ideas about how to help with Flexibility difficulties:
• Whenever possible, provide your teenager with advance notice or warning of what’s coming next – looking at your teenager’s timetable together at the beginning of the day can help to predict certain aspects of the day. • Try to maintain schedules and routines whenever possible, whilst building in the possibility of flexibility – so try to discuss with your teenager the requirement to check their email and Firefly during the day, in case a teacher wishes to have a quick and unexpected zoom catch up / lesson, instead of the planned self-study lesson. Sow the seed with your teenager that they need to be prepared for something like this, if it happens. • In general, help your teenager to anticipate what he/she might encounter in a situation – the more information they have in advance the more he/she will feel able to cope and navigate the unexpected situation. • If you know what causes your teenager the anxiety (a missed lesson or work notification, an unexpected zoom lesson, a lesson slot but no work to do for that subject in that particular lesson slot etc.) walk them through the anxiety producing situation, so you can talk about it and confront it, and come up with some strategies to manage it. • Help your teenager come up with a few default strategies for handling situations where flexibility causes the most problems – this can include simple things like walking away from the situation for some cool off time, and then returning and asking a specific person for help.
Increasing flexibility throughout the day self-check form (to increase self-awareness of what possible triggers are)
Item If the first solution to a problem does not work, I have trouble thinking of a different one. I find it hard to deal with changes in plans or routines I have problems with open-ended prep assignments (e.g. don’t know what to write about)
Not a problem
Notes / strategies
Pupil self-help strategies: Tips • Notice the physical warning signs of inflexibility (muscle tightness, breathing changes) and ask yourself if you can find a way to be flexible. • Whenever you have to make a decision about something, ask yourself ‘What could go wrong and what’s Plan B if this doesn’t work?’
Self-talk • Big deal or little deal?
• Other strategies?
• Your own idea?
• What are your options? • What is plan B? • Is there another way to think about this?
• Please feel free to email me (marsdenz@kesw.org) if you would like me to do any 1:1 input with your son/daughter to help them get back on track with any of these skills.
Kind regards, Zoe Marsden Head of Learning Support and SENCO - King Edward's Witley