One of the greatest challenges that students face is bridging the gap between school and home.
After they leave the structure of the school day, a chaotic combination of disorganization, procrastination, and confusion about what to do and when can lead to mediocre and rushed attempts at homework, missing assignments, lower grades, and lost confidence. Students, teachers, and parents alike end up feeling frustrated and unsure of what went wrong.
There is a better way.
In my Strategies for Student Success Workshops, students gain the tools they need to take control and claim ownership over their academic and personal responsibilities. They’ll learn how to use the Wise Student executive functioning skills that serve to support what they learn in the classroom in order to maximize productivity on their own time.
By implementing the tools, the positive feed back loop of knowing exactly what to do and when, producing quality work, being prepared, and achieving the results they want will become the new normal that allows students to step into their greatness and shine!
In-Class Student/Teacher Workshop
In one 1.5 hour classroom visit, I demonstrate how the Wise Student strategies provide a system and common language to help students and teachers bridge the gap between school and home. During this lively, interactive session:
Teachers are encouraged to participate and chime in as I coach students on time management, organization, study skills, and goal-setting techniques
Students learn how to create actionable plans that synthesize their academic and personal lives so that the positive feelings of being confident and organized can permeate every realm
In-class workshops can also be held over two visits where we cover all topics in more detail.
Family Workshop
In these light-hearted and method-packed meetings, I coach students, together with their parents or guardians, on how to use my time management, organization, study skills, and goal-setting strategies.
Families will discover how to engage in a common language around the Wise Student system to open lines of communication and boost cooperation at home so that students can achieve their academic and personal best.
Parents will walk away with straight-forward tools that will help them support their children immediately and bring their families together.
Students will gain clarity about how to effectively communicate their responsibilities and objectives to their parents so that they have agency over their endeavors and aspirations.
Family workshops last for 1.5 hours during the day or in the evenings and can be held in your school’s library or auditorium, depending on projected attendance. They are typically organized by a school’s PTA.
As a fellow educator, it is an honor to partner with schools to help students achieve their full potential. Whether you would like to have me present in-class or to families, use my online course as a supplement to your curriculum, or create something together that is unique to the needs of your school, I consider it a privilege to work with you so that all students can become Wise Students who are organized, confident, and happy.
Educator Testimonials
Clear, relevant, accessible.
The most challenging part of transitioning from elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school is organization and time management. Penny regularly meets with my fifth grade class to facilitate workshops which bolster their executive functioning. Her sessions have greatly increased my student's productivity, organization and planning, emotional self-control, focus, and initiative. Penny's clear and relevant lessons are accessible to all students and they provide the necessary skills to be successful today and in the future. Her program is an integral part of my classroom management and curriculum and essential in helping my students reach their academic and personal goals.
– Brian M., M.Ed
25 years teaching experience
President, Burlingame Education Association, CA
Family WORKSHOP REVIEWS
“Practical approach for how to help kids see they can control their schedule & prioritize. Penny has great energy and a passion for what she does which helped my daughter get excited about things she normally avoids. :)”
“Great energy by the presenter, managed to keep everyone engaged and make it fun.”
“The workshop materials were very interactive and the presenter kept the teenagers (& the parents) engaged.”
“Keep doing this workshop. It was terrific!”
“Penny Kostaras is a master of her field. Penny found a unique and engaging method to teach and demonstrate how organization and planning of daily/monthly tasks can help everyone achieve school-life-balance and succeed in school.”
“Clear communication. High energy. Connecting with youth and parents alike.”
“Everything was explained clearly and simply and she was very passionate about helping kids & families.”
“This course provides a practical approach for how to help kids see they can control their schedule & prioritize. Penny has great energy and a passion for what she does which helped my daughter get excited about things she normally avoids.”
