Description: Executive Functioning skills are the foundation of academic independence – yet many students struggle to plan, prioritize, initiate, and sustain their learning without heavy adult support. In this session, educators will explore how to intentionally design instruction that strengthens EF skills through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Participants will examine the cognitive science of EF, identify classroom barriers to independence, and engage in practical routines that support planning, organization, flexible thinking, self-monitoring, and persistence. We will also explore how AI tools may be able assist in creating personalized EF scaffolds such as checklists, task analyses, and self-monitoring supports. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies that help students not just do the work, but learn how to manage the work.
Objectives: Participants will:
- Understand the cognitive foundations of Executive Functioning (EF) and how these skills support academic independence.
- Recognize classroom behaviors that signal vulnerabilities in planning, organization, working memory, and emotional regulation.
- Learn how to design routines and learning environments using UDL to reduce EF barriers and promote student initiation, follow-through, and flexible problem-solving.
- Explore ways AI can support dynamic development of personalized EF supports (e.g., task chunking, graphic organizers, behavior scripts).
- Apply new EF-strengthening approaches and scaffolds to an upcoming unit or classroom challenge.
Marc Gladstone
Upper School Lead Learning Specialist