Blog - Seth Perler

Am I A Good Parent?

Please CLICK above to share. Parents, obviously there's no instruction book for how to help your child. And sometimes children are legitimately difficult to help effectively. When parents come to me, they're often at their wits end and at a loss. This video explores this a bit, but my main message here is that you are not alone. Not even a little bit. A larger and larger proportion os students are neurodiverse, outside-the-box, atypical learners and thinkers. More and more kids are not … [Read more...]

Is College Even Right?

Here's a fantastic email about college prep that I respond to in this week's vlog: Hello Seth, I subscribed to your Ed Blog this past spring. Thank you for your passion and adding your voice to an audience of parents AND educators! I’m a Denver parent of a 16 year old 2E boy who is classically twice exceptional. I was able to recognize this as my oldest child is gifted and I’d been through the ‘training’ earlier. I fought for an IEP in middle school and have been my son’s tenacious champion … [Read more...]

“I’m at a loss to help my child”

Please CLICK above to share. Here's an email I received: I subscribed because I’m seriously lost as to help my child that STRUGGLES with executive functioning— every hour, every day in every situation! His output of schoolwork is far below his capabilities! This is a great topic that many families experience! Here I dive into several key insights that will help. I discuss how it takes time, how it's about skill-building NOT perfect output, about the role of emotional regulation, and in … [Read more...]

“I’m at my WITS’ END”

Please CLICK above to share. Awesome email that opens up a big can of worms in this video: I have a 2nd-grade son who may be 2e based on uneven scores in a WISC-V. I'm having issues with his charter school, which is battling me over whether my kiddo is challenged, or lazy. It is a "no unnecessary homework" school yet they're keeping him after school once/week for up to 70 mins while he struggles in frustration doing 15 mins worth of homework (mostly hand-writing drills and a single word sort … [Read more...]

New TILT Podcast – Resistance

If you like this, please *SHARE* it by clicking above Hi all, Here are 2 AMAZING new podcasts with Debbie Reber from TiLT Parenting Podcast: Episode #123 - Here's a NEW episode of Debbie's podcast with Debbie's son Asher, where we decided to do a unique episode FOR KIDS. Here I have a conversation with Asher about how students can work with resistance. Yes, you heard right, we did this FOR KIDS. I'm excited about it because it was really fun to do this ep with Asher! Episode … [Read more...]

Attachment Theory and How to Help Your Child Feel Safe

Like this? Please CLICK above to share. Thanks! Seth This video is about ATTACHMENT THEORY. Great for parents and teachers wanting to help children/teens (or students) move through difficult emotions and feel more secure. Like this? Please CLICK below to share. Thanks! Seth … [Read more...]

Summer Reading Blues

Please CLICK above to share. Summer reading and MORE Parents, while this a video about summer reading, DON'T BE FOOLED, it's applicable to so much more. You'll like it. Below are the bullets for what I went into in this video. Be proactive: start early, use routine. "I hate": don't convince them you don't hate it, hold space, ask what they like, use stories from your life, use parables, draw pictures. Somatic: hate is a feeling in the body, body awareness, bring into the … [Read more...]

What students “SHOULD” do after the 1st DAY of school

Please CLICK above to share. Here's a video I made for students to help you know how to kick off the school year right. This night will help SET THE TONE. I recommend parents watching it. I also recommend that students watch it BEFORE the first day if possible, then after school on the first day. Do it for YOU. I have some great tips that will help make life easier for you. Here's a super short summary: Purpose of education, YOUR future What not to do Share an honest hi-lo … [Read more...]

Junior says, “I’m no longer satisfied with “not being smart enough””

Please *CLICK* above to share if you liked this. Thanks! Seth This summer I received this email from a high schooler who is going into her senior year: I've struggled in school since before I can even remember. Now going into my senior year, I still have so many unanswered questions. How was it that I was able to teach myself to be proficient in 3 different instruments but I have trouble utilizing basic math skills? I was tested for ADD in 7th grade. The test results clearly showed … [Read more...]

6 Tools: How to help with ANXIETY that children experience

Please CLICK above to share. Adolescents & Anxiety Hi parents and teachers, Since it's summer and most of my followers do not have to think about school, this is a great topic to address. I received this letter from one of my Aussie followers (for some reason I get a lot of great emails from Australians. Thanks!) In this video, I go into 6 solutions in-depth. This video is based on this: I am a speech pathologist working in a child and youth mental health setting in Melbourne … [Read more...]

7 Summer School Tips

Please CLICK above to share. The old patterns HAVE NOT CHANGED. Still unrealistic with the time/energy needed to manage the work. Plus distractions of summer! Don’t believe the story, the nervous system is simply resistant, so what to do about it? Don’t enable, learned helplessness. Set firm, clear boundaries. The same principles work. Do this: Frontload everything you can, it makes things easier. Keep using the planners to track details, not your brain. Block reasonable focus … [Read more...]

Does your child get STUCK?

Please CLICK above to share. Does your child get stuck, immobilized, procrastinate, lose motivation, lack discipline, resist? Adults often address these problems ineffectively. This video will break down a key concept that will help. Oh, and I've been recording on youtube live, and my face melts in the beginning - sorry about that - if you know how to fix this, please lmk! Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click … [Read more...]

T-E-A-C-H-E-R-S Thank you! Summer break

Please CLICK above to share. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you — Seth Reading the transcript? Great! We're currently uploading hundreds of transcripts so you can read them asap, but they are NOT all edited yet. This is a big process. If you notice anything wrong and want to help us, feel free to click this Google Form to share it. … [Read more...]

Summer Break: 7 quick tips

Please CLICK above to share. Parents and teachers, Happy Summer! Here are 7 key ideas that you can use to help your child have a great summer and to better prep for next fall. Thanks! — Seth Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you — Seth Reading the transcript? Great! We're currently uploading hundreds of transcripts so you can read … [Read more...]

REWARD a child?

Please CLICK above to share. It's the end of the school year and I hear a lot of talk about rewarding students for grades. This is an interesting issue and I have some thoughts for parents and teachers that might be helpful. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you — Seth Reading the transcript? Great! We're currently uploading … [Read more...]

Ending the school year: 3 don’ts & 8 dos

Please CLICK above to share. Parents, the end of the school year comes so fast. Here are some effective tips that I use over and over with my clients to help with the challenges of this phase. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you — Seth Reading the transcript? Great! We're currently uploading hundreds of transcripts so you can … [Read more...]

Where does your ENERGY go?

Each day your child uses energy in 4 major areas. When people use too much energy, they get into reserves, which has consequences. 🎦 YouTube: Visit my official YouTube channel here. Subscribe, like & comment to support my work 👉 Share: To support me, please *CLICK* at the top to share on FB or Pinterest. ✏️ EF101: Here’s my jumpstart course for parents and teachers. 💚 Give: Love my work and want to donate? 🙏 Thanks! — Seth Video transcript: Hey, what's up? It's Seth with … [Read more...]

Jesse Hagopian’s Lesson Plan for Liberation

I don't usually do this, but I love what this guy is doing, so I'm gonna tell you about it! If you're a parent or teacher, you should sign up for Jesse's blog. I've been following Jesse for a long time. He posts blogs every once in a while when he has a strong opinion about a current event in education. I love his passion and wanted to share his work with you so you can learn from him! I do not know Jesse and he does not know I'm posting this on my blog. I'm doing this purely because I … [Read more...]

For Students: HOW to end the year?

Please CLICK above to share. Here's a video for students on HOW to end the year. I outline 8 key concepts that will help. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you -Seth Reading the transcript? Great! We're currently uploading hundreds of transcripts so you can read them asap, but they are NOT all edited yet. This is a big process. If … [Read more...]

Helping YOUNGER kids with EF. Helping ADULTS who struggle with EF.

I received this email: "Hi Seth, I heard you on the Tilt Parenting podcast and love everything you have to say. My son is 2e, but is only in third grade, so I think he's still too young to benefit from your coaching. I was wondering if you your blog has ever addressed what to do if a parent also suffers from executive functioning issues. Going through my son's journey with him made me realize that I also have ADHD (inattentive type) and a lot of executive functioning issues. I'm really … [Read more...]

Faster Than Normal Podcast with Peter Shankman

New Podcast Episode: Peter Shankman, Faster Than Normal Podcast I was recently featured on Peter Shankman's podcast and we discussed my personal ADHD story. We went into my struggles in school and how that felt. How I ‘accidentally’ got a job working with ADHD kids. What made me certain about my newfound path. What I think about the skills & systems that teachers and schools give kids with ADHD. Some of the challenges that teachers in your position encounter. A … [Read more...]

P.E.P.R.: How to help your child with LONG TERM assignments

The end of the school year is a time when a lot of students struggle to manage the overwhelming amount of work they need to do. It's incredibly important to understand the role of PEPR assignments so you can help your child navigate this time. If you like this vlog, please CLICK a share button. Thanks! Seth … [Read more...]

SPRING BREAK. Do this. 7 easy things.

Please CLICK above to share. Hey parents (teachers, you might like this one too), Here's a quick video I made to break down some of the things you might want to keep in mind as your child enters spring break. As we know, this is an interesting time of year because the end of the year comes up QUICK, and it's easy for students to fall further behind. When kids get too far behind and they can't recover from it, they have to retake classes and deal with other consequences. This video … [Read more...]

Executive Function Masterclass: TILT Podcast with Debbie Reber

Recently Debbie Reber interviewed me about Executive Function on her podcast, TILT Parenting. This is my favorite parenting podcast and I recommend subscribing. Check out the new EF Masterclass podcast 1/2 here. Check out 2/2 here. Freebie: Here’s the free PDF assessment mentioned in the last show with Debbie: Executive Function Assessment. This assessment explores the most important aspects of your child’s executive function in an easy to understand format. It will give you clarity … [Read more...]

What’s the PURPOSE of Education anyhow? (Video)

Why I left teaching?

No buy-in or ownership of child

Please CLICK above to share. A mom emailed me this: Hi Seth, Do you have any information/insight you can share on getting teens to take ownership/buy-in? I constantly bang my head against the wall as I try countless tools/techniques to make life easier/better for my teenage daughter. The one thing that is missing is the buy-in from her. I've come to the conclusion that I can continue to spend endless hours reading and searching for ideas that will benefit her but until I have her buy-in … [Read more...]

6 Math Issues that Plague Teen Students

Here's a guest post by Adrianne Meldrum of Math for Middles! Adrianne is an amazing online math tutor, mom and friend. I've always been impressed by her talent, knowledge and the heart she puts into her work. Enjoy! (ps-check out her site here. She has plenty of free resources to help AND a phenomenal podcast.) When your adolescent was in elementary school, you had a general feeling that math was going well. No big issues that seemed to cause alarm in the teacher. Fast forward to now and … [Read more...]

Anxiety and Kids [Guest post]

This is the first time I have had a guest post. I am extremely picky about things like that, but I've wanted Jen to do a post for me for a long time because she is really good at her work! So, I invited Boulder somatic psychotherapist, Jennifer Delaney, MA, NCC to write a guest post specifically about anxiety, because over the years I have seen that it is a growing problem for our youth. I've witnessed more and more kids go to residential treatment centers for anxiety and other emotional … [Read more...]

How to get your child to FOLLOW THROUGH

Here's a video response to an email I received: Hey Seth, I’ve been thinking about next semester. My son did ok ( I.e. no D’s/F’s). But there were several classes that he should have had better grades in (actually most of them!). These are classes where he started off strong. His M.O. typically is as you describe, although he seems to be able to “Hail Mary” it at the end (stressful for both of us!). Out tutor does a great job working with him; the problem is the follow-through. (finishing, … [Read more...]

[New Podcast] Self-advocacy

Adrianne Meldrum, from the Math For Middles website and On Middle Ground podcast, recently had me on her show to talk about self-advocacy. A bit about Adrianne: Adrianne is a fantastic online math tutor who specializes in helping middle school students. I've known her for a while and love what she does! She blogs, produces a fantastic podcast about raising teens, and even creates phenomenal videos to help kids with math. You can sign up for her free updates and free class, Cut Homework … [Read more...]

UGYG Special Announcement

Announcement: 12/12/17 UGYG = UpGrade Your Grades Online Program Why? To help struggling students turn it around and get on a different trajectory in school. When? A semester-long program this spring If you're interested in next week's update and want a special early bird discount... Click HERE to access the form Want to share this with someone who needs it? You can **CLICK** the fb button below to share. Thanks! … [Read more...]

FINALS? #1 tip to study SMARTER, not harder

Please CLICK above to share. Here's a video for Middle School, High School and College students who have exams coming up. It's 5 minutes long and I break down my favorite study strategy - and you might be surprised by how "easy" it is. Good luck with finals! — Seth Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you — Seth Reading the … [Read more...]

TILT Parenting Podcast with Debbie Reber – Executive Function

Recently Debbie Reber interviewed me about Executive Function on her podcast, TILT Parenting. This is my FAVORITE parenting podcast and I definitely recommend subscribing! Check out the new podcast here. Freebie: Here's the free PDF assessment mentioned in the show: Executive Function Assessment. This assessment explores the most important aspects of your child's executive function in an easy to understand way. It will give you a ton of clarity regarding your child's executive function and … [Read more...]

HOW to coach YOUR child (video)

In this video, I explain exactly how I did one of my recent Educational Coaching calls (aka Executive Function Coaching). I describe the process so you can apply it to your child if you're a parent, or so you can apply it to students if you're a teacher. 🎦 YouTube: Visit my official YouTube channel here. Subscribe, like & comment to support my work. 👉 Share: To support me, please *CLICK* at the bottom to share on FB or Pinterest. ✏️ EF101: Here’s my jumpstart course for … [Read more...]

How to do SCHOOL WORK over BREAK

The semester is ALMOST over! Many students INTEND to get work done over Thanksgiving break because they are trying to get caught up on missing and incomplete assignments. This is a good idea, especially since the last couple weeks are often filled with end of the semester exams that need to be studied for, long papers that need to be written or big projects that must be completed. Unfortunately for kids who procrastinate a lot, Thanksgiving break goes by in the blink of an eye and very … [Read more...]

STUDENTS: Do THIS to save your semester (video)

It's crunch time again and you want to pass all your classes. Here's how: Be honest with yourself and others. Own it. Excuses. Print your grades (the pages WITH the details) Email your teachers with honesty and integrity Go to office hours Overhaul your materials Update your planner Make a SANE master plan Get accountability Start (sss, timers, plans) Start again Umm, now start again Repeat each weekend Be proactive with finals, projects, readings and … [Read more...]

“He threw a fit this morning about the school day being so long”

I recently received the following note: "My 8 year old is going through the dip. He threw a fit this morning about the school day being so long. He did stuff with tears and a snail’s pace as he finished getting ready for school which most likely made him late. While this doesn’t necessarily affect his grades, I know that it’s going to be a season of dragging him to school until Christmas break. What can I do to help his attitude toward the length of the school day improve? It takes … [Read more...]

My daughter is DROWNING in school

Please CLICK above to share. I recently received this email: My 11-year old daughter is drowning in 6th grade. She's a very smart kid, but too many moving parts. I'm trying to figure out how to get the school on board with helping her... it's becoming a full time job for me. In this in-depth video, I describe how the "Dip" pattern happens, how and why student resistance increases, how more overwhelm affects kids, and how making schoolwork more "concrete" helps. I also discuss 2 types of … [Read more...]

Students and the Hard Work of Change

Helping struggling students change is never quick & easy. Often, the efforts of parents and teachers are ineffective in terms of creating real change. You see, empowering a child to change requires a great deal of nuance, time and energy. This video breaks down some of the core elements I use to help my students make the changes they need to become successful in school. If this video helped you, please *click* below to share … [Read more...]

A Positive Teacher Response

Howdy! Today I thought I'd share a positive email correspondence with you that I think you'll find valuable. This is from a family that I've worked with and known well for a few years now. You see, a lot of what I do is help families decode how to communicate with the school so they can help their child. I always say that advocacy letters are always about one thing: Clarity. You're always seeking clarity regarding the situation. I recommend simple emails, short, to the point, and assume that … [Read more...]

“He loses most worksheets, project rubrics, classwork, etc!”

A mom writes about her son: He's 13, in 8th grade. He loses most worksheets, project rubrics, classwork, etc! He has a binder with sections for each class, some things make it in, and many others don't. When they do make it home, I make copies of important stuff that he needs for fear of them being lost. He doesn't know where the lost things go, help! He is missing an important worksheet due tomorrow and words/definitions they did in class that he needs to study for a test. How do we … [Read more...]

4 Ways to support your child at the beginning of school

Please SHARE below if this helped you! Thanks - Seth … [Read more...]

[Vid for students] Don’t use the school planner, use this instead

Get a monthly, academic year, with lines, stapled, minimize it, label it clearly with your name! Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe if you want! Thank you -Seth Video transcript: Good morning, it's me Seth with SethPerler.com and in this video, I'm going to tell you about planners. I know a lot of you hate planners. This video is for high … [Read more...]

Teachers: Feeling alone? (Video)

Please CLICK above to share. Here's another vlog for teachers, based on an email I received form a High School Special Education Teacher named Cynthia. Sometimes it's isolating when you're an outside-the-box teacher with alternative views. It can feel unsupportive. Sometimes it's lonely when you want to use non-traditional or unconventional methods of teaching and reaching kids. This video explores these issues and offers insights, including how to do a temp check with students to … [Read more...]

Teachers: What is EMOTIONAL REGULATION and why should you care?

Please CLICK above to share. In this video, I discuss: What Emotional Regulation is How "safety" is a key message The stress kids deal with nowadays What teachers are expected to do How to help these kids What's going on with the brain and nervous system Fight, flight, freeze, faint The amygdala Love my work and want to give? Click here! To support me, please CLICK at the bottom to share. Click here to visit my official YouTube Channel & subscribe … [Read more...]

B2S The Truth About School Supplies Lists

Please CLICK above to share. It's that time of year again, back to school shopping. K-College, your child needs supplies. But what do they really need to buy? What goes to waste and what's most beneficial? Sometimes it's best to take supply lists with a grain of salt in favor of getting items that are best aligned with your child's learning needs. This video will help you know what to buy, what not to buy, and how to choose. Love my work and want to give? Click here! To … [Read more...]

Is my Child Twice Exceptional or 2e? [The Ultimate Guide]

Before we begin On a personal note, I absolutely love working with 2e, twice-exceptional kids. I often say, "the more complex the kid, the better", because 2e kids are truly the most interesting people I know. They tend to be intellectually deep, incredibly creative, emotionally intense, quirky, and when they get their educational needs met, they do really cool things as adults. Many of the people who "change the world" were twice-exceptional kids. They're just super cool people, and too many of … [Read more...]

“Should my child have routines this summer?”

Yep. Here's the deal: If you're reading my blog, your child struggles to navigate school. His or her executive function has not yet developed the skills necessary to manage the overwhelming number of tasks that schools require in order to be "successful" academically. So keeping them in practice with routines will help in the long run. In other words, your child struggles with things like managing homework, details, planning, time management, priorities, procrastination, organization, … [Read more...]

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