FALL 2018 Student Program, UGYG

Hey, Seth Perler here.

If you’re pulling your hair out trying to figure out how to help your middle school or high school student turn things around in school, this video is for you.

This course is based on a very simple idea: the purpose of education is to help a student launch. What I mean by launch is that students develop the tools and skills they need to create a happy, healthy, and successful future.

But there’s a problem.

Some students struggle with something called executive function, and if they don’t learn how to manage it, they may have trouble launching successfully after high school or college.

The core idea behind this course is that executive function can be taught, improved, and strengthened. These students can learn the right tools and skills to become successful not only in school but also in life.

My name is Seth Perler, and my life’s work is dedicated to helping struggling students turn things around so they can have opportunities, choices, and a successful future.

The Pattern I See Over and Over

The students I work with often get stuck in what I call the roadblock pattern.

What happens is that they start the semester strong. Then, about six to eight weeks into the semester—BAM!—everything falls apart.

Suddenly, you discover their grades have taken a nosedive. You look at the grade portal and wonder:

“What happened? I thought everything was fine.”

But once again, the same pattern has repeated itself.

Now your child is drowning in schoolwork. The wheels have come off. Their grades are dropping, they’re behind, and you have no idea how to help.

So you try everything.

You help them dig themselves out of holes caused by:

• Missing assignments

• Late work

• Makeup work

• Poor study habits

• Last-minute projects

• Test corrections

• Forgetting to study

• Losing materials

• Lack of preparation

• Lost planners

Meanwhile, you’re emailing teachers, trying not to be a helicopter parent but still trying to understand what’s going on.

At the same time, you can see that this is affecting your child emotionally. Maybe they’re becoming withdrawn, angry, anxious, depressed, or simply avoiding the issue altogether.

The Cycle Parents Get Stuck In

You try to help.

But your child resists.

They don’t want your help.

They procrastinate.

They avoid.

Some lie.

They get distracted and lose focus.

So you lecture them.

You explain the value of school.

You try to reason with them.

You say things like:

• “You have so much potential.”

• “You’re not working up to your ability.”

• “I know you’re capable of more.”

• “Why are you failing this class?”

• “I don’t understand why you’re not motivated.”

• “You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

Sometimes there are arguments.

Sometimes there is yelling.

Sometimes there are classic homework battles.

You wonder:

“Should I punish them?”

“Should I take away electronics?”

“Should I reward them more?”

Eventually, you become exhausted and say:

“Fine. I’m done. You handle it.”

But then the same thing happens again.

The Breaking Point

You see a zero on a major project and ask:

“How did you get a zero? You completed the project!”

Your child says:

“I forgot to turn it in.”

You can’t understand how someone could forget to submit a major assignment.

So you jump back in to help.

And they respond:

“Leave me alone. I’ve got this.”

“I’m talking to the teacher tomorrow.”

“The grades just haven’t been entered yet.”

“Stop bugging me.”

You want to believe them.

Their intentions seem good.

Things improve for a little while.

Then—BAM—the same pattern repeats itself.

Again.

And again.

And again.

The Question That Changes Everything

There is one key question that must be answered:

How do we change the pattern?

If everything you’ve been doing isn’t working, what will work?

Not temporarily.

Not for one semester.

What will actually move the needle and put your child on a different trajectory?

That’s the question.

And that’s where I can help.

This is what I do every day.

The Real Problem: Executive Function

Parents and teachers often keep trying the same strategies over and over, even when they aren’t working.

Why?

Because they misunderstand the root cause.

They assume the problem is:

• Laziness

• Lack of motivation

• Poor discipline

• Not trying hard enough

• Not caring enough

But those explanations miss the underlying issue:

Executive function.

Executive function is at the root of many of these struggles.

This course explains executive function in a way that both you and your child can understand. Then I walk you through the exact strategies I use with real students to help them change their experience in school.

I’m teaching you exactly what I do and how I do it.

The Three-Part Formula for Change

The process is simple.

If you want lasting change, there are three stages:

1. Build the Foundation

Students need the right systems and mindsets before change can happen.

2. Implement

Most students already know what they’re supposed to do.

The problem is that they don’t consistently do it.

Implementation means practicing the skills until they become habits.

3. Maintain and Improve

Once the systems are working, students refine them, strengthen them, and continue growing.

The goal isn’t a last-minute rescue every semester.

The goal is lasting change.

These Are Life Skills, Not Just School Skills

The executive-function skills taught in this course aren’t only useful for school.

They are life skills.

Students learn:

• Time management

• Organization

• Planning

• Follow-through

• Self-management

• Execution

No matter what career they choose, they will need these skills.

Why I Do This Work

I’ve dedicated the last 24 years of my life to education.

I spent:

• 12 years as a classroom teacher

• 8 years coaching struggling students

I’ve learned what it takes for a student to turn things around.

But experience alone isn’t what makes me good at this.

The real reason is that I was that student.

I almost failed out of high school.

I failed out of college.

I dropped out of a second college before failing out completely.

Going all the way back to first grade, my report cards said things like:

• “Daydreams too much”

• “Doesn’t try hard enough”

• “Lazy”

• “Uninterested”

But that wasn’t actually what was happening.

I was struggling with executive function.

By the time I dropped out of my second college, I felt hopeless.

I felt like a failure.

I didn’t believe in myself.

And that’s a terrible place to be.

But I turned it around.

I learned the skills I needed.

I got help.

I worked harder than I had ever worked before.

Eventually, I went back to college and built a happy and successful life.

Because I’ve lived it, I understand what your child is going through.

And because I work with parents every day, I understand what you’re going through too.

A Final Thought

I’m not promising miracles.

I’m not promising a magic bullet.

Change is hard.

It takes time, effort, and energy.

That’s why this is a semester-long program.

It’s designed for real change—not quick fixes.

What I am promising is that I will walk you and your child through the process step by step and give you practical tools that can be applied immediately.

However, this program is not for everyone.

It only works for students who genuinely want change.

Not every student is ready.

So the next step is to figure out whether your child is ready and whether this journey is worth your family’s time, energy, and investment.

To help with that, I’ve created a separate video specifically for students. I recommend that parents watch it first and then decide whether to share it with their child.

If your child is interested and there is genuine buy-in, I would love to have you join us on this journey.

Take care.