By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Think about how many times a day we touch our phones, pencils, and keyboards. Think about how many times a day we put our backpacks or work bags on the classroom or office floor and then put those bags on our …
Before you shut down for school vacation, do this
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. School vacations come in all shapes and sizes. I also know that the moment any of these vacations begin, you’re slamming your device closed, chucking your backpack in the closet, and disconnecting from school entirely. I am all for the last …
10 productive things to do when you don’t have homework
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Days without homework are the best. Whether it’s just one homework-free night, a weekend with nothing due on Monday, or even a whole vacation week with no long-term assignments hanging over your head, the feeling is liberating. While you should take …
Homework management system: Calendar vs. assignment notebook
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. I’m frequently asked about the difference between a calendar and an assignment notebook. They are not the same. At all. While both are essential pieces of a student homework-management system, they each have a unique function. The bottom line: Neither a …
How to manage email as a student
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Email is an important communication channel for students, starting in elementary school and ending … essentially never. But so many (so many!) students struggle with how to manage email. The problem is that so few students know what to do once …
How to choose school supplies for students with ADHD
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. School supplies for students with ADHD may look a little different than school supplies for neurotypical students. Neurotypical students often choose school supplies based on factors like aesthetics (does it look cool), popularity (is it actually cool) and teacher requirements (the …
Back to school tips for college students
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Back-to-school tips for college students go beyond the back-to-school tips for high school students that I write about in this post here. While those high school tips certainly apply to college students too, older students have different needs – which I …
Master List vs. to-do list, and why you need both
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. I’m a huge fan of lists. I’m a fan not only for my own personal geekish reasons but also for reasons based on cognitive science. (In case you didn’t hear, our brains can not store endless amounts of information.) I’ve written …
7 things students should do before school gets out: How to shut down a school year for the summer
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. When the last bell rings before summer vacation, most students slam their devices closed and chuck their backpacks in a closet until September. I get it. I did that too. But there are some simple things that students should do before …
10 lists every student should have
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. While the human brain is unfathomably amazing, it’s not meant to store large amounts of unconnected information. That’s why we have lists. Lists externally store non-urgent data for future reference. Using lists can reduce stress, increase the accessibility of information, help …