Welcome to Understanding Executive Functioning Challenges – a deeper look at what’s really happening when students seem disorganised, avoidant, or “just not trying.”

Executive functioning (EF) is the brain’s self-management system. When it’s working well, students can plan, focus, shift, remember, and follow through. When it’s under strain, we often see confusion, overwhelm, and shutdown – not because students aren’t trying, but because they’re trying harder than we realise.

In this lesson, you’ll explore:

• What executive functioning is (and isn’t)
• How to spot when it’s running low
• Why traditional responses like “just focus” or “try harder” can backfire
• Practical, low-pressure strategies to support regulation, access, and self-worth

This isn’t about lowering expectations. It’s about offering better bridges.

After watching the video, take a few minutes with the companion notes. They’re full of real-life examples, skill-based reframes, and small strategies you can start using today.

Pay particular attention to the four core EF areas – working memory, task initiation, flexible thinking, and impulse control – and notice which feel most relevant to your learners.

Before you move on, pause and reflect:

What’s one behaviour that’s been frustrating to manage – and how might it look different if you saw it as a missing skill, not a motivation issue?

Every time we meet struggle with curiosity instead of control, we give our students a bridge back to belief – in themselves, and in learning.