Russell Coaching for Students

🌟 Coach Spotlight: Meet Alice Schaffer! 🌟

We're excited to introduce Coach Alice, one of the dedicated and experienced coaches helping students build confidence, strengthen executive functioning skills, and achieve their goals at Russell Coaching for Students.

With a Master's degree in Educational Leadership, 21 years of experience as a classroom teacher, and 9 years of experience as an assistant principal, Alice brings a wealth of educational expertise and leadership to every coaching relationship. Her extensive background working with students in a variety of settings allows her to provide meaningful support tailored to each student's unique needs.

Alice is passionate about helping students develop the skills and tools they need to be successful. She believes in encouraging perseverance, resilience, and growth every step of the way. As she reminds her students:

✨ "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again."
— W.C. Fields

A few fun facts about Alice:
🏔️ Loves visiting Highlands, North Carolina
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family is her greatest passion
🍪 Enjoys baking for her family
🎤 Loves to sing
🏈 Florida State Seminoles fan

Join us in celebrating Coach Alice and the positive impact she makes in the lives of students and families every day! 💚

🎓 Russell Coaching proudly accepts Step Up for Students ESA funds, making Connected Coaching more accessible for eligible Florida families.

📩 Contact us to learn how your scholarship can be used!

Choosing the right coach can make all the difference for students with ADHD, autism, and executive functioning challenges.

At Russell Coaching, our professionals have dedicated their careers to understanding neurodiversity and helping neurodiverse students thrive. Through our Connected Coaching™ approach, students receive individualized coaching backed by a collaborative team of experts who work together to provide the support they need.

For nearly 20 years, we've been refining our coaching model to help students build confidence, strengthen executive functioning skills, and achieve meaningful, lasting success.

Because the right support doesn't just help students get through school—it helps them build skills for life.

Learn more about our approach and how we can support your family.

✨ FREE SCHOOL DAY CHECKLIST ✨

Executive functioning isn't about trying harder—it's about building routines that make success easier.

This simple checklist helps students develop the habits that support:
✅ Independence
✅ Organization
✅ Time management
✅ Planning ahead
✅ Self-regulation

Whether your child is in elementary school or just needs a little extra structure, consistent routines can reduce stress and make mornings, afternoons, and evenings run more smoothly.

Download it, print it, laminate it, or use it with a dry-erase marker to build healthy habits all year long.

What routine is the biggest challenge in your home—before school, after school, or bedtime? We'd love to hear in the comments! 💚



One final thought: I would consider changing the title from "School Day Checklist" to "Daily Success Routine." It subtly shifts the focus from completing a list of tasks to building lifelong executive functioning habits, which is exactly what Russell Coaching is about.

🌟 Coach Spotlight: Meet Molly Hamilton! 🌟

We're excited to introduce Coach Molly, one of the dedicated and encouraging coaches helping students build confidence, strengthen executive functioning skills, and reach their goals at Russell Coaching for Students.

With a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Saint Leo University, ESOL certification, a Reading Endorsement, and 14 years of experience in education, Molly brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to every coaching relationship. Her background as a K-5 Reading Resource Teacher and literacy specialist allows her to support students with a wide range of learning needs.

Molly loves motivating students, cheering them on, and helping them discover their own strengths. As she reminds us:

✨ "Human beings are naturally creative. We make sense of the world by bringing new ideas into it."
— Ken Robinson

A few fun facts about Molly:
🌊 Loves spending time on the water
🏖️ Favorite beach destinations: Vilano Beach and the Outer Banks
🥾 Enjoys hiking and biking with her family
⚡ Tampa Bay Lightning fan
💚 Passionate about helping students build confidence and self-love

Join us in celebrating Coach Molly and the positive impact she makes in the lives of students and families every day!

🌍✨ **Happy World Emoji Day!** ✨🌍

Here's our own **Russell Coaching emoji**—a little symbol with a big meaning. 💙

🧠 Executive functioning
❤️ Connection
📈 Growth
🌟 Progress

At Russell Coaching, we believe success isn't about perfection—it's about building the skills, confidence, and habits that help you thrive. Just like the lightbulb emoji we created, we hope it reminds you to celebrate every spark of progress, no matter how small.

**📱 iPhone Users: Save it as a Custom Emoji**

1. Press and hold the Russell Coaching emoji.
2. Tap **Emoji Details**.
3. Tap the **Download** icon.
4. Open your emoji keyboard and **swipe all the way left** to find your saved custom emojis anytime!

**📱 Android Users: Save and Use the Emoji**

1. Press and hold the Russell Coaching emoji and tap **Copy**.
2. Open your **Notes** app or any text field and paste it.
3. Tap and hold the pasted emoji, then select **Add to Favorites** or **Pin** (if available on your keyboard).
4. You can also save it by adding it to your **Gboard clipboard** for quick access anytime!

Now you can add a little Russell Coaching encouragement to your texts, notes, and social media posts. 💙

Happy ** **! Tell us—which emoji do you use the most? 👇

☀️ Summer Success Starts with Small Steps.

Building executive functioning skills doesn't have to feel like schoolwork. In fact, some of the best learning happens through simple, everyday experiences.

This Summer Success Challenge is filled with easy activities that help build independence, confidence, organization, and responsibility—all while enjoying the last weeks of summer.

✔️ Check off each challenge as you complete it.
✔️ Celebrate progress, not perfection.
✔️ Encourage your child to notice how capable they really are.

Which challenge will your family tackle first? Tell us in the comments! 👇

💡 Parent Tip Tuesday: Parent Script

When parents say, "Go clean your room," many kids hear one thing:

🚨 "This is too much."

A simple shift in language can make a big difference.

Instead of:
❌ "Go clean your room."

Try:
✅ "What are the three things you want to tackle first?"

This question helps your child break a large task into manageable pieces, build a plan, and take ownership of the process.

The goal isn't just a cleaner room—it's helping your child develop the executive functioning skills they'll use for a lifetime.

Small coaching moments like this build:
✔ Planning skills
✔ Independence
✔ Problem-solving
✔ Confidence

What's one task that often feels overwhelming for your child? Let us know below! ⬇️

🌟 Coach Spotlight: Meet Annie Theoharis! 🌟

We're excited to introduce Coach Annie, one of the dedicated coaches helping students build confidence, strengthen executive functioning skills, and reach their goals at Russell Coaching for Students.

With a Master's degree in Special Education and General Education and more than 15 years of experience teaching in both special education and general education settings, Annie brings a wealth of knowledge, compassion, and expertise to every coaching relationship.

Annie loves building strong relationships with her students and helping them develop the skills they need to be successful both in and out of the classroom. As she reminds her students:

✨ "The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don't tell you what to see."

A few fun facts about Annie:
⚾ Big New York Yankees fan
☀️ Loves spending time outdoors in the sunshine
🌊 Enjoys being near the water
🎲 Loves family board game nights
🍕 Favorite foods include pizza, steak, seafood, and Japanese food
🏖️ Favorite vacation spots include Wildwood, New Jersey and Aruba

Join us in celebrating Coach Annie and the positive impact she makes in the lives of students and families every day! 💚