Executive function and practicing the things we don't want to.
If you don't know what executive function is, executive function accounts for the mental processes that enable us to do things like plan, organize, juggle tasks, and remember instructions. It's the brain skill that let's us prioritize tasks, manage impulses, filter distractions, set and achieve goals, and change tasks.
Sounds great, right?
Well.... there's also its opposite: Executive Dysfunction.
Executive dysfunction is when someone, through no fault of their own, struggles with executive functioning. So stuff like organizing materials, regulating emotions, keeping a schedule, keeping track of details or other items, follow through on tasks, and/or changing tasks is much more difficult.
Neurodiverse individuals, especially those with ADHD, often have executive dysfunction which is one of the big factors that neurotypical people notice about us. Our Executive Dysfunction is one of the most common and visible symptoms of our neurodiversity.
So, how does executive dysfunction reveal itself in a music lesson or in a student's practice? (these 3 situations might seem familiar)
Student forgot their music/instrument at home/school. This is one of the most egregious mistakes to make as a music student and yet it happens only too often for ND individuals. The end of the school day is often chaotic, loud, and rushed, all elements that can throw an ADHD brain into chaos mode. Out of sight, out of mind is especially true for us NDs and "Go to the band room to grab my instrument then go to the bus before it leaves" may seem simple but there are many other things that can arise during those two steps.
Student forgets to practice. Ok, this one can look even more different depending on the student, but where I've seen this most crop up is when a student neglects to practice a particular thing OR they gloss over practicing that thing. Usually it's the less interesting part: aka scales, arpeggios, and other technique exercises. When you have a lot of other music to get through, those things can seem comparatively unimportant. The ADHD brain already has a hard time prioritizing tasks and setting goals, so the upcoming audition seems more important than the long term goal of developing functional skills on the instrument. I have my whole life to practice my scales and arpeggios, why make time for them now?
Student is distracted, can't/won't focus during lessons. We're talking mostly about ADHD here so this seems obvious, it's called "attention deficit" after all. But I'll let you in on a little secret.... it's not that I am deficient in attention! I have plenty of attention! I just don't always know or have the ability to steer it to what needs my attention. This is why us ADHDers can hyperfocus on one task for HOURS at a time, even forgetting to eat or drink, or even get up to use the bathroom. Our lack of attention and distractability often has much more to do with what other things are going on in the environment and in our personal lives.
So, what can we do as teachers to help our students navigate these situations?
Always, always, always exercise kindness and compassion. Never, ever suggest that it is a personal or moral failing that they forgot their instrument or music, or that they didn't practice a particular thing, or that they can't focus in the lesson. Although occasionally you'll run into a student that does something like this intentionally, more often than not it really and truly was an honest mistake. Ask your student how you can help them establish a routine so that they won't forget in the future. Sometimes it's as simple as setting a recurring reminder in their phone (if they have one).
Remember how I said it's hard for NDs with executive dysfunction to prioritize tasks? Most kids don't know how to practice and just ask their teacher how long they should practice because, to a lot of them, any time spent playing the instrument counts, regardless of what they were working on. Be careful when you say "An hour a day" because that isn't descriptive enough. What are you supposed to do in that hour? How much time should be spent working on what? When do I know if I've practiced enough? Help your student with an end goal and structuring their practice. Give us the why and help us structure the how to get there.
If your student is having a hard time focusing on lessons work with your student to come up with a solution. Ask them why they are having trouble focusing. Is it duration of focus demanded? Is it the activity? Are they more tired than usual? There are a multitude of things that could be stealing focus away from the lesson that have nothing to do with the teacher and/or the content. Sometimes it could just be not changing activities soon enough, sometimes it could be boredom, or they might be confused about what they're supposed to be doing. Remember, we always exercise kindness and compassion, we don't accuse the student of not caring or accuse them of being lazy. Open the door to conversation. What is it about scales that makes them harder to engage?
Stay tuned for more on executive dysfunction and how it shows up in the music lesson and practice room.