For many teenagers, life is intense and engaging. But in juggling classes, homework, extra curriculars and social time, many adolescents feel overwhelmed. Without effective time-management, planning and organizational skills, your child may be struggling at school and experiencing challenges that affect your home life as well.
My name is Sara Wiener. As an experienced social worker, educator and certified Executive Functions instructor, I work with young people and their families from all walks of life. My classes are geared towards helping you and your child develop the essential skills for overcoming organizational and time-management challenges. Mastering these “executive functioning skills” can make life a whole lot easier. As you and your child work side-by-side with me, everyone benefits. Motivation and focus lead to an empowered youth. You’ll be amazed at the changes and success your teen will feel. And you won’t have to nag and feel frustrated any longer.
My coursework focuses on the brain — that magical, mystical thing in our heads. By learning a few simple tactics and tricks, your child can channel their brain in amazing directions. All of my classes highlight what they’re doing right – not what they’re doing wrong — so they’ll feel excited about learning more. When they harness the power of their brain, they can tap into the dopamine response, which ties in directly with their motivation. That’s the shortest path to tapping into their talents and passions – and the key to finding success at any age.
Executive Functions are those things your brain does that help you get things done. The problem is, that part of the brain is the last to develop. Self-awareness, decision making, task initiation, sustained attention, and goal-directed persistence are critical skills we all need to pursue our goals. Your kid isn’t dumb, lazy or deserving of blame. They simply need some strategies to be successful.
Coursework: The Sklar Process
All of my coursework is based on “The Sklar Process, which is rooted in a philosophy of “seeing time” that goes far beyond traditional time management training. I also offer refresher classes for a “tune up” after a student has gone through the Seeing My Time class series.
I love to teach and empower youth. I believe each young person is intelligent and wonderful, but they may not know it yet. Helping young people discover their hidden skills, talents, and passions is what drives me each and every day.
For me, this work is personal. As a child, reading was a challenge. I was put in reading lab, had to endure summer tutoring and struggled through school to figure out how to read for comprehension. I was labeled a “problem” and lost my confidence as a student.
One teacher made all the difference. This teacher recognized I wasn’t a traditional learner and took the time to challenge my false beliefs of incompetence and instilled a true sense of confidence in who I was. Because of that teacher, I achieved educational goals far beyond anyone’s expectations.
I’ve traveled an usual path in life. I started my career as a social worker and a teacher, ran a business for many years, then realized it was time to pursue a more meaningful line of work. So I’ve returned to my passion of helping teenagers and young adults succeed and grow.
I’ve always had a great rapport with teenagers. With the combination of my Masters in social work and my teaching experience, I feel particularly qualified to help young people find solutions to the challenges of time management, planning, and organization.
I’m also the parent of a child who had to work really hard to meet the demands of our traditional school and educational system, as well as facing the challenges of our digital and fast-paced culture. Social media and technology have exponentially increased the pressure and anxiety that young people experience in addition to their already busy and stressful lives as students, athletes, musicians, artists, or workers.
Thanks to all of these experiences, I’m excited to help teenagers find their footing and achieve the many amazing, incredible goals that lie ahead.
Sara Wiener’s focus in graduate school was school social work and developmental disabilities. She worked in a community health clinic, got a teaching degree and worked in schools as a substitute teacher in order to experience all age groups and grades.
Sara opened two successful small creative businesses and hired people with developmental disabilities, has coached sports, served on several nonprofit board of directors, volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and has a BS, MSW, Masters in Education.
541-420-4961
(Photo: Pexels)
