Award-Winning Executive Functioning Tutors
serving Philadelphia, PA
Executive Functioning
Tutors in Philadelphia
Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.
Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
UniversitiesSchools & Universities
DeliveredHours Delivered
ProficiencyGrowth in Proficiency
Who needs tutoring?
No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.

I hold a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in developmental psychology (with a focus on cognition) and a B.A. from Swarthmore College in theatre and English. I enjoy working with students who are looking to improve their executive function skills as a part of their overall goals for tutoring because I believe in a whole-self approach to time management and skill building. I also thoroughly enjoy tutoring in English literature, high school and college writing, organizational skills, and standardized testing. I've spent 15 years teaching high school English, public speaking, and written expression at elite independent schools, while moonlighting as a public speaking coach. My professional experience includes providing speechwriting and coaching for a now-US Senator during his first congressional campaign. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked as a director for multiple professional theaters, and my passions for English and Theatre converge in a deep love of Shakespeare. I love to talk about literature and dissect its craft in writing, and I believe everyone can write strong essays with the right coaching and framework.

Claire teaches concrete systems — color-coded planners, task-chunking methods, priority matrices — rather than vague advice about "staying organized." Her background across a wide range of academic subjects means she can tailor these executive functioning strategies to whatever coursework a student is actually struggling to manage, from essay deadlines to exam prep schedules.
Five years working specifically with students with learning differences taught Sydney where the real sticking points are — the student who knows what the assignment says but can't figure out where to start, or the one who chronically underestimates how long a reading response will take. She ties executive functioning strategies like task breakdown and self-monitoring directly to the English and Spanish coursework she also tutors, so students practice these skills on actual assignments rather than in isolation. Rated 4.9 by clients.
I currently work for an afterschool enrichment program (Best Brains) tutoring elementary English and math, and I have 4+ years of experience as a private ESL tutor for both children and adults. I am working toward my Masters of Science in Secondary English Education and ESL at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. I graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative World Literature and Japanese, and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Master of Arts in Japanese Language and Literature. I began tutoring while I was in high school, assisting with algebra homework. In college, I volunteered as a kindergarten reading assistant through a program called Start Making a Reader Today. I later volunteered while in graduate school at a local high school tutoring students in beginner Japanese. I have also been employed by the University of Wisconsin as a Teaching Assistant, and taught in Religious Studies and East Asian Studies. In all cases, it has been a pleasure watching students progress in their academics and to see them grow as young scholars. I especially enjoy teaching language arts because of the feeling of connection that language can bring. My favorite part of teaching is seeing the smiling face of someone the moment that they finally "get" something they've been struggling with and watching their confidence boost. In my free time, I host a small book club, pen pal with friends around the world, and try my hand at new recipes.
As a tutor for 20+ years, I bring ample experience and knowledge. I specialize in standardized testing (MCAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, & more), medical school and pre-med courses, and undergraduate STEM subjects. A former medical school student and Master of Public Health, I opted for what truly brings me joy: tutoring, teaching, and guiding students to lifelong academic success.
Planning a multi-step assignment, managing time across subjects, breaking a big project into smaller pieces — these are skills that don't come naturally to every student. Heather's clinical psychology training gives her a framework for teaching organizational strategies that actually stick, and she tailors each system to how a student's brain already works rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all planner approach.
Graduate training in school counseling means Katherine spends her days learning exactly how students get stuck — not on content, but on the invisible skills like task initiation, planning, and self-regulation that determine whether homework actually gets done. She connects those counseling frameworks to the real academic work students bring in, whether it's a stalled college essay or a psychology reading they keep putting off. Her background across subjects like writing, human development, and AP psychology gives her concrete material to anchor organizational strategies to.
A PhD in philosophy trains you to hold complex arguments in your head, sequence multi-part proofs, and manage long-term research without external scaffolding — Christine now unpacks those same cognitive skills for students who struggle with planning, task initiation, and self-monitoring. Her breadth across math, writing, and business subjects means she can embed executive functioning strategies directly into whatever assignment a student is actually stuck on, whether it's a geometry problem set or a college essay draft.
Planning, prioritizing, starting tasks, managing time — executive functioning skills don't come naturally to every student, and they're rarely taught explicitly in school. Hannah's Special Education program at Purdue trained her in scaffolding these skills through structured routines, visual organizers, and self-regulation strategies. She builds systems that students internalize gradually rather than depend on forever.
My goal is to ensure every student I tutor understands math and builds the confidence to bring about fundamental changes about how they solve problems, even if they haven't seen it before.
Allison's Master's in Education from George Washington University centered on instructional design — figuring out why information doesn't stick and restructuring the process so it does, which is essentially what executive functioning coaching requires. She applies that design thinking to help a student reverse-engineer a stalled essay or a missed deadline, identifying whether the breakdown was in task initiation, time estimation, or material organization, then building a repeatable system around it. Her broad teaching range across writing, math, and test prep means those systems get tested against real coursework, not hypothetical scenarios.
Planning a multi-step assignment, managing time across subjects, keeping materials organized — these are skills most schools expect but rarely teach explicitly. Charles's counseling psychology training gives him concrete strategies for building these executive functioning habits, from using visual task breakdowns to teaching students how to self-monitor their own focus and prioritize effectively.
Tutoring across 46 subjects — from elementary math to organic chemistry to college essays — means Adel constantly sees which organizational habits transfer across disciplines and which ones students are missing. His biochemistry training at Georgia Tech required coordinating lab work, problem sets, and writing simultaneously, so he teaches students concrete strategies for prioritizing tasks, estimating how long assignments actually take, and building weekly workflows that prevent last-minute scrambles. Rated 5.0 by clients.
I'm working towards my Bachelors/Masters in Chemical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology, with a special interest in math and physics! I believe that visual demonstrations alongside verbal explanations of material work best for strengthening a students ability to conceptualize material. I have experience tutoring both college and high school students, and I am particularly well-equipped to assist with math, physics, and SAT preparation.
Testimonials
Because the right Executive Functioning tutor makes all the difference.
Average Session Rating – Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
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Frequently Asked Questions
Executive functioning refers to the mental processes that help us plan, organize, manage time, and follow through on tasks—essentially the skills that turn intentions into action. For students in Philadelphia, strong executive functioning is foundational to academic success across all subjects, from managing multi-step math problems to organizing research papers. When students struggle with these skills, it often shows up as missed deadlines, disorganized work, difficulty starting tasks, or trouble breaking large projects into manageable steps.
Students often struggle with time management (underestimating how long tasks take), organization (losing assignments or materials), task initiation (difficulty getting started on work), and working memory (holding multiple instructions in mind). Many also have trouble prioritizing what to do first, breaking projects into steps, or adjusting their approach when something isn't working. These challenges can affect students at any grade level and often become more apparent as academic demands increase in middle and high school.
In a classroom with a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio, teachers focus primarily on content delivery rather than building individual executive functioning systems. Personalized instruction allows a tutor to work directly with a student to identify their specific challenges, teach concrete strategies tailored to how they learn best, and practice those strategies with real assignments they're actually working on. This targeted approach means students develop systems that actually work for them, rather than generic strategies that may not fit their learning style or needs.
Students typically see improvements in specific, measurable areas: turning in assignments on time, organizing materials and digital files more effectively, completing longer projects without last-minute cramming, and feeling less overwhelmed by schoolwork. Many students also report improved grades as a result of better organization and planning, along with reduced stress and anxiety around academics. The timeline varies, but most students notice meaningful changes within 4-6 weeks of consistent practice with new strategies.
Elementary students typically begin learning basic organization and time awareness, such as keeping track of assignments and managing simple multi-step tasks. By middle school, students are expected to manage multiple classes, longer projects, and more complex planning. High school demands increase significantly with independent research projects, managing multiple deadlines, and preparing for college or career—skills that require strong executive functioning. Personalized tutoring can target the specific skills your student needs to meet expectations at their current grade level.
During an initial session, a tutor will assess your student's current executive functioning strengths and challenges by asking about their daily routines, how they organize schoolwork, what tasks feel most difficult, and what strategies they've already tried. The tutor will also review specific academic struggles—like a disorganized notebook, missed deadlines, or difficulty with project planning—to understand the real-world impact. From there, they'll work with your student to identify one or two priority areas to focus on and introduce an initial strategy tailored to your student's learning style and needs.
Tutors teach concrete, practical strategies such as breaking large projects into smaller milestones with specific deadlines, using organizational systems (digital or paper) that match how the student thinks, building in transition time between tasks, and using checklists or templates for recurring assignments. They also teach metacognitive strategies—helping students notice when they're getting stuck and adjust their approach—and time estimation techniques to help students plan realistically. The specific strategies depend on each student's challenges and preferences; what works for one student may need to be adapted for another.
Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in executive functioning and understand the specific academic demands students in Philadelphia face. When you reach out, you'll share details about your student's challenges and goals, and we'll match them with a tutor whose expertise and teaching style align with your student's needs. You can then start with a first session to see if it's a good fit, with the flexibility to adjust as your student progresses.
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