Who Should Teach Students How to Learn? | Susannah Cole

In this inaugural episode, Gretchen talks with Susannah Cole — executive function coach, educational diagnostician, and co-author of Flexible Mindsets in Schools — about the gap EF coaching fills and why school was never really designed to close it. Inspired by NPR's Wild Card, this first conversation runs three rounds of questions across three chapters of Susannah's life, going deeper than a typical interview. They trace her path from being misread as a student to burning out as a teacher, then into the work that finally clicked. Along the way: a look at who schools were actually built for, and a practical tool that changed the way Susannah runs sessions and relationships alike.You'll Hear Us Talk AboutWhy "whose job is it to teach learning?" is such a thorny question once you look at the history of schoolsSusannah's iceberg model — what's visible above the waterline in a struggling student, and what's driving it belowWhose nervous system is actually overwhelmed in the classroom, and why that matters for regulation and attentionThe Consent Burger: a simple structure for inviting students in that reshaped Susannah's coachingLearning to read what a specific student needs in a specific moment, instead of leading with enthusiasmAbout Susannah ColeSusannah Cole is an executive function coach, educational diagnostician, and co-author of Flexible Mindsets in Schools (with Dr. Julie Dunstan). With over 25 years across early childhood, middle school, autism therapy, learning support, and college teaching, she brings a strengths-based approach to helping students build the systems, habits, and mindsets behind self-directed learning. She holds an MEd in Developmental Psychology and conducts psychoeducational assessments. Find her at theefcoach.com.Links + ResourcesFlexible Mindsets in Schools by Julie Dunstan & Susannah Cole: https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Mindsets-Schools-Julie-Dunstan/dp/1032069775The EF Coach — Susannah's website: https://theefcoach.comNPR's Wild Card with Rachel Martin — structural inspiration for this episode's format: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510379/wild-card-with-rachel-martinThe Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curiosity-shop-with-bren%C3%A9-brown-and-adam-grant/id1730985049Guess what?! If you'd like to learn more about TEFOS (The Executive Function Online Summit), where Susannah and Gretchen first met, it's coming up again August 14–17, 2026! It's totally free to register:TEFOS (The Executive Function Online Summit): https://theantiboringapproach--sethperler.thrivecart.com/tefos26/Learn More About the Anti-Boring Learning LabDownload our free Toolkit (including information about the Consent Burger): https://antiboringlearninglab.com/resourcesConnect with Gretchen on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-wegnerWatch the video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/SuwUh20D84A