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4. #40 - The Incredible Teenage Brain Explained: How Conversations, Boundaries and Brain Development Shape Adolescence with Dr Bettina Hohnen
44:51||Season 4, Ep. 4Have you ever felt confused or overwhelmed by your teenager’s behaviour and emotional reactions?In this episode of Academic Coaching for Parents, I am joined by Dr Bettina Hohnen, Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer at University College London, to explore what is really happening inside the teenage brain, and how understanding brain development can transform the way parents communicate, set boundaries and support learning during adolescence.Adolescence is a period of profound neurological change. Emotions feel stronger, behaviour can seem unpredictable and motivation often fluctuates. Drawing on neuroscience, clinical experience and her work on The Incredible Teenage Brain, Dr Hohnen explains why the teenage brain is often described as being “under reconstruction” and how this perspective helps parents respond with empathy rather than frustration.We discuss how conversations can become one of the most powerful tools parents have to support emotional regulation, resilience and wellbeing, alongside the role of boundaries, daily habits, sleep and routine in shaping attention, memory and mood. We also explore how understanding the developing brain can help parents better support neurodiverse children.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll learn:✅ What is happening in the teenage brain during adolescence✅ Why emotions, behaviour and decision-making can feel so intense✅ How brain development influences motivation and learning✅ How to set boundaries that support safety, trust and independence✅ Practical strategies to support emotional regulation and resilienceThis episode is for parents who want to move beyond power struggles and towards connection, confidence and evidence-based support, while protecting both learning and wellbeing.Dr Bettina Hohnen:https://drbettinahohnen.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettina-hohnen-412776194/?originalSubdomain=ukBooks - The Incredible Teenage Brain & How to Have Incredible Conversations with Your Child📩 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with another parent or educator, and don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations on academic success and student wellbeing.👉 Interested in personalised academic coaching? Book a free 30-minute consultation via my website: https://www.york-weaving-education.co.uk/
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3. #39 - My Child Did Badly in Mocks - What Should I Do Next?
13:58||Season 4, Ep. 3Mock exam results can be unsettling, especially when they are lower than expected. Many parents feel pressure to act quickly, often assuming that more teaching or tutoring is the answer.I take a step back and look at what disappointing mock results actually tell us. I then outline practical ways parents can respond to support early progress.Rather than reacting with panic, we explore how mock results can be used as valuable feedback, highlighting what isn’t working yet and where change will have the greatest impact.Drawing on my academic coaching work and research-informed practice, I walk through my five-pillar framework for diagnosing underperformance and transforming how students learn and perform in exams.🎙️ In this episode, you will learn:✅ How to use disappointing mock results as a diagnostic tool✅ Why learning methods, not just effort, affect exam performance✅ How poor time management and unrealistic revision plan undermine progress✅ Why focus, environment and screen time matter more than many parents realise✅ How motivation is linked to long-term vision, not pressure or “trying harder”This episode is designed to help parents respond calmly, logically and effectively, using mock results as an opportunity to strengthen learning systems well before the final exams.🔗 Links & Resources📩 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with another parent navigating mock season, and don’t forget to subscribe for more evidence-informed conversations on academic success and student wellbeing.👉 Interested in personalised academic coaching? Book a free 30-minute consultation via my website to discuss what might be holding your child back and how to address it: https://www.york-weaving-education.co.uk/2. #38 - Creating Your Dream Life: Resilience, Reinvention and Purpose with Kristina Karlsson
01:13:33||Season 4, Ep. 2In this episode of Academic Coaching for Parents, I am joined by Kristina Karlsson, founder of the global stationery brand Kikki. K, bestselling author and creator of the Your Dream Life Starts Here coaching programme.Kristina’s journey is extraordinary. From a single 3am list that sparked a global brand, to navigating the loss of Kikki. K and stepping into a completely new chapter of her life, her story offers powerful lessons on resilience, intention and purposeful living.🎧 In this conversation, we explore:✅ How Kristina’s 3am list shaped the direction of her life and career✅ The habits and mindset behind building Kikki K✅ What losing a business taught her about resilience and growth✅ How to rethink failure as a foundation for progress✅ The power of dreaming as a practice for life direction and purpose✅ How reflection and small intentional actions turn dreams into reality✅ How Your Dream Life Starts Here supports people through change and uncertaintyWhether you are a parent supporting your child, a student facing uncertainty, or someone navigating a period of change, this episode offers reassurance that you don’t need everything figured out. Creating a dream life isn’t about overnight transformation, it’s about clarity, reflection and taking small steps forward, wherever you are.🎧 If you’ve ever asked yourself “what’s next?” - this episode is for you.🔗 Links & ResourcesYour Dream Life Starts Here Coaching Programme https://www.yourdreamlifestartshere.com/Your Dream Life Starts Here Book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Dream-Life-Starts-Here/dp/064831720XDream Life https://www.thedreamlifestore.com/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-karlsson/?originalSubdomain=auInstagram https://www.instagram.com/kristinadreamlife/?hl=en 📩 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with another parent or educator, and don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations on learning, motivation and student wellbeing.👉 Interested in personalised academic coaching? Book a free 30-minute consultation via my website: https://www.york-weaving-education.co.uk/1. #37 - If Your Child Is Struggling at School, Listen to This First
16:27||Season 4, Ep. 1Have you ever looked at your child’s academic struggles and felt an urgent need to explain why?Because one of the most consistent patterns I see in my academic coaching work is this: when students struggle, parents understandably rush to explanations, before checking whether the foundations for learning are actually in place.In this episode, I introduce a foundations-first approach to academic success and start with the most practical, and most overlooked, skill of all, which is planning.Planning isn’t about being organised or controlling your child’s time. It’s about reducing cognitive overload, creating structure and giving students a system they can fall back on when learning feels overwhelming.🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:✅ Why academic struggles are often a systems problem, not an ability problem✅ Why planning is cognitive scaffolding - not just organisation✅ What I see again and again when students don’t have a planning system✅ How lack of planning can look like poor focus, low motivation or overwhelm✅ A simple, realistic planning framework you can start using immediately:yearly overviewsideal weekly structurestask lists and time allocationvisual clarity and weekly resetsAt the beginning of the year, if you’re looking to improve and accelerate your child’s learning and success, this is the place to start.🔗 Links & Resources📩 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with another parent or educator, and don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations on learning, motivation and student wellbeing.👉 Interested in personalised academic coaching? Book a free 30-minute consultation via my website: https://www.york-weaving-education.co.uk/11. # 36 - How Brain Oscillations Shape Attention, Learning and Reading With Professor Ole Jensen
31:33||Season 3, Ep. 11How do the brain’s natural rhythms shape attention, memory and learning?In this episode of Academic Coaching for Parents, I am joined by Professor Ole Jensen, Professor of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford, to explore how brain oscillations - rhythmic patterns of neural activity - underpin attention, learning and reading. We discuss how these brain rhythms help to coordinate attention, what happens when these processes become disrupted and how this research can help parents and educators better understand attention difficulties, learning challenges and differences in how children engage with learning.🎙️ In this episode, we discuss:✅ How brain oscillations contribute to attention, memory and information processing✅ How oscillatory activity supports reading and visual exploration✅ How brain oscillations change across development and differ between children and adults✅ What research shows about disrupted modulation of brain oscillations in ADHD✅ How theories of neural communication explain coordinated brain function during learningWhether you are curious about how learning works in the brain or interested in evidence-based perspectives on education, this episode offers a research-informed exploration of the neuroscience behind learning.Professor Ole Jensen: https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/people/ole-jensenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ole-jensen-53b69014/📩 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with another parent or educator, and don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations on academic success and student wellbeing.👉 Interested in personalised academic coaching? Book a free 30-minute consultation via my website: https://www.york-weaving-education.co.uk/10. #35 - The Power of Dialogue: How Conversation Shapes Children’s Learning with Prof Andrew Tolmie
54:38||Season 3, Ep. 10Have you ever wondered why some of your child’s biggest learning moments happen in conversation - when they are explaining an idea, asking questions or debating something with friends?In this episode, I am joined by Professor Andrew Tolmie, Chair of Psychology and Human Development at UCL’s Institute of Education and Deputy Director of the UCL–Birkbeck Centre for Educational Neuroscience.Professor Tolmie is a developmental psychologist whose research explores how children’s thinking and reasoning develop through social interaction - how attention, dialogue and collaboration shape learning.Together, we unpack what it really means to learn together: how talk and shared attention support understanding, why some children benefit more from group learning than others and how teachers and parents can help children think more deeply and independently.🎙️ In this episode, you will learn: ✅ What shared attention means and why it’s a foundation for effective learning and focus✅ How productive dialogue helps children reason, reflect and build deeper understanding✅ Why social interaction and peer collaboration are essential for developing thinking and problem-solving skills✅ What research reveals about spaced learning, reflection and avoiding cognitive overload✅ Practical ways to nurture focus, curiosity and meaningful discussion at home and in the classroomWhether your child is in primary or secondary school, this conversation offers research-based insights into how attention, dialogue and shared learning experiences shape understanding.🔗 Links & ResourcesProf Andrew Tolmie https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/48122-andrew-tolmiehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-tolmie-1ab21522/?originalSubdomain=ukhttp://www.educationalneuroscience.org.uk/about-us/cen-research-group-2/prof-andrew-tolmie/ 📩 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with another parent or educator, and don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations on learning, motivation and student wellbeing.👉 Interested in personalised academic coaching? Book a free 30-minute consultation via my website: https://www.york-weaving-education.co.uk/9. #34 - How to Create Your Child’s Ideal Week: Routines That Boost Learning, Reduce Stress and Build Balance
12:08||Season 3, Ep. 9Is your child drifting through the school week - rushing homework at the last minute, staying up too late and never quite finding balance?In this episode of Academic Coaching for Parents, I share how to design your child’s ideal week: a simple, flexible framework that helps them know what to do and more importantly when. Not a rigid timetable, but a rhythm that reduces stress, supports focus and builds healthy habits for the school year ahead.🎧 In this episode, you’ll discover:✅ Why predictable routines help children feel secure and reduce procrastination✅ How to structure after-school time: breaks, homework, dinner and evening wind-downs✅ The surprising link between family mealtimes, connection and academic outcomes✅ Why phones should be set aside in the evening to protect rest and focus✅ A simple starting point: protecting one anchor routine (like homework start time or bedtime) before building the restWhether your child is just settling into secondary school or preparing for exams, this episode will give you practical strategies to bring structure, balance and calm into the week.🔗 Links & Resources📩 Enjoyed this episode? Share it with another parent or educator and subscribe for more practical strategies.👉 Book a free 30-minute consultation to explore how academic coaching can transform your child’s learning: https://www.york-weaving-education.co.uk/