# Teach the brain not the behavior simple moves that help today

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-neurodivergent-connection-the-curious-storyteller-4254621/teach-the-brain-not-the-behavior-simple-moves-that-help-today
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-neurodivergent-connection-the-curious-storyteller-4254621/teach-the-brain-not-the-behavior-simple-moves-that-help-today.md
Podcast: [The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-neurodivergent-connection-the-curious-storyteller-4254621)
Published: 2026-04-08T17:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergentconnection-thecuriousstroyteller/teach-the-brain-not-the-behavior-simple-moves-that-help-today
Audio file: https://pdcn.co/e/https://audio.ausha.co/8wal8TGE1Le1.mp3?t=1775668425
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-neurodivergent-connection-the-curious-storyteller-4254621/episodes/teach-the-brain-not-the-behavior-simple-moves-that-help-today
Duration seconds: 3846

## Resource

Executive Function Isn’t Laziness: Rethinking “Motivation,” Shame, and Support with Coach Carrie Bonnet Executive function isn’t laziness—it’s a brain thing. In this episode, I sit with coach Carrie Bonnet to reframe the struggle. If you’ve ever wondered why smart kids (and adults) still miss deadlines, lose steam, or freeze at “start,” this conversation will feel like a breath out. I ask Carrie Bonnet—Executive Function Coach, veteran teacher, and adjunct instructor at the University of Portland—what this actually feels like from the inside and what support looks like when we remove shame and lead with the brain. You’ll hear why paper beats apps when you’re new to planning, how time blindness fuels the last-minute cycle, and the key shift parents and teachers can make that changes everything. We also get into the messy middle: boredom that feels like torture, the myth of “I work best under pressure,” and why “not caring” often isn’t the story at all. I reveal where I’ve struggled too, and Carrie shares simple, sustainable ways we can make the invisible visible—without giving a full step-by-step here. By the end, you’ll be asking different questions and seeing different outcomes. Questions to listen for: What makes task initiation so hard? How does shame sneak in? And what small moves reduce overwhelm today? About the Guest Carrie Bonnet is an Executive Function Coach, veteran middle and high school teacher, and adjunct instructor at the University of Portland. She works with students, families, and early-career teachers. Carrie lives in Oregon and is a mom to two teens. Key Timestamps 0:02 – Welcome and who Carrie is 2:11 – The sixth grader who changed how we saw “late work” 5:10 – When it clicked: not laziness, not a moral failing 9:23 – Life skills don’t teach thems…

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## Transcript

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