At any given time, a teacher can expect to have at least one student with ADHD. The impulsive and hyperactive behavior of such students can be distracting to everyone in the classroom. But there are strategies you can use to help students with ADHD channel their energy and focus their attention so that they can achieve their full potential—and you can conduct lessons with fewer interruptions.
Teaching students with ADD/ADHD
If you’re a teacher, you know these kids:
The one who stares out the window, substituting the arc of a bird in flight for her math lesson.
The one who wouldn’t be able to keep his rear end in the chair even if you used Krazy Glue.
The one who answers the question, “Who can tell me what the 6th Amendment guarantees?” with “Mrs. M, do you dye your hair?”
Students who exhibit ADD/ADHD’s hallmark symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity can be frustrating. You know the brainpower is there, but they just can’t seem to focus on the material you’re working hard to deliver. Plus, their behaviors take time away from instruction and disrupt the whole class.
Challenges of ADHD in the classroom
Think of what the school setting requires children to do:
Sit still.
Listen quietly.
Pay attention.
Follow instructions.
Concentrate.
These are the very things kids with ADD/ADHD have a hard time doing — not because they aren’t willing, but because their brains won’t let them. That doesn’t make teaching them any easier, of course.
Students with ADD/ADHD present the following challenges for teachers:
They demand attention by talking out of turn or moving around the room.
They have trouble following instructions, especially when they’re presented in a list.
They often forget to write down homework assignments, do them, or bring completed work to school.
They often lack fine motor control, which makes note-taking difficult and handwriting a trial to read.
They often have trouble with operations that require ordered steps, such as long division or solving equations.
They usually have problems with long-term projects where there is no direct supervision.
They don’t pull their weight during group work and may even keep a group from accomplishing its task.
Students with ADD/ADHD pay the price for their problems in low grades, scolding and punishment, teasing from peers, and low self-esteem. Meanwhile, you, the teacher, wind up taking complaints from parents who feel their kids are being cheated of your instruction and feeling guilty because you can’t reach the child with ADD/ADHD.
What teachers can do to help So how do you teach a kid who won’t settle down and listen? The answer: with a lot of patience, creativity, and consistency. As a teacher, your role is to evaluate each child’s individual needs and strengths. Then you can develop strategies that will help students with ADD/ADHD focus, stay on task, and learn to their full capabilities. Successful programs for children with ADHD integrate the following three components:
Accommodations: what you can do to make learning easier for students with ADD/ADHD.
Instruction: the methods you use in teaching.
Intervention: How you head off behaviors that disrupt concentration or distract other students. Your most effective tool, however, in helping a student with ADD/ADHD is a positive attitude. Make the student your partner by saying, “Let’s figure out ways together to help you get your work done.” Assure the student that you’ll be looking for good behavior and quality work, and when you see it, reinforce it with immediate and sincere praise.
Finally, look for ways to motivate a student with ADD/ADHD by offering rewards on a point or token system.
Don't Judge, Adjust
