Students with ADHD
It was the start of another year of teaching fifth grade. It’s always exciting to get the class roster and see who would be in my class for the year. As I read down the list, I noticed in a far column that I had an unusually high number of students with an ADHD diagnosis. To be clear, out of my 26 students, I had thirteen boys, all with ADHD. I thought it might have been a mistake. I checked with my teammates to see if they had something similar. No, they only had one or two students with ADHD. As my imagination was beginning to picture my class resembling a Chuck E. Cheese scenario, I walked to my principal’s office.
“Is there a reason why I would have 13 boys with ADHD in my class this year?” I asked.
My principal smiled and said, “Why, yes! It’s because you are so good with them!”
I guess that was a compliment, but I didn’t feel rewarded in that moment. What is she talking about? I’m good with them? What does that mean? In what way am I good with them?
Apparently, I had some natural instincts when it came to teaching children with ADHD. Here is what I must have done differently than many teachers.
I was prepared for some of the typical behaviors like lack of focus, excitability, high energy, and struggles with organization. By expecting it, it didn’t frustrate me. I expected to have a bit rowdier classroom with more noise and activity. Structure and silence don’t always mean students are hard at work. Sometimes, noise and movement stimulate creativity and production.
However, I maintained structure and routine. All students knew my expectations and rules. I rarely varied from the routine of the room. Students with ADHD seemed to appreciate knowing what to expect each day. But by golly, on those days when we had a change in routine, I knew to pack extra patience. My kids with ADHD would often skyrocket into hyperactivity, heightened emotions, and uncontrolled behavior choices that lead to meltdowns, consequences, and exhaustion for us all.
I paid attention to the different needs and behaviors of each of these kids. Some children needed breaks. Some needed frequent check-ins to stay on task. Some did well with timelines. Some needed help fine-tuning an organization method. Some needed assignments broken down into parts. Some did well in the front of the room, while others needed to stand in the back. I communicated with each student. Deeply in my heart, I wanted them to be successful.
I offered different seating/working-station options in my room. This was a big one. Sitting still in a desk was usually very difficult for students with ADHD. Therefore, I had bean bags, tray tables, pillows, desks to stand at, exercise balls for chairs, etc. Each day, all students would choose how they wanted to work. Did they want to lie on their stomachs on the floor? Go for it! Did they want to wander while they worked? This is what the big taped-off area in the back was for. They were free to walk around inside that square, as long as they were thinking and completing work (and not disturbing others).
I adjusted my expectations for work completion. For some, their standard might be completing the work, but at a lower quality. For others, they might not complete all the assignments, but what was completed was top-notch. I based learning and grades on these standards. Because I treated them with kindness and respect, they often wanted to please me. If I needed a bit more from them, all I had to do was ask nicely. “Could you please redo this one section and see if we can find some better answers?” Or, “You’re doing great, but I need you to come up with two more sentences for this paragraph.”
I would encourage one-minute rests now and then for the whole class. We called it “Be Quiet. Be Still.” For a full 60-seconds, we’d stop what we’re doing, be silent, don’t move, stare at something, and just breathe. Overstimulation can be a big problem for those with ADHD. By merely stopping everything, the stimulation levels could be brought down. At first, they felt that a full minute took forever, but over time, they loved that one minute and often wished it lasted longer. (To be honest, those one-minute breaks were good for me, too!)
I learned to appreciate their idiosyncrasies. Students with ADHD often have incredible senses of humor. Their quick wits brought me much laughter. I’ll never forget the time I saw a kid daydreaming, so I asked him to please come back from la-la land, and he quickly said, “Catching a flight back now, Mrs. Sims.” Some of children tended to have a deeper level of maturity when it came to thoughts and opinions. Their ability to reflect on something we read was often surprising to me. Some excelled in reading, writing, or art, or theater. One boy’s energy and entertaining nature reminded me so much of Robin Williams, which made me wonder what his teacher had thought of him.
Sometimes evaluating learning was not what showed up on paper. If a student didn’t do well on a test or major assignment, I would often choose to have a conversation with him instead. I was always amazed what these kids could tell me on a subject versus what they could write. If I was convinced he understood the material or concept, that’s how I graded him.
I became thankful for having them as students. Yes, they can be challenging and more work. But, by challenging me and making me work harder, I became a better teacher. My genuine love for them seemed to shine through, because somehow, they excelled in my classroom more so than in others. They were the ones who came back to see me when they went to middle school. It was their parents who stopped me in the grocery store to tell me how much effect I had on their children as learners. And they are the ones I still love and remember to this day.
I made it through that year with those 13 boys. As a matter of fact, I loved them and they loved me so much, that they happily agreed to an idea I had for them for the end-of-the-year talent show. Those boys gave up recesses to practice a synchronized “swimming” routine that I choreographed for them to perform for the school. I put all that extra energy to good use.
I wrote this in hopes that parents and teachers with children with ADHD might find some of my ideas helpful. I am not an expert. I just wanted to do my best to help these learners reach their potentials. In the end, they deserve the extra, because they will reward you with extra and it’s worth it. Maybe my principal did know what she was talking about…
Written by Janelle Sims
Used with permission