Posted by jenniferw in ADHD ...
There are a lot of myths surrounding the symptoms of ADHD. Understanding the truth can be helpful for both teachers and parents.
Myth #1
ADHD Symptoms only effect a child at school.
Truth: ADHD symptoms are pervasive, meaning they effect every aspect of a child’s life. Parents simply see symptoms in different areas than teachers. If a child is on medication for ADHD, the parent needs to keep the child on medication all the time, not taking a break on the weekends or during the summer, unless specifically directed to by the child’s doctor.
Myth #2
Children with ADHD could focus and complete tasks if they just try harder.
Truth: In fact, a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has a disability and is in need of modifications and special training to be able to complete tasks in a similar manner to another student without ADHD.
Myth #3
Children with ADHD are not disciplined at home. With proper discipline, the child would behave better at school.
Truth: Many parents with a child with ADHD will feel like failures, but it is not for a lack of trying. While undisciplined children may act in similar manners to a child with ADHD, they are capable of focusing and listening while the child with ADHD is not capable of doing so without modifications.
- Keep a clipboard with you at all times for informal assessments – use sticky notes with each child’s name.
- Keep a mailbox on your desk so that students can write notes to you – no more tattlers!
- Color code!
- Use vocab words when teaching a lesson and then add them to the word wall.
- Build a simple puppet stand
for shows.
- Have students create hand-made signs for areas in the classroom.
- Use a story telling apron made out of flannel board felt.
- Purchase transparent Highlighter Tape
!
- Make boxes out of 2 milk cartons – make one side name, arrow up for I understand, arrow down for I don’t understand, green light/red light for answering questions.
- Use a thinkmark – This allows students to write their thoughts as they read a book.
- Journals – split into color folders and collect a different color every day to write back.
- Hedgehog desk – “I need space” place for children to choose to go to instead of getting into a fight.
- Color code baskets for each subject for assignments.
- Read books aloud on tape for the library.
While organizing the classroom might not seem like an important part of classroom management, in fact the physical environment is as important as the rules and consequences in keeping students focused.
Seating Chart
The seating chart has a huge impact on the classroom management strategies of a teacher. While the actual seating arrangement is based more on the teaching style of an individual teacher than on the management strategy in place for students, there are two things that are important to keep in mind:
- All seats need to be positioned so that each student can clearly see the teacher. To ensure this, the teacher can take a moment to sit in each seat.
- All seats need to be positioned so that the teacher can quickly reach each student at a moment’s notice to handle any academic or behavior problem that may come up.
Classroom Decorations
It is very important to have the room decorated appropriately for students. The posters and other decorations aid in boosting student enthusiasm, increasing student motivation and reinforcing academic skills and concepts. At the same time, though, it is important to not overdecorate a room. Too much decoration can overstimulate student’s and cause them to become distracted. An important rule of thumb for decoration is to ensure that there is blank wall space around each decoration. If in doubt, take something down.
At the bottom of it all, most behavior problems are a choice – the child chooses to mishandle emotions and talk back, shove another student or talk out of turn. While many of these choices stem from the lack of maturity and self-control, they can be molded and trained into the proper choices for social interactions.
There are some children, though, who suffer from the inability to make the choice. It is not a maturity issue and it is not a lack of self-control, although these factors do play a part in their behaviors. These children have Attention Deficit Disorder.
While many still believe that ADHD stems from inappropriate parenting, the lack of training, video games or any number of other influences on the child’s life, there is in fact a disability that some children have that render them helpless to choose proper behavior at times.
Consider this true story: Derrick had difficulty staying in his seat, attending to anything and never completed any assigned work in class. He was found upside down at his seat more often than right side up and could not be trusted to follow through on any task. While he was working with a special education teacher, his disability rendered him literally incapable of changing his behavior. In this child’s situation, medication was the answer. After he was placed on medication, he came to school, sat down at his desk and independently completed his morning work for the first time. With tears in his eyes, he went up to his special education teacher and whispered “I finished!” and handed her his completed paper.
This child wanted to do his work. He wanted to listen and obey. He simply could not do it. When working with students like Derrick, teachers need to remember that there may be times when the child simply cannot do what is required.
Read tips for how to work with students with ADHD.
