Effective classroom management for many teachers begins with helping students effectively manage their own academic and behavioral responses in the classroom. Teachers are not managers of students, but they are managers of a classroom in organizing and creating engaging curriculum and effective learning environments for all students. Students with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) must be provided with management tools they can use to create a self-monitoring and self-managing accountability during their school day.
When teachers create effective school communities, all students feel included in the spirit of learning. By creating activities that build bridges of collaboration and partnership, teachers can encourage focus arenas for students with ADHD who may need more intentional direction in learning expectations and classroom behavioral norms. Simple steps in managing an effective classroom can create a positive and spirited learning experience for ADHD students. The following steps can make the difference between a student who is engaged and on task and one who is unfocused and distracting to other learners and to his/her own learning experience:
- Create trust building exercises at the beginning of the school year to promote inclusion for students with ADHD.
- Get to know your students by having frequent conversations on their interest and learning styles with them and their parents;
- Help students to construct portfolios to showcase their academic work during weekly teacher/student conferences and conversations.
- When students become distracted provide pair-share peer mentorships or deliberately group them into peer learning circles that will create expectations for individual performance in learning outcomes.
- Make sure that students know the classroom rules and consequences for off-task behavior. Consequently, make sure that students are rewarded for on task behavior.
- Display student work in visible places within the classroom or in the hallway outside of the classroom.
- Provide students with curriculum expectations that are consistent with their IEP (Individual Education Plan) in terms of modifications in lesson planning and assessments.
- Hold students accountable for academic performance by using diverse instruction with learning expectations and by having weekly meetings with resource staff to provide additional support if needed.
Effectively managed classrooms for students with ADHD require a true classroom partnership between peers, parents, resource staff and teachers dedicated to creating an inclusive learning environment. Students with ADHD may find constant stimulation in the least distraction in a classroom, but in effectively managed classrooms, students can find success in academic and behavioral performance.