Teachers know the student; if he were a ball, he would ping off the walls with random abandon; If she were a butterfly, she would flit from place to place flapping her wings in front of each and every student she passed by. Teachers know them and can pick them out after just spending a few minutes with them at open house or watching them walk down the hallway. The ADHD student is one of a kind that is for sure, intelligent, energetic and unable to extinguish that constant state of chaos.
Engaging the ADHD student is an adventure to say the least. The funny thing about those students though is that they want to learn and they want to stay on task, but do not seem to be able to self regulate and prioritize the way a majority of their classmates can. This child usually has above average intelligence and knows a little information about a lot of different subjects. Engaging this sort of student can be daunting at times and quite tiring, but under the right conditions can soar with success. Seating arrangements, consistent teacher support, and a little bit of self-indulgence go a long way in keeping this boy or girl focused and engaged.
Where a student sits within the confines of a classroom is important to teacher and student. A few different methods of seating can allow the child with ADHD to stay in tune to what is happening in the lesson. Being in the front of the class is a good place to start. This can keep the child from being distracted by the activity going on behind him or her - although sounds from behind can also trigger a quick seat turn and thus, off task behavior.
Instructing the student with ADHD to follow the teacher's movement can be very helpful to a student that cannot stay focused on the lesson. If the teacher moves about the class and the student has been instructed to follow that movement, the student has the permission to turn in his or her seat without reprimand. Another place to seat an ADHD student may be near another student that can remain on task, someone that is usually a good worker and enjoys helping others. This kind of arrangement needs to be flexible and take the partner's temperament and learning style into consideration. Any seating arrangement should not be considered permanent, as one way to keep the ADHD student engaged is to show he or she that moving about is allowed and does not have to be disruptive, nor does it have to take away from learning.
An ADHD student can often be described as one who takes in all stimuli and does not have the ability to recognize which one is the most important at the time. Consistent teacher support helps significantly when keeping distraction from taking control. It takes little time from learning when the instructor asks a student if they are doing all right. The student that has ADHD will be brought back into focus with that simple question. Any quick two or three word sentence addressing the student usually changes their direction. Teachers that take the time to talk to the child one-on-one can improve student engagement. Letting he or she know that you are working with them and not against them, that you understand how much they want to learn, and team work between the two of you, will make student learning easier for the both of you.
Most people need a respite during a learning experience to reorganize our thoughts and simply to relax. If the ADHD student is allowed that time just to regroup and to remove the restrictions and rules of the classroom, they can then come back to the lesson more relaxed and ready to learn. It is difficult for an ADHD student to be on all the time. Imagine hiking in the woods with all senses heightened and keeping focused on just being able to get out of the forest. There is a great relief when that is removed and a person can just relax before having to continue on the journey. ADHD students are in a constant state of stimulation, knowing that at some point, even if it is just for a few minutes, they can relax before going on to the next leg of their learning experience.
Having an ADHD child in the classroom can be at times disruptive. The constant activity that has to be controlled, not only by teacher, but also by the student, can be a bumpy road with many twists and turns. Being able to engage a child with ADHD requires patience and creativity along with flexibility. Talking to the student and involving them in a plan that shows they are able to succeed when they are engaged in the learning process embeds a certain amount of accountability and self-determination. ADHD students want to learn; they want to be successful. Being effective in engaging such a student will address both goals.