The Classroom and the ADD/ADHD

How would you change the classroom?

Great question. It’s very hard to tailor a classroom of 20+ students to the needs of the few but I think it can be done. The more students in the room, the harder it becomes though.

I think it’s also true that school in general is about conformity. Conformity is sadly one of the strongest lessons taught in school. Tailoring the classroom to the students’ needs would lessen the current emphasis on conformity. While I’d welcome that, I’m not sure our society would as it seems to me that society looks to its schools for that conformity.

Set up your classroom with few distractions. Do not have things fluttering from the ceiling. Anything that is on the walls etc, should be educational so if the student does wonder off and become interested in only that place it is someting he/she will learn from. Have an area where students can have some quiet time. One techer in our school has a carroll set up and calls it the office. Any student can use it when they need to get away for awhile and work in quiet.

Seat the student next to students who are good students and will not be distracting the him/her. Teach with many visuals. Be sure to get and have the attention of this student. There are many books out on ADHD and the classroom. They are full of suggestions on how to set a classroom up for these students and most of the things suggested are also good for all other students.

Medication is a very individual issue. There isn’t one general “answer” to that question.
Absolutely, the classroom should be designed to bring the best out of its students. However, if that “best” could be 1000% more with the right medication, I’d certainly consider it.

Would you teach with one hand behind your back? No

Do carpenters build a house with only a hammer in the tool box?

People who only want to medicate and not look at programming are wrong, but to not look at medication as an option along with a range of modifications in school is not right either.