I am a first year teacher and I teach grade eight English in an inclusion environment. I myself am very creative and love to do fun and different things with the students in order to engage them (don’t we all try to be fun). I have several students who are unmedicated ADD/ADHD. I tend to not be in favor of medication. However, since I’ve become a teacher, I have seen some very positive things happen to students who are medicated. On the flip side, I have had to adapt to having students who are not medicated. I am wondering if the way that we set up a classroom and the way that we expect students to stay seated and maintain order is really the problem here. Can we change those expectations? If so, how? If not, why? One example that I see as a problem is the lack of activity, movement- even students who are not ADD/ADHD would benefit from having recess all the way through middle school (trust me, I know the logistical problems with that). Any more thoughts? Ideas?
Nicole
Re: ADD vs. the Education System
I certainly agree with you. The way we set up classrooms and the way many work to maintain a ‘sit-still’ kind of order is a big part of the problem as it act against the natural needs of young people to be in motion.
There are more than a few educational theorists who agree with you. Alfie Kohn would be one. John Dewey, John Gatto, Horace Mann, Maria Montessori - know that you’re not alone in your thinking.
The sad truth is that the way we set up our schools - and our classrooms - is a cheap way. Some also think it’s true that the way we set up our schools is really to keep order in society as well as our classrooms and to keep change at bay.
But that’s a long story. That you’ve begun to explore that story so early in your career is remarkable. The profession needs more people like you!
Re: ADD vs. the Education System
ADD is a real neurological challenge like epilepsy. When an ADHD med is found to work, the student is temporarily a little more attentive and temporarily a little more on task.
When an ADHD med fails to work which is common, a classroom environment which is quiet and free of noisy distractions can be helpful. Some children with ADHD also display a kind of CAPD - Central Auditory Processing Disorder - and learn more easily from written, visual materials vs auditory materials. ADHD students/Inattentive students can vary a lot. What works well for one student may not work the same way for the next student.
Am I creating a monster?
Funny thing, Linda, my daughter often wants to work standing up as well. I mentioned to her teacher this year, “Do you realize that ___ (my daughter) is the only one in the room standing during this particular activity?” She smiled, replied, Yes, but it doesn’t bother me.” (Bless her soul!) I mentioned it to my daughter and said, “Honey, sooner or later you are going to come across a teacher who will NOT allow you to stand” to which she replied, “Well mom, just put it on my IEP and I’ll be able to!”
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Read about sensory integration disorder. It was my son’s problem He was a different child when he had a teacher that was flexible about movement in her class. It was night and day. He used to fidget when he was with the teacher who did alot of seat work.
He is pretty integrated now after several therapies and some at home interventions so it is much less of an issue.
Some things that truely work for these kiddos: Have them carry heavy things. It provides the proprioceptive input they crave. Send them on errands, let them work standing up or sitting on the floor if that is where they are comfortable.
You probably can figure out which ones need this the first day of class if you are in tune with this problem. Working with the problem rather and giving these kids the movement they need can make all the difference.
Sometimes too much movement can be a problem too. I think that is rarely the problem at most schools.
Thanks for recognizing this.