ADHD Students and Classroom Considerations
The culture of the classroom can either support or create barriers to student success (Piffner,
2011).

Factors that foster attention, positive behavior, and academic and social success include
establishing positive relationships with students, adopting classroom management techniques,
and creating a physical arrangement that facilitates learning.

It is often a positive relationship with one teacher that facilitates school success for a student
with ADHD (Piffner, 2011).

When teachers connect with students and appreciate their unique skills and interests, students are more likely to strive for achievement and positively respond to classroom rules and procedures.


In creating peer-mediated activities, the teacher may need to choose students whose
skill levels complement each other. Students with and without attention difficulties and
impulsivity should be considered for peer partnerships.

Tom Vander Ark notes that playlists create “opportunities to expand the roles of student and teacher in diverse, exciting ways that better meet individual student needs.” Indeed, playlist-based instruction can provide students with greater choice and motivation while giving teachers more time to provide individualized support to students who need it most.

The following resources provide additional information about personalized learning and playlists:

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ video, which reviews different options for creating playlists
McGraw-Hill Education’s article, “The Six Hallmarks of Personalized Learning”
Innovation: Education’s blog post about self-directed learning and playlists
Edutopia's blog post on “Using Playlists With Kindergarten Students”

Imagine a school where students arrive at their classroom and start their day by using their mobile device to scan a unique QR code posted on the door. The QR code points the students to a website that includes a series of activities aligned with their individual learning needs. As the teacher enters the room a short time later, she briefly conferences with each student regarding his or her progress, while the rest of the class continues to engage with their tasks.

Primer text from the College of William & Mary.
https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/adhd.pdf


Many students with ADHD have significant difficulties with organization.

They are more likely to respond positively when teachers establish class routines and set procedures and maintain a well-organized learning environment.

Clear rules and advanced planning are keys to success for teachers of students with ADHD.


The following organizational supports are particularly useful. Students should be taught to use these tools through teacher modeling and guided practice with feedback before being expected to use them more independently.