Managing ADHD in the TEFL classroom

Last summer during a short-term TEFL contract in Austria, I was teaching a class that had a few students with diagnosed ADHD. In developed countries this condition can be diagnosed and medicated, with the parents' involvement. But in developing countries such as Cambodia where I currently am, young people who would probably be diagnosed with ADHD in the West are unlikely to ever be diagnosed or receive any specific treatment. It's debatable whether this is a wholly bad thing - I feel that labelling a child or teenager as having something 'wrong' with them can attach a lot of stigma and cause some degree of alienation. I also feel that while medications can be helpful in some cases, they may be over-prescribed and may do more harm than good. Anyway, I'm a teacher, not a psychologist, and it's not my job to diagnose students' mental health. But it is my job to try to achieve a happy, productive lesson for everyone, and when a student displays ADHD-like behaviour, this can be an obstacle to face.

In the TEFL classroom, classroom management already has an added level of difficulty due to the language barrier, which is obviously worse the lower the level of the students. A student with symptoms of ADHD may have a lower level of English compared to others in the same class due to difficulties with completing the class work, which increases the potential for misunderstanding instructions, getting frustrated, and ultimately blocking learning for themselves and others around them. So when you suspect a student has ADHD, diagnosed or not, what can you do to create the right learning environment for everyone involved? Here are some tips from my experience.

1. Let the class in on the lesson plan.

ADHD sufferers can be easily overwhelmed by unexpected events. At the beginning of the class, give an overview of how the class will run and what you want to cover. If the students' level is quite low, write the schedule on the board and refer to it as you go along. There won't be any shocks during the lesson if the students can keep track of where it is going.

2. Set behaviour expectations.

Run through classroom rules at the beginning of term. Get the students involved with creating the rules. Let them know that the rules apply to the teacher, too! For example, if they must listen to you when you speak, you must also listen to them when they speak! Discuss what will happen if the rules are broken. Setting boundaries helps the students know how they need to behave.

3. Pay super attention to instructions.

ADHD sufferers need clear, specific instructions, and especially in the TEFL classroom. Plan in advance how you can give instructions for a task in the simplest, clearest way possible. Do the first example with the class and write it up on the board. Specify how long you will give them to do the task. Start monitoring around the class about 30 seconds after giving the instructions to make sure that everyone has got the right idea. Your ADHD students may have lost focus during the instructions despite your best efforts, and may just need a nudge in the right direction.

4. Reward good behaviour.

Give genuine, enthusiastic praise when the students do something well. Let them know that if everyone gets through the class work in good time, there will be a game, song, or video clip at the end. If you have young children, they may love getting a sticker for good behaviour. Teenagers seem to just appreciate a sincere acknowledgement of good work (but don't over-praise work that isn't up to standard).

5. Nip bad behaviour in the bud...

If a student is getting restless and looks like they are about to get disruptive, approach them quietly to check what is going on. I've seen teachers send an ADHD student out of the room at the first hint of trouble, but often all they need is a little encouragement and refocusing and they settle down again. Sometimes some 'time out' away from the class will be what is needed, but it shouldn't be your first recourse.

6. ...but if it doesn't disrupt anybody, let it go.

ADHD students have a higher need to get out of their seats and wander around the classroom than others. If they're not really disturbing anyone else, let them wander. Make use of their willingness to move around by asking them to hand out worksheets, get involved with grouping students, or clean the board. It will let them burn off a bit of excess energy and help keep boredom at bay.

7. Divide your attention as equally as possible.

Students with ADHD can tend to monopolise the teacher's attention. Try not to let this happen. When conducting class feedback, make it clear that you want everybody to have a chance to speak. Use nominated feedback to specify who you want to answer a question, or use a ball for feedback sessions and only allow the student who has the ball to speak. If other students shout out answers, ignore them in the first instance. If they carry on, remind them it's not their turn yet.

8. If all else fails, revert to L1 or appoint an interpreter.
Sometimes reverting to the student's own language is the only thing that will work. If they've become anxious and distracted, "English mode" might be the furthest thing from their mind. If you speak their first language well enough, then try that. Otherwise another student is often willing to act as an interpreter to get an important point across.

9. Above all, be firm, fair, kind, and patient.

A little understanding goes a long way. I've found that my students who display ADHD-like symptoms generally want to do the work and be included in the class, and are confused and frustrated by their differences from their peers. Teach them how to be kind and patient with themselves, by modelling that behaviour yourself.

That's all I've learnt so far, but I'm still working on improving my approach. Have you got anything to add? If you've got another tip just leave a comment.