The following blog entry serves as an annotation for and commentary on this video for managing ADHD in the classroom.
Teacher Strategies with Analysis of Effectiveness
- 2:50 : Every day James starts class with a Do Now activity which he keeps on PowerPoint so not to waste time writing on the board. He also keeps it up there to hold students’ attention. For example, this time he has students write about what a legend is. This is quite effective because it does not take away from valuable class time and it does not provide any extra distractions for the students. A way to improve this strategy would be to provide the students with clear instructions of precisely what they are to do in addition to projecting it on the board.
- 4:20 : When transitioning between activities, James tells students “we’re going to start now” while the other teaching assistants pass out materials. This is not so effective for ADHD students because they have multiple pieces of information to remember like what materials they need and where to put homework. A more effective way to handle transitions would be to keep checklists on the students desks so they can keep track of the steps involved at their own pace.
- 6:30 : In this scene, a student comes in late and needs to get back on track. He speaks to her softly and praises what she has accomplished so far. As the mentor said, there was not much more he could have done so I believe his approach of being kind and agreeable is very effective.
- 8:50 : James uses both verbal and written cues when giving instructions by not only having the instructions projected on the wall, but by verbally indicating his precise expectations of the class. This gives foresight into what the lesson will actually be about and is much more effective than his original Do Now strategy from the beginning of the video.
- 9:20 : James now uses a timer to place some pressure on the students to finish on time. He says you cannot just leave a timer up there without making it competitive, so his choice to implement gamification is an effective way of applying the right amount of pressure to keep the students on track.
Mentor and Teacher Relationship Analysis and Examples
Overall, I think that the relationship between the teacher James and the mentor was very cordial and honest. For example, in their meeting she immediately praises him for his Do Now activity where he projected a PowerPoint directive on the wall, but she also was not afraid to provide constructive criticism and tell him he needs to make his expectations more clear to avoid confusion. Another example of their positive relationship was when she recommends that his students place checklists on their desks to improve transitions. In response to this, James agreed that this was something he needs to improve on and was open to advice.
There was one point, however, where I felt James began to push back a bit. This occurred when the mentor recommended that he place a timer on the wall for all the students to see when completing a project. James felt that he had already tried this and really did not want to place additional pressure on the students, but the mentor again asserted that it would be helpful and finding the right amount of pressure to get students’ adrenaline pumping would help them finish projects on time. Ultimately, he took her advice and was pleased with the results.
These examples show me that although the mentor was brought in to give constructive criticism, James had a certain humility about him which made it clear this was not so much about him but about improving the conditions for the students. The fact that he accepted and implemented the mentor’s strategies shows a teacher who is willing to keep growing. Additionally, when James pushed back a bit with his own opinions, the mentor listened very carefully and did not attempt to tell him he was wrong, but rather, continued to assert her expert opinion.
Recommendations for Teacher Based on Previously Learned Material in this Module
If I were the mentor to James there are a few other suggestions I might give him based on what I have learned so far in the Teach-Now program. These would have to do with improving his transitions as well as his overall approach to presenting information to the class.
First, with regard to transitions, I would suggest that he try to use a Word of the Day strategy, as was discussed in Unit 4 of the program. James is an English teacher and the option to teach new vocabulary would be relevant, but more importantly, the consistency throughout the day of using the same word would be helpful to students with ADHD. As the mentor explained, there are many components involved in transitions that students have trouble focusing on, so being able to expect a certain key word would help reduce the anxiety these students may feel.
Another piece of advice for him would be to more fully implement the Gradual Release of Responsibility method in his classes. When viewing him I noticed that he tends to present and explain an activity, and then tell his students to get started. In addition to what the mentor mentioned about providing explicit expectations, I would ask him to try the process of first demonstrating the activity himself, doing it together with his students, having them try it in groups, and finally setting them free to attempt it on their own. Overall, what James should add to his teaching style is more scaffolding so that students are not overwhelmed by the task at hand.
Strategies from Video I Will Use with Explanations
After watching this video, I think there are some strategies which I may be able to try out in a secondary ESL classroom some day. Although I found all of the advice to be generally insightful, I was particularly interested in the use of a timer on the wall and the advice James received about using verbal and written cues when presenting activities.
Transitions are an integral part to an ESL classroom in that we are often going between speaking, writing, listening, and reading exercises. Often, however, as some of my students are not able to comprehend my directions, the transitions take a long time for everyone to be on the same page. If I were to pass out a transition checklist to each student at the start of the school year, I think they would be able to keep it on their desks for reference. For example, I might even add some phrases in the students’ native languages so that they can understand what is expected of them (e.g., close books and take out a sheet of paper). After a few weeks I expect that transitions would be more fluid.
Additionally, the combined use of verbal and written cues is something I should make more of an effort to have before activities. Although I always rely on the Gradual Release of Responsibility method, I do not always have written instructions available for the students to see. In my case, I am working with students who have different linguistic strengths and weaknesses. Some students might have stronger listening skills whereas another might be stronger readers. I hope that when I start teaching I will have a smart board (or some other technology) where I can easily project instructions while I explain. As James correctly states, this is a great way to give students some foresight into the upcoming activity.