[Catalist] Teaching Science to Students with ADHD

[Michael McGarry]

Teaching Science to Students with ADHD

Greetings Jess Bent,

Your students are very fortunate to have you as their science teacher. On reading your e-post to CATALIST, I know that you are a dedicated, caring and competent science teacher who is ‘challenged’ managing the disruptive behaviour of your ADHD students, while doing the job that you love in delivering “top-quality science” to ALL your students.   

I still recall trying to manage the behaviour of a Year 8 boy with ADHD who would swing to and fro his extended body from the doorframe when entering and leaving his classrooms. His final act was to climb onto the roof of our two-story secondary school. He was taken away by two WA police officers from our school and he never returned.   

Jess I suggest that you approach your school administrators, including your Head of Science, to arrange for a ‘buddy’ teacher to come to your classroom to remove and supervise, on the set written tasks, the most-disruptive ADHD student who is not allowing other students to learn “top-quality science”.

Websites that may suggest useful ideas for teaching ADHD students:

URL 1: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/principals/participation/tipsmanagingadhdinclass.pdf <http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/principals/participation/tipsmanagingadhdinclass.pdf>
URL 2: https://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1095&context=teach <https://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1095&context=teach>
URL 3: https://www.umassd.edu/dss/resources/facultystaff/howtoteachandaccommodate/howtoteachadhd/ <https://www.umassd.edu/dss/resources/facultystaff/howtoteachandaccommodate/howtoteachadhd/>
URL 4: https://npjscilearncommunity.nature.com/users/19823-susan-magsamen/posts/16267-the-science-of-adhd-podcast <https://npjscilearncommunity.nature.com/users/19823-susan-magsamen/posts/16267-the-science-of-adhd-podcast>
URL 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaw2K1ctaoY <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaw2K1ctaoY>
URL 6: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-intuitive-parent/201605/us-schools-and-the-astounding-rise-in-adhd <https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-intuitive-parent/201605/us-schools-and-the-astounding-rise-in-adhd>
PLEASE NOTE: Unfortunately the website at URL 6 perpetuates the Neuromyth of Learning Styles.

URL 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_SQrRa73U0 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_SQrRa73U0>
Neuromyths are common misconceptions about brain mechanisms that are not based on empirical evidence provided by rigorous, neuro-scientific research. Neuromyths usually arise from misunderstanding or a misreading and, in some cases, a deliberate perversion of neuro-scientific evidence by commercial sellers of ‘unproven’, “brain-based learning” programs that are frequently purchased by ‘neuroscience-naïve’ educators and parents.

Best Wishes,

Michael John McGarry
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