Building Bridges with Students Who Have ADHD

"Baxter pushed me away every moment that we worked together, He was rude, sarcastic, and often downright mean. He got up and walked away every time I asked him to do something he didn't want to, which was ... everything." That's how Lisa Medoff describes the 4th grade boy whom she tutored twice a week to help him manage his ADHD. Despite her usual ability to see the strengths in every child, Medoff found it hard to like Baxter. But instead of giving up, she persevered, working harder with him than she had with any other student--and ultimately they developed a solid partnership. Medoff offers recommendations for other teachers on how to forge the connections that students with ADHD need so much--for example, asking students to help you figure out what they need; framing new strategies as experiments, not decrees; teaching students how to question in a respectful, positive manner; and sharing stories with students about your own struggles.