CanvaUnderstanding ADHD in the Classroom: Moving Beyond “Bad Behaviour”
For many years, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been misunderstood in schools. Too often, children and young people with ADHD were labelled as disruptive, lazy, or poorly behaved. But our modern understanding tells a very different story. ADHD is not about a child choosing to misbehave—it is about differences in how the brain regulates attention, emotions, and executive functions.
As teachers, we are in a powerful position to shift the narrative. Instead of seeing ADHD through the lens of ‘naughty’ behaviour, we can see it as a matter of understanding and support. By reframing our approach, we create classrooms where students with ADHD feel valued, capable, and motivated to learn.
“ADHD clearly appears to be a problem of willpower failure, but it is actually a problem with the interacting dynamics of emotion, working memory, and the chemistry of the brain.” Thomas E. Brown
ADHD and Executive Functions
Executive functions are the mental skills that help us plan, focus, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks. They act like the brain’s “management system.” For students with ADHD, this system doesn’t always work in predictable ways.
This means that:
- A child may know what to do but struggle to get started.
- They might begin a task with enthusiasm but lose track halfway through.
- They may forget instructions within minutes, even though they were listening.
- Sitting still or holding attention for extended periods can feel almost impossible.
What looks like “not listening” or “not trying” is actually a difficulty with how the brain organises and regulates itself. The key word is difficulty—not defiance.
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Attention Is Variable, Not Absent
Another important shift is understanding that ADHD is not a lack of attention—it is variable attention. Students with ADHD can focus intensely on activities they find interesting or rewarding, but they may struggle with tasks that feel less engaging.
This is why a child might play a video game for hours but find it almost unbearable to sit through 20 minutes of silent writing. Their brain isn’t broken; it simply prioritises stimulation differently. As teachers, this means we need to provide the right scaffolds and opportunities to help their attention land on what matters in the classroom.
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Starting the Year Well: Three Key Tips for Teachers
The first weeks of school are crucial. Relationships and expectations are being formed, and for students with ADHD, this can set the tone for the entire year. Here are three evidence-informed ways to begin positively:
Build a Positive Relationship
Take time to get to know the student beyond their diagnosis or previous reports. Ask about their interests—football, Minecraft, music, animals—whatever sparks their energy. Showing genuine curiosity signals that you value them as a whole person.
When students with ADHD feel liked and respected, they are far more likely to engage and less likely to spiral into conflict. Simple things like greeting them by name, celebrating effort, and sharing humour can go a long way.
Tip in action: Instead of “Stop interrupting,” try, “I love how enthusiastic you are—let’s find a way to get your ideas down first so you can share them.” This reframes their energy as a strength rather than a problem.
Support Executive Functions
Because executive functions can be fragile, students with ADHD benefit from extra structure. Think of it as giving the brain “scaffolding” so it can hold itself up.
- Break instructions into clear, short steps and check understanding.
- Provide visual cues (timers, checklists, colour-coded boards).
- Use consistent routines so students don’t waste energy figuring out what comes next.
- Allow a moment of planning before expecting action—e.g., “Think about what you’ll need before you start.”
The aim is not to remove independence but to build the skills gradually. Just like we wouldn’t expect a child to read without phonics, we shouldn’t expect a child with ADHD to organise without support.
Allow Subtle Movement
Movement is not misbehaviour—it is regulation. For students with ADHD, physical activity helps the brain release dopamine and re-engage with learning. Expecting stillness for long periods often sets them up to fail.
You don’t need to send them running around the playground every 10 minutes. Subtle movement can be woven into the lesson without disruption:
- Offer standing desks or allow a student to stand at the back.
- Let them doodle, use fidget tools, or quietly move their legs.
- Build in short “brain breaks” with stretching or pair discussions.
- Give them things to hand out, messages to take to other teachers or a chance to collect something from your desk.
By normalising movement, you reduce tension and give students the tools they need to regulate themselves.
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Quick Engagement Tip: “Catch and Hook”
One of the biggest challenges is keeping attention during whole-class teaching. A simple way to help is the “catch and hook” approach.
- Catch attention with something immediately relevant or stimulating—a surprising fact, a question linked to their interests, or a short story.
- Hook it by connecting the new learning to something they care about.
For example, in science:
“Did you know Mohamed Salah can run almost 34 kilometres an hour? That’s faster than most animals. Today, we’re looking at how muscles produce that kind of power.”
This short, interest-based entry point provides the spark the ADHD brain needs to latch onto the lesson.
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A Final Word
Supporting students with ADHD doesn’t mean lowering expectations. On the contrary, it means understanding their brains well enough to unlock their potential. When we build relationships, support executive functions, and allow for movement, we see their creativity, humour, energy, and problem-solving shine.
At the start of the year, the message we want students with ADHD to hear is: “You are welcome here. You belong here. We will work together to make learning possible.”
That message has the power to transform not only their experience of school, but also the way they see themselves as learners for life.
The cost of not doing so is high. Young people with ADHD often have very negative school experiences, multiple exclusions and are more likely to populate prisons. However, there are also a hidden population of masking ADHD young people (many of them girls) who still continue to find education difficult and can internalise their challenges, leading to poor mental health and life chances.
“The prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among people in the Criminal Justice System is believed to be around ten times that of the general population, with around 25% of adults in prison having ADHD compared to 2.5% of adults in the general population (Young & Cocallis, 2021).”
“Understanding and intervention for ADHD is important because it is associated with poor long-term outcomes that persist into adulthood, including low academic attainment, antisocial behaviour, involvement in the criminal justice system, low self-esteem, poor physical health, poor occupational outcomes, increased risk of accidents and impaired social functioning. Although interventions for ADHD can improve these outcomes, children with ADHD often remain impaired or developmentally delayed relative to their peers (Shaw et al., 2012).”
https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjep.12613
