The article I read and reviewed was about ADHD and strategies teachers
used to manage their classrooms. The
article focused on the verbal and non-verbal strategies teachers used and the
effect it had on the students’ classroom behaviors. The article studied six male students who had
been diagnosed with ADHD. The research
was conducted by five different researchers in three Australian schools; the
article did not state the age or grade level of the students being
observed. This blog will give a brief
summary of the article, my personal connections and experiences, and my
thoughts and opinions about the article.
This article begins
by explaining how positive expectations, positive teacher attitude, and
creating a welcoming environment is key to having a successful classroom that
supports its learners. Then, the article
discusses strategies on how to create a welcoming that is more supportive to
students who have ADHD. For instance,
teachers that used hand gestures in coordination with speech during instruction
have a greater impact on ADHD students, rather than teachers who only do one
kind of instruction. One of the most
important strategies that the article discusses is developing a consistent
positive relationship with the students.
According to Geng (2011), “it is very important to that teachers are
aware of how to talk to ADHD students to prevent any negative outcomes” (p. 19). After the article addresses the research about
positive strategies, the article then shows what the observation found. The article stated that all of the teachers
observed used verbal and non-verbal strategies in their classroom management. However, the strategies the teachers used
were different and the outcomes were different as well. To explain, the first student the article
discusses had a difficult time sitting still and focusing his attention.
Geng’s (2011) research
found, the teacher used made repeated attempts to refocus his attention by
using short, firm use of his name and single word instructions. The verbal words attracted the student’s
attention temporarily. This teacher also
used non-verbal strategies, such as gently touching the student’s shoulder and
helping point out the tasks for the students.
The student’s attention was gained momentarily, before he was back off
task and moving around. (Geng, 2011)
The next student the article discusses had behavior
problems. Some of the behaviors observed
from this student were, being of task constantly, not following directions,
touching others, and making noises. The
teacher used similar verbal strategies as the other teacher mentioned earlier,
but the non-verbal strategy was different.
According to Geng
(2011), the teacher used a non-verbal strategy of turning around and ignoring
the student. It showed that the teacher
did not have control or management over the student and the student tended to
do as he pleased when and how he wanted.
Moreover, the student constantly resisted the instructions from the
teacher and interrupted the class when the teacher was trying to get it ready
for photos. (Geng, 2011)
The final student the article discussed was a student
who was only able to spend half a day at school because of his behavior. This student was observed throwing items,
refusing to complete activities, interrupting the teacher, and walking out of
the classroom.
Geng’s (2011) study
found, the teacher managed his behavior with a firm reminder and activities
that were hands on, to allow movement.
The teacher also would make strong eye contact with this student and
shake a head, meaning no. It was also
found that the teacher used eye contact, and visual hand gestures to gain the
student’s attention successfully.
However, after several trials, the teacher lost her patience and shook
her head, which completely lost control of the student and the student continued
his responses. (Geng, 2011)
Next, I will talk about connections I made with the
article with my past experiences. The
first strategy I want to talk about is about being calm and firm, rather than
yelling at students. I agree with this
one hundred percent. I found that
yelling not only stirs up the students, but it also makes the teacher
frustrated and sets a negative tone for the lesson. I think that staying calm can be difficult at
times, but it is far more effective than yelling or getting upset. Another strategy I have used and have had a
lot of success with, is focusing on positive behaviors instead of
negatives. I feel that when you “call
out” a student when they are acting appropriately, the student is more inclined
to continue acting appropriately.
Furthermore, positive behavior is contagious and when a teacher focuses
and brings attention to good behavior rather than bad behavior other students
will want to follow.
Finally, I will
discuss my thoughts about this article and the research that was
conducted. I will begin with what I liked
and what I thought was useful information.
I thought that the article gave great examples of positive class
management techniques as well as good non-verbal techniques. I thought that the article was backed with a
vast amount of research to back up the theory that positive class management is
more effective than negative. However, I
feel the author could have discussed more non-verbal management strategies and
how to effectively implement those techniques.
Another aspect about the article I wasn’t fond of was, the author didn’t
explain the setting of the class well. I
wanted to know if the observations were made in a high school, elementary room,
self-contained, or inclusion classroom.
I believe that have a better understanding of the setting would have
made the research and strategies clearer to the reader. Also, the article stated that four out of the
six students being observed took ADHD medication, but the author never
mentioned which students were on or off medication. I believe knowing which students were on
medication or not on medication would have been useful information.
In conclusion, I
found this article to be informative and the strategies that were discussed
were very useful for teachers in general education as well as special education. I feel that the research and observations
were well thought out and written.
However, the author could have provided more information pertaining to
the classroom setting.
References
Geng, G. (2011, July).
Investigation of Teachers' Verbal and Non-verbal Strategies for Managing
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Students' Behaviours within a
Classroom Environment. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(7),
17- 30. Retrieved from ERIC .
Great detail Bill! You mentioned some great strategies that are helpful not only for students with ADHD but for all students. When students get use to a teacher who yells all the time, they start to tune it out and behavior only gets worse. It can be difficult to stay calm all the time but, think about how you would want your own child to be treated if a teacher had to talk to him/her.
ReplyDeleteI had to smile while reading about your article. It reminded me of a conversation I had a few years back with my oldest son. He has ADHD-Inattentive type. He had done something which really upset me and I took some time to think over what I wanted to say to him. I sat him down and quietly, but firmly spoke my feelings. After about 10 minutes, I said to Justin, "Do you understand why I feel this way?" He looked at me and blankly said, "What did you say? I tuned you out after the first few minutes." I wanted to slap him, but it taught me a really strong lesson. He doesn't have the attention to attend to my long, drawn out speeches. And you're right, getting angry is not helpful. He needs short, concise, often written, instructions or feedback. Unless fully engaged in a two-way conversation, which changes speakers frequently, he can't fully pay attention. That was like the students in the article sample.
ReplyDeleteI found the article informative, yet more of a research observation. It also struck me that all six students were male. ADHD students usually are male, but it was still interesting, and kind of a small sampling. Very interesting!
This is an excellent blog posting! Kudos to you on a job well done. I appreciate how you found the helpful points in the article, but always raised critical questions that the authors should have considered. As you continue in this program and think about your thesis, this is the kind of thinking you will need to have as you read the literature. One helpful strategy that stood out in your summary was to pair visual with verbal instruction. As an elementary teacher, I was always in the habit that whenever I gave a verbal direction, I raised my hand as a signal to my visual learners that I was about to say something important. When I started teaching at Trinity, I didn't even realize I continued to do this, until a student asked me why I always raised my hand when giving instructions! It set the stage for a great discussion, because there were about 4-5 students in the class that mentioned how much they appreciated that tool and knew it was helping them learn.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, itreminds me of a student I had a few years back, so sweet but had c's and d's most of his classes due to his ADHD. He moved away after 6th grade so we could help him become a better student, your summary helps him understand him more and others like him. The strategies suggested are great to use for all students.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBill, thanks for your blog post. I like how the article mentions using verbal and non-verbal communication together. I never really considered that before, but I do think that it can be really helpful. I have students with ADHD in my classroom and I do find that yelling or getting upset is not the answer. I agree that it upsets the class environment, even for students uninvolved in the exchange. I prefer handling things calmly, because often the goal of some behaviors seems to simply get a rise from the teacher. I also feel that if I give respect, I am more inclined to get respect. I think it's important to understand what is inciting a certain behavior and to redirect a student, rather than embarrassing or punishing the student. Great post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Bill! As an English major in undergrad I really like how you analyzed the article and explained what you thought the author got right and what you thought they got wrong. I received a lot of good insight into this weeks topic, and I always believed that having ADHD as a kid (sometimes still feels like I have it), helps me understand these students. When a student gets a little too distracting or disruptive I can't get mad because I was that student and I know they often sincerely can't help it. I find that sometimes allowing them to come to my desk and telling me a quick story before class starts can be a huge help. I find that often these students have great qualities that I hope to shine light upon, and utalize instead of constantly trying to control their behavior or adapt their needs.
ReplyDelete