(Originally titled “Ferrari Engines, Bicycle Brakes”) In this Educational Leadership article, psychiatrist Edward Hallowell describes the rocky time he himself had in school because of ADHD and dyslexia, and the huge difference a first-grade teacher made when she put her arm around him as he read in class. “No one laughed at my stammering and stuttering, because I had the Mafia sitting next to me!” he says. “Such a simple intervention, but profound in its impact.” Hallowell now works with children and adults with ADHD and dyslexia, and has two recommendations for teachers: • Create a safe environment for all students. “Fear and humiliation, which once upon a time were standard teaching tools, should be relics of the past,” he says. “It is a neurological fact that feeling safe opens up the brain, whereas feeling anxious and afraid clamps it down.” • Adopt a strength-based model. Hallowell says to an ADHD student, “I have great news for you. I’ve taken your history, and I’ve read what your various teachers have had to say about you… After putting all this information together, I’m now able to tell you that you have an awesome brain. Your brain is very powerful. It’s like a Ferrari – a race car. You have the power to win races and become a champion. However, you do have one problem. You have bicycle brakes. Your brakes just aren’t strong enough to control your powerful brain, so you can’t slow down or stop when you need to… But not to worry! I’m a brake specialist, and if you work with me, we can strengthen your brakes.” So what can teachers do to strengthen students’ brakes? First, explain ADHD the way Hallowell does. Second, establish yourself as a caring member of a team devoted to helping the student succeed. Then, when a student is disruptive, set limits in a non-shaming way: “Joey, your brakes are failing you now.” Other key steps: Set up predictable schedules and rules. Have ADHD kids sit near you. Break down large tasks into bite-size chunks. Relate new material to previous learning. Balance structure with novelty. Make sure the class gets recess and provide frequent brain breaks. “Physical exercise, even for one minute, presses the rest button on the brain and refreshes students mentally,” says Hallowell.
“Ferrari Engines, Bicycle Brakes” by Edward Hallowell in Educational Leadership, October 2012 (Vol. 70, #2, p. 36-38), http://www.ascd.org; the author is at drhallowell@gmail.com
Stephen Anderson
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