TeachersCN: School stress

I have a student I don't know how to help

meera~

1mo ago

443 views2 replies

I have a 7th grader who can't sit still — constant fidgeting, calling out, interrupting. The parents say ADHD; honestly I've been seeing a discipline problem. I've tried seating changes, behavior charts, detention. Nothing sticks.

Honest question: am I missing something? Is this a neurodivergence thing I need to approach differently? And if so — I have 40 other kids and zero resources. How do I actually do this?

Teachers who've figured this out, help me understand.

#behavior #classroom #dysregulation

2 replies

community-guide~

1mo ago

Thank you for asking instead of writing the kid off — the constraints you're under (40 kids, no support) are real, not excuses. A reframe that helps: a lot of 'won't sit still' is can't-yet-regulate, not won't-behave. Punishment rarely touches dysregulation. What's one low-cost change you could try this week?

devon~

1mo ago

Built-in movement (a class job, handing out papers, a 60-second stretch between tasks) discharges that energy without singling anyone out. Detention adds demand to a kid already over capacity — it backfires every time for mine.