Walking Around the room
Usually, elementary school classrooms are designed to be large with plenty of space to move and differentiate instruction. However, having students out of their seats and walking around the room at inappropriate times can cause major disturbances in the classroom. This is an especially prevalent issue for students with ADHD. If students are walking around the classroom they are most likely not paying attention to the instruction and distracting other students.
- “Exercise Ball Seats” – Allow students to use exercise balls instead of chairs. This gives students who need constant movement an outlet for their energy. As long as students do not abuse the privilege this will also cause fewer disturbances in the classroom.
- “Teacher’s Pet” – Ask the students who are consistently out of their seats to complete tasks for you, such as brining papers to the office or collecting quizzes. This puts their need for movement to a productive use.
- “Brain Gym” – Take breaks during instruction, when your students are becoming restless, to do a few Brain Gym activities. This will help wake them up, move around, and get ready to learn.
- "Allow It" – If you have a student with ADHD, it may be more beneficial to his or her learning if you allow them to walk around the class. Create a behavior plan or contract with them so they understand they have the privilege of moving during instruction, as long as they are not abusing it or distracting others. Place these students in the back of the room so they do not distract others by getting up.