Now, a little more seriously, about that design framework for an alternative school concept…
Do you realize how little schools have changed in the past 200 years? Sure we have added some computer labs and there’s no doubt that we have perfected the teachers’ unions, yet so much is substantially the same. Look then or now and the scene is pretty similar: The kids are sitting at a small, confining desk most of the day, being taught the “fundamentals”, in a class size of a couple of dozen kids. The kids have off all summer, which is obviously a good thing – how else would we all take care of our crops? Take a look at an old TV show or movie depicting an early 1800’s school house and it looks strikingly similar to today’s educational environment.
Once in a while, progress, whether natural or man-made, requires substantial, sometimes violent, upheaval. I believe we are long overdue for this kind of change in our educational systems. For those of you who feel that my thinking is naïve, uninformed or overly simple, I don’t propose that I have all the answers, but I can assure you that I have a few questions and concerns. I have seen enough to know that while our schools are wonderful overall, for the ADHD subset it leaves alot to be desired.
I want to start a serious dialogue on what a “dream” ADHD school would be like. Let’s start by breaking down and discarding all of our preconceived notions. Throw out what you imagine a classroom looks like – for that matter take down the walls! Drop your initial reactions to what the hours, curriculum, testing/grading systems, teachers, and discipline should be.
Let’s start from here and free-flow some thoughts:
- Would most of the average day be spent working in an open-air, covered outdoor pavilion?
- Would the students work at desks, lab tables or mostly standing at project tables allowing the kids to fidget in place a bit?
- Would one day a week be spent working on some charitable effort chosen by the students?
- Would one session a week be spent using distance learning? From home? Or taught by a teacher from across the globe?
- Since those with ADHD often respond better to positive reinforcement, what rewards and incentives would be used and how?
- How would goals and performance be set and measured? Would goals for the school year be worked out, for each individual student, between the teacher, parent and student? Would components of a child’s learning criteria be split between the teacher’s goals, the parents’ goals and the student’s goals?
- What kind of new curriculum might we see?:
Win/Win Negotiation? Sounds complicated for a child, but how much more could we all accomplish if the “childish” dealings with others we all occasionally have were already trained out by the age of 10?
Time Management/Organization/Planning? This is the bane of those with ADHD! Why not teach children to be more efficient and effective with their efforts? Say no to “Where is my homework/wallet/keys??”.
Life discipline? Part health, part philosophy – maybe the McDonald’s of this world won’t stand a chance against these kids. If the government would like to take some of the money they won’t need for public medical costs and support this particular program, I’m sure we could find a way to accommodate them.
Delegation? Knowing what we are not good at is just as important as knowing what we excel in. Being able to manage our weaknesses through delegation can be a huge help in avoiding problems in your career, when you are dealing with ADHD.
An Animal Care Program? A child knowing that they need to get in to school to take their turn feeding and walking one of the class pets could go a long way with anxiety issues, not to mention improvements in impulsivity control, empathy and responsibility.
- Would there be a lunch program? Food education and a gluten-free, dye-free diet, with "grazing" ( many small, healthy snacks/meals)throughout the day could provide for more stable moods and behaviors in school and at home.
- Would the school have ongoing therapy? In group, in private or both? Cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation and yoga could all be part of the mix.
- What would the guiding mission of this school be? John Glennon had commented on Part II of this series and he put out a thought that seemed incredibly obvious, but at the same time I had never considered this significant point:
"...it’s incredibly important to realize that we have no shared vision about the
reason we educate our children. I would say this is akin to Dewey’s Aims of
Education. We don’t know if we’re educating them to be good citizens, good
thinkers, good soldiers, or just preparing them to move into a vocation/business
of some sort once they’ve graduated. Without this shared vision, we have
wandered aimlessly which has culminated in a poor system."
As I had stated earlier, this is only meant to start the ball rolling. We have a shared responsibility here. So with that, I turn the podium over to you, the reader. Please take a minute to share your thoughts by using the "comment" section below. I would really like to get the take of some of the parents who are homeschooling their ADHD kids (thanks for the suggestion Jack Blackthorn), as well as adults with ADHD who have thoughts on their own school experiences.
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