3 Easy Ways to Support Neurodivergent Students in Any Classroom #EdChat

Creating a supportive classroom environment for neurodivergent students is crucial for their success and well-being. Here are three straightforward strategies that teachers can employ in any educational setting to better support these students.

Establish Clear and Consistent Routines

Neurodivergent students often benefit from having a predictable classroom structure. Use visual schedules and consistent daily routines to minimize uncertainty. This can include having a clear agenda on the board and consistent times for certain activities like reading or group work. Having this information in physical and digital forms helps all learners in the classroom be prepared for their time in class. These predictable patterns help reduce anxiety and provide a safe learning environment.

Offer Flexible Seating and Quiet Spaces

Giving students the choice of where and how they work can be incredibly beneficial. Flexible seating options such as cushions, chairs with movement, or quiet corners allow students to choose a workspace that suits their sensory preferences. Additionally, having a designated quiet area where students can go to decompress or regroup can be especially helpful for those who might feel overwhelmed by noise or crowds. Depending on the layout of your classroom, the hallway might be the best option for this. I have found that many students who have trouble focusing in the classroom prefer to read outside or listen to their books in the hallway. Letting students know there are options can be very helpful to their overall anxiety levels. 

Utilize Multi-Sensory Instructional Strategies

Incorporating teaching methods that cater to various senses can greatly assist neurodivergent students. For example, when discussing new concepts, combine visual aids (like charts or flashcards), auditory elements (discussions or audio recordings), and tactile activities (hands-on projects or manipulatives). This approach ensures that learning is accessible for students with diverse needs and preferences, enhancing their ability to engage with and retain information. The change of pace is also nice for neurotypical students who can get bored with the same routine over and over again. I have also found it is a nice way to keep lessons fresh for me as well. 

Implementing these simple strategies can make a significant impact on the inclusivity and effectiveness of your teaching. By adapting your classroom to the needs of neurodivergent students, you create a more equitable learning environment where all students have the opportunity to excel.

There's A Good Reason Some Of Your Students Are Tired At The End Of The Day #EdChat

 There's A Good Reason Your Students Are Tired At The End Of The Day And It's Not What You Think

Near the end of a long day, there are plenty of times I have looked at my classroom and seen some very tired eyes. I used to assume that these students were not eating well, stayed up too late, or other choice based behaviors that were leading to their tired appearance. It took some time for me to realize it, but some of these students are actually tired because they have been "masking" all day long. 

"Masking" is the word used to describe how neurodivergent people hide their neurodivergence from the world around them in order to fit in. Learning to mask is something that neurodivergent people learn to do at a very young age when they realize that their natural behavior does not match with with is considered "normal". It often shows itself in social situations and can lead to copying other social behaviors in an effort to fit in. Essentially, a neurodivergent spends most of their time in social situations pretending to be someone they are not to fit in and it is exhausting. 

As a neurodivergent adult, I have found myself masking often in social situations. When I tell people that I am an introvert, people think I am joking. They wonder how an introvert can present in front of large crowds of people or engage in tons of 1:1 conversations with educators, and showcase, what appear to be, very extrovert behaviors. The short answer is I was masking. My friends would see the end result of a day's worth of masking. I'm spent. Physically and emotionally. As an adult, I have learned of different ways to cope with these feelings and how not to feel pressured by society to mask who I am. Imagine a student in your class that is still learning to understand how their neurodivergence reveals itself to other students who might not understand and/or have empathy to what they are experiencing. 

Students that mask in class are very difficult to identify. The older they are, the harder it is to see behind the mask because they have gotten very good at it. There are a couple of things you can do as a teacher to help those students who are masking feel more comfortable taking off that mask in class and feeling like their true selves. 

1. Explore and Discuss SEL

It is important that teachers take the time, as a school or as an individual, to understand SEL and how it can support our students. CASEL is one of the best resources out there to get a better understanding of SEL. Just knowing that their teachers are working on different ways to support students and their mental health can make a masked student start to feel more comfortable being who they are in the open. Like many things, it starts with educating ourselves to better understand who we are an who people are that surround us. If you really want to support students who struggle in your class because they are neurodivergent, start exploring SEL and see how it can change the culture of your classroom. 

2. Share your Neurodivergent Story (If You Are Comfortable)

I have found that sharing my neurodivergent traits (Anxiety and dyslexia to name just two) leads to students being more open with their traits. There is at least one student in every class that will say "Me too!" when I mention I am dyslexic. It is important to normalize neurodivergence in the classroom. I spent too much time growing up feeling I was just stupid because I could not read like everyone else. If you are not a neurodivergent teacher or do not feel comfortable sharing your neurodivergence with your class, that is fine. We are all on our own journey of understanding and I do not want to pressure you into sharing your experience until you are ready. 

Sharing with students that there are lots of different types of learners in class at the start of the year and that you are going to work to make sure that everyone feels supportive is a nice way to open the door for those neurodivergent students who might need an invite to share who they are and how they learn. 

3. Embrace Differentiation 

Yes, it will take more time and that is the most pressure resource of all educators, but a little more time to differentiate for those students who are masking to hide their neurodivergence is so important if we want them to succeed. The best way to have students take off their mask is to create an environment where they feel comfortable and are able to succeed while utilizing their strengths. Traditional assessments and class structures tend not to support neurodivergent students and that is why they mask.

I could never read all of the pages assigned in a night for most of my high school classes. I would do my best, but I could not get through it. So, I would often listen to the first 10-15 minutes of class, understand what the topic of discussion was, and just through in my two cents by just rephrasing what other students said. It appeared like I had read and that I knew what was going on in the story. That helped me get through high school in many of my classes. As long as I was never cold called (Don't do it! It's one of the worst teaching practices!), I could mask all day in class. 

Offering students different ways to access the curriculum of the class and different ways to assess their understanding are great ways to make masking students feel more comfortable in class. They will not have to wear their mask if they know they are can explore who they are with the material covered in class. 

Masking takes so much energy from a person. A student who has to mask all day does not want to go home and do homework. They do not want to engage with their family. The often want to zone out playing video games, watching videos they have seen over and over again, and just be left alone. They just don't have it in them to put the mask back on at home and that sometimes leads to angry outbursts and lots of resistance to being asked to do anything. They were just "forced" to were a mask all day and now they just want to be themselves. Alone. 

Making small changes in the classroom to support neurodivergent students can go a long way in helping them be successful as they work through understanding their neurodivergence and how best to navigate society. I don't think we can expect to get to a point where these students will never wear a mask, but would should strive to create a space where they can take it off and breathe a little easier once in a while. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

N Provenzano

 

Note: Images created using Generative AI from Adobe Firefly

An Argument for Project-Based Learning #PBL #EdChat #Education

There are people that are still very wary of project-based learning. I understand that there are questions about why it is better than other pedagogical approaches. There are some educators that are afraid to try and add PBL to their classroom because their school/district is chained to standardized tests and the thought is that PBL doesn't prepare students for those types of assessments. I wanted to give a few reasons why PBL is worth exploring in your classroom. 

1. Active engagement - One of the things that is amazing about PBL is the fact that students are actively engaged in the process of learning. In a traditional model, students are passively receiving the information. When a student is actively engaged, they are more likely to retain the information. If standardized tests are a worry, PBL will allow students to retain more of the material covered in class. Another nice part of active engagement is the energy that comes to the classroom. There are few things better than a jumping classroom because students are actively exploring  a variety of interesting topics. 

2. Soft skill work - When students are working on their projects, they are also getting a chance to work on their soft skills. Communication, collaboration, time management, and other skills are important when working on complex projects. Students will work on these skills many times over during a year filled with projects. Again, the traditional classroom, format has everything structured for the student with very little need to work on the soft skills. A student can sit in the back of a traditional classroom all year without being actively engaged. Those soft skills are important for everyone to have as they mature and enter the workforce. 

3. Ownership - I used to tell students, "If you can't get excited for the project you chose, why on earth would you get excited about the one I choose?" When students choose their project, they have a sense of ownership of their work. They take more pride in it and they commit to the ins and outs of it. There are times when students need to jump through hoops and complete mandated work, but that is true for most people in their jobs. Doing the boring stuff is required so you can do the fun stuff. When the students get to choose what the fun project is going to be, they take full ownership of it and get to work. 

4. Class culture - Classroom culture is important in every school. Creating a community of learners is not easy task. I noticed how students all came together during their different projects. They supported one another and offered feedback and cheered each other one when it was time to present. Students were far more respectful of a student presentation because they know how hard they worked and they wanted the respect of the class when they presented. The bonds that are formed by group projects are an amazing thing to watch. Groups form and create amazing things together and I would hear them talk fondly about them years later. Those memories are connected to the content in a way traditional note-taking instruction could never accomplish. 

5. Differentiation - Our students are on an educational journey and they are all at different points on the trip. PBL allows for students to choose projects, set goals, and share their work in ways that meet their needs. Not all projects are going to look the same and that is a good thing. A classroom full of students will be filled with a variety of IEPs and 504s. As a teacher, crafting different assignments for each of those students every time one is needed can be too time consuming. Allowing more choice in their work with PBL lets the students adjust their work as needed. That way, all of the students will be able learn in a way that is best for them. Over time, I did not have to help those students tweak their projects because they learned what would push them to do their best.

These are just a few reasons why project-based learning is a great thing to bring into your classroom. There are so many other reasons! Check out my book on PBL in the classroom and feel free to reach out if you have questions or are interested in PD on this topic. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

Nick 

The Shame Of Being Neurodiverse #MentalHealth

One of the things that tends to get lost in the shuffle when talking about neurodiversity is the feelings that can go along with it. One feeling in particular is the feeling of shame. 

As a neurodiverse person, I feel an incredible amount of shame when I don't get things done the way neurotypical people expect them to be done. I feel shame when I can't find the think I have been tasked to look for right away. That shame turns into anxiety over time and it makes for a very tough few moments. 

The shame comes from the fact that we understand how this task would be simple for a neurotypical person. The shame comes from knowing that others are watching and possibly judging. The shame hits even harder when someone comments about why it is taking so long or why it couldn't be done in a different, "more normal", way. 

How we deal with students who are neurodiverse can impact their love of learning. We don't want to connect the feeling of shame with learning. Being in Middle School, I will often find myself asking a student that has done something impulsive, "What were you thinking?"

It seems like a simple questions, but it is all about tone. The teacher tone that says, "What you did was wrong, bad, or weird and you should know better than to do that. What is wrong with you?"

As a neurodiverse person, you'd think I would be better at addressing students who are neurodiverse as well, but I make mistakes. I've been conditioned to react to certain behaviors and I need to continue to work on tone and interactions with students who show their neurodiversity in ways that do not look like ones I'm am accustomed to seeing. 

It is hard to go through a day feeling shame because my brain refuses to fit in with the rest of the brains around me. I will continue to ask for grace from those that know me and advocate for students who do not need to feel shame at school because they don't fully understand their own neurodiversity. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

Nick

I'm Neurodivergent. Would I be successful in your class? #EdChat

Over the past few years, there has been more talk about Social Emotional Learning. As part of that conversation, many educators are hearing new terms. One of those terms is neurodiversity. 

Neurodiversity can be described as the fact that different people experience the world around them in different ways. 

As a teacher, we have always known that our classroom was filled with students that approached learning in different ways. We were always tasked with differentiating our instruction to support those students. However, with more research being spent on brain science and the act of learning, we are understanding neurodiversity much more. 

Two terms that have become more common place are "neurotypical" and "neurodivergent". These are relatively new terms. So much so, that the spell check on Blogger is telling me I am spelling them wrong. A neurotypical person is best described as someone who interacts with society in ways that are acceptable to agreed upon social constructs. A traditional, but very antiquated, word to describe these folks would be "normal". 

Neurodivergent people (Me!) are the opposite of neurtypical people. Their approach to learning and processing tends to go against the accepted views of societies or educational institutions. People that have dyslexia and ADHD are a few examples of the types of neurodivergent people out there.  The more I learned about being neurodivergent, the better I felt about myself. So many of my past and current struggles were able to be understood from the lens of neurodivergency. Once I understood it better, I was able to own it. I was able to be empowered by it. I no longer viewed my neurodivergence by my learning deficiencies, but through the special ways I do learn. 

It can be very hard for a neurdivergent person or student to "fit in" to a structure or system that was designed for and by neurotypical people. The more I have learned about my on neurodivergent behaviors, the better I have been in understanding the neurodiversity in my classroom. You would be hard pressed to find a classroom that did not have some neurodivergent students. Those students can often be overlooked or labeled as "busy bodies", "day dreamers", "quiet types", and more because they do not fall into the neurotypical definition of a student. This has to change for our students. 

One of the things I have been able to do as a neurodivergent person is share the fact that I am neurodivergent with students. I will mention that I have ADHD and that I manage dyslexia. I have found that the more that I have shared, the more that students have spoken up about how they are neurodivergent. Creating a safe space that allows for students to feel comfortable with who they are is key to any classroom. 

There are are some things that you can do to support a neurodiverse classroom,

• Talk about neurodiversity in class and what it means
• Allow for fidget devices and/or bring in wobble chairs
• Let students stand or move around the classroom during a lesson when appropriate 
• Avoid sarcasm
• Provide written directions whenever possible
• Break projects into smaller chunks with check-in points
• Talk to students who are neurodivergent and see what they need

These are just some strategies on helping neurodivergent students in your classroom. I recommend doing some reading on the topic as well to really further your understanding of neurodiversity in your classroom. 

Check out the Stanford Neurodiversity Project for more information. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

Neurodivergent Nerdy Teacher