Week 7: Solutions for Eddie

Eddie:  Eddie is well liked by his classmates and has an active imagination.  Mrs. Potter has been noticing that he doesn't seem to get his work done, and isn't sure he even tries to get it done.  He often has trouble sitting still.  His arms and legs keep wanting to move. He taps his feet and his pencil, and frequently gets out of his seat.  Sometimes he seems to ask to go to the boys' room just to keep moving.

Solutions: It seems to me that Eddie's classroom struggles stem from his inability to pay attention above all. In the Marcus: Gifted and Challenging reading advice was given on how to engage, understand, and teach a child with ADD/ADHD. The reading featured a young boy named Marcus who was very intelligent but struggled with conforming to classroom routines, paying attention, and keeping still (among other things). Some of these qualities seem to match the behavior of Eddie. It seems that Eddie is easily distracted and has trouble focusing on a task long enough to complete it. Because I am not a doctor, I am unfit to diagnose Eddie with ADD or ADHD.

One solution to this particular problem is to provide Eddie with routine and structure. This way, he won't be surprised by any of the days activities. You may find that Eddie will become less resistant to staying in one place and focusing on just one task if he knows how long it will last. Literacy centers could also be a good idea, because they provide structure and many different activities. Eddie may not get so distracted if he can move through many different tasks in a relatively short period of time.

The bio says that Eddie often taps his pencil and has trouble sitting still. The article mentioned above talked about how some children need to tap or squeeze something so they aren't idle. If Eddie had a stress ball or some other object that he could use quietly it may quiet his body and allow him to focus his mind on something else. 

Eddie could also be struggling because he is lacking confidence in certain skills that are often emphasized in the classroom. Eddie making frequent trips to the bathroom could just be an excuse to leave the classroom. He may want to escape certain situations and tasks that he feels uncomfortable or insecure about. One way to combat this would be to ask his parents or him directly if he feels upset when performing a certain task. If you do discover something, working on a way to accommodate him while still getting him to complete the assignment would be ideal. Another option would be to create assignments that play to his strengths. Eddie's bio states that he has an "active imagination." You could create an assignment that really allows Eddie to tap into his imagination. Maybe that way he would be more willing to pay attention and complete the task. It may even be so appealing that he will work on things that he is not so good at and improve on them while doing the assignment.