“Okay everyone, get into groups of four…”

For some students, those words mean:

Great! We get to work with our friends.

For a student with ADHD, they can sometimes mean:

Who am I working with? Where do I sit? What are we doing? Who's talking? When is it my turn? Wait… what was the task again?

Have you ever looked at a student with ADHD and thought:

“But you did this perfectly yesterday…”

Yesterday they started independently.

Yesterday they remembered the instructions.

Yesterday they completed the work.

Today?

They can't get started.

They've forgotten what they're doing.

They're frustrated before they've even begun.

It can look like they're not trying.

As teachers, we've all experienced it.

You explain the task, the student is looking straight at you, nodding along… and moments later they ask, "What are we doing?"

It can be easy to assume they weren't paying attention.

“Put your book away.”
“Pack up your things.”
“Come and sit on the mat.”

You’ve said it once.
Then twice.
Then five more times.

And somehow… it still doesn’t seem to land.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone.

The language we use in the classroom doesn’t just describe behaviour — it shapes how we respond to it.

We often think of “focus” as sitting still, eyes forward, hands folded. But for many students—especially those with ADHD—focus doesn’t look like stillness. In fact, it’s the opposite.