Category Archives: Classroom management

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I Didn’t Know I Had ADHD—But My Classroom Did

Two years ago, I was officially diagnosed with ADHD. I was in my 60s. That diagnosis hit like a freight train—equal parts relief and grief. Relief because things finally made sense. Grief because I’d spent an entire lifetime—and an entire career—not knowing why I struggled with things that seemed easy for everyone else.

But here’s what really floored me: even though I didn’t know I was ADHD, I had been creating neurodivergent-friendly classrooms all along. My instincts as a teacher and center director weren’t just about best practice—they were about survival. I built spaces for children that looked like what I had needed. The flexible, forgiving, calm, and curious environments I created? They were my blueprint for belonging.

Teaching Without Knowing—And Still Getting It Right:

Looking back, I see how my brain worked overtime trying to navigate a world that didn’t always work for me. I was always juggling a thousand thoughts, jumping from idea to idea, living in what I now know was executive function chaos. I built systems to help myself cope—checklists, color-coded plans, visual reminders everywhere—and I instinctively gave those same tools to the children in my classroom.

I didn’t do this because a textbook told me to. I did it because I knew what it felt like to be misunderstood, overwhelmed, or labeled “too much.” I didn’t have the language back then to call it neurodivergence, but I knew what it felt like to be expected to fit a mold that just didn’t work.

I still believe that children thrive in classrooms that value them as individuals. I still believe that structure and freedom can co-exist.

Leading with Empathy (Even Before I Had the Words for It):

As a child care center director, I carried that same mindset into every policy, every room arrangement, every training. I set up environments that made room for different ways of learning and being. I prioritized calm spaces, flexible seating, predictable routines, and open-ended play. I encouraged teachers to see behavior as communication and to lead with empathy, not control.

At the time, I thought I was just doing what good educators do. Now I see it for what it was: I was building systems that would have supported me as a child—and they just happened to support a whole lot of other kids, too.

What I Do Differently Now (and What I’m Keeping the Same):

Since my diagnosis, I’ve deepened my understanding of how neurodivergence shows up in early childhood and in educators themselves. I would have added more intentional strategies—like sensory-friendly corners, noise-reducing tools, and even more flexibility in classroom routines—but the heart of my approach hasn’t changed.

I still believe that children thrive in classrooms that value them as individuals. I still believe that structure and freedom can co-exist. And I still believe that neurodivergent-friendly spaces aren’t just good for some kids—they’re good for all kids.

To the Teachers Reading This:

If you’ve ever wondered why your classroom instincts lean toward flexibility, or why you’re drawn to quieter setups and sensory supports—you might be like me. Whether or not you have a diagnosis, your experience matters.

And if you do know you’re neurodivergent? Welcome to the club. You’re not broken. You’re brilliant. And your classroom might already be a softer place in a hard world, just because of who you are.

Let’s keep building spaces we would have felt safe in. Because every child deserves that—and honestly, so do we.

HELP! This Child Is Running Around The Classroom

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We have all probably experienced the frustration of having a child “act-out” and behave in a way we would prefer not to have to deal with. Children can be challenging.

Often a child’s behavior is like a window into the needs of that child. When we view behavior as a communication of the child’s needs, we are able to approach the child’s behavior from a problem-solving perspective instead of a behavior that needs to stop or be controlled.

While each child is unique and each situation is different, there are some basic trends that are seen frequently among young children.u
Children with special needs, trauma or truly challenging behaviors need more in depth interventions.

Let’s look at one situation and examine what might be behind the behavior.

Situation – A child is running around the classroom, seemingly lacking any direction and ability to make a decision as to where to play.

What is this child’s behavior trying to tell us?

Possibly there are too many choices for the child and they are having difficulty picking just one. Children can easily become overwhelmed by the number of choices available in a classroom, especially if they are new to the classroom or preschool in general. Try suggesting a 2 or 3 activities so their choices are fewer.

Maybe the child is bored. The activities may not be engaging for this child; either too easy or too difficult. Suggesting other activities or modifications to some of the available activities might help the child engage.

Sometimes a child just needs to be re-focused on what they were originally doing. Ask the child where they are playing. When they answer, point out where that area is located and ask if they need any help in that center. Or perhaps they’re ready to move to a new one.

Children can be easily distracted and unfocused. A planning time right before center time can help to focus the child’s energies. Have the child pick the center they would like to visit first. Maybe even ask if they have a plan for after that center. This helps the child to plan their activities and focus energies in a positive direction.

Your activity my not be open-ended, allowing a child to extend the learning on their own. Or it may be too easy for the child. Review the activity and center to determine what might be added or changed to make it more engaging for a wider range of abilities. This is one of the hardest parts of curricular planning. Open-ended activities provide the opportunities for children to experience the center at their best learning level.

Scaffolding frequently needs a little help from the teacher. Sit down with the child at an activity they seem to breeze through and provide provocations to extend the learning. The next time the child is at this center, you may see some extended learning initiated by the child.

Are there enough choices available for the child to choose their next activity? If there is not room at any of the centers that interest this child, wondering the room may be the only choice they see. Ideally, your classroom should provide 2-3 play spaces per child. A play space is defined as an activity that provides 10-20 minutes of engaged play. For instance, your dramatic play area may comfortably sustain 4 children playing. That would count as 4 play spaces.

Behaviors can be challenging. Many times, we can mitigate the behaviors by providing an rich, engaging environment for all children. Every group of children is different, so what might be a great environment for one group of children falls short for the next. When challenging behavior disrupts the flow of the classroom, perhaps a few tweaks in the environment can lessen those behaviors.