Tutors and Teachers

Tutoring Your ADD Student
“They tell me to try harder. Over and over again. Try harder. And I’d try harder and it wouldn’t work. After a while I figured I didn’t have the brain to do it. And at the same time I knew I did. But it just didn’t work out.”

This excerpt from a patient interview in “Driven to Distraction” (by Edward Hallowell, M.D. and John Ratey, M.D., Simon and Schuster) highlights the frustration our ADD students experience. They mean well, and they’ve got big ideas, but they just can’t settle down and start. At least, they can’t with out some coaching and structure from you.

Most of us know about Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD), even if it’s just as a fad word for what’s wrong with everyone’s kids. We all display some of the symptoms of distractibility, but as Hallowell and Ratey note in their very readable text, “one bases the diagnosis of ADD not on the mere presence of these symptoms, but on their severity and duration, and the extent to which they interfere with everyday life.” (6) ADD isn’t so much an inability to focus as an inconsistency of focus. Sometimes these people ping-pong between distractions, and other times they laser beam into an activity. It’s interesting to know that the book’s authors have ADD themselves!

By the time we get called to tutor, everyday life has become an everyday crisis. We get calls for ADD students who are about to fail their senior year of high school, who take 2 hours to do a fourth grade worksheet, who scream at their parents for asking about school, or who haven’t turned in a single page of homework in the first quarter.

What We as Tutors Can Do
In the steps of dealing with ADD in the family (“diagnosis, education, structuring, coaching and/or psychotherapy, and medication” per Hallowell and Ratey), it is far beyond our scope as tutors to diagnose, test, or medicate. We can provide some education to the child and parents, but hopefully the diagnosing psychologist provided that. Our role is that of a coach.

• Help them recognize and accept their “ADD moments.”
• Build up a battered self-esteem, for after years of missing the mark, these students carry a certain amount of depression and self-loathing.
• Brovide structure for school projects, breaking them down into smaller chunks.
• Provide the verbal praise these students crave.
• Help them develop basic study methods that result in decent grades they can be proud of, such as taking breaks and making flashcards.
• Help them expand their threshold for their inherent intolerance of frustration.
• Remove a mountain of stress from the parents and allow some peace in their evenings by promoting these behavioral changes.
• Teach the students to become advocates for themselves.

Common Traits of ADD
The negative primary symptoms of ADD are “distractibility, impulsivity, restlessness…inconsistency, varying motivation, exasperating forgetfulness, disorganization and indifference, underachievement…and the search for excitement rather than discipline.” The secondary symptoms, and the ones that present the greatest challenge to academic success, are “low self-esteem, depression, boredom and frustration with school, feelings of isolation, fear of learning new things, impaired peer relations, sometimes drug and alcohol abuse, stealing, or even violent behavior due to mounting frustration.” (Driven to Distraction, p.52 and 65)

There are positive traits, too, such as remarkable creativity, high intelligence, outstanding personalities, intuition, and a unique ability to combine ideas in novel ways.

Different traits appear with different types of ADD. ADD with hyperactivity often has the traits of “(1) deficits in attention and effort, (2) impulsivity, (3) problems in regulating one’s level of arousal, and (4) the need for immediate reinforcement.” (Driven to Distraction, p. 13)

ADD often couples with learning disabilities. The student may struggle to process input correctly, called a receptive language problem. Or, there may be an expressive language problem that hampers the way a student outputs information. Obviously, if a student struggles to take data in, the output will be affected.

The different forms of dyslexia may be evident. However, the combination of dyslexia and ADD often makes for a remarkably creative person.

With auditory processing problems, the sound goes into the ear uninhibited, but the student cannot properly make sense of it.

Dysgraphia is another troubling partner of ADD.

But, regardless of any learning disabilities, there are upteen ways for the student to still excel and reach the highest goals.

Help them Recognize It
On the topic of praise and feedback, Driven to Distraction emphasizes that, “people with ADD are notoriously poor self-observes.” (196) Watch your student: he picks apart a snack box, shreds a piece of paper, pokes holes in a book cover. Although total exasperation is a legal defense for yelling at him, you’ll get much farther if you just smile and say, “This might not be the best time to pick apart that box,” or “Do you realize that you’ve just shredded your assignment sheet?”

"With a sheepish grin, he’ll shake his head, maybe pound on it lightly to wake up his brain, and say, “Focus. Focus. Focus.”

By being poor self-observers (and especially if they are macho 14-year-olds), they will not know when they’ve done a good job. Tell them. Frequently. Genuinely. Tell them with an audience, especially siblings and parents. And if he counters your, “Wow! You did a great job!” with “No I didn’t. It’s no big deal,” pull your psychology card and say, “Sorry, but people with ADD are notoriously poor self-observers and so you’ll just have to take my word for it that you did a super job.”

Building Self-esteem and Assuring a Bright Future
As I’ve worked with kids who were diagnosed ADHD, and as you’ve surely seen in your own experiences, they have a creative, energetic spark that will make them excel in their chosen fields…if they can reign themselves in enough to get there. There are big places for these kids and it’s our job as tutors to remind them that advertising agencies, sales forces, art studios, bands, and umpteen other organizations are waiting for them.

As Hallowell and Ratey note, “Liking yourself in adolescence is hard enough work for any child. But for the child with ADD it is especially difficult.” (17) The self-esteem is further battered by ridicule from other children, as some ADD students lack interpersonal skills and can’t recognize the body-language cues that indicate how they are being perceived. Other students employ their excess energy as the class clown, compiling a school record.

By teaching students how to manage their ADD and what to expect, you give them insight into their learning styles and empower them to take control. Then they can begin to harness the unique talents that ADD brings.

Those Magic Words
Use praise freely. “I’m proud of you” is a powerful phrase and one that struggling students don’t often hear. Praise the smallest of positive actions. “Your notebook looks really neat. Nice job of filling in your assignments! Wow…you have all of your books ready to go!” It is not necessary for tutors to provide rewards, although we should happily coordinate with any plan the parents have. You might offer to help them establish one with the child’s input. But for you and I, our words, smiley faces, and silly stars are enough.

Be Yourself
As a tutor, you’re someone who loves to teach one-on-one. You’re inherently creative (especially if you’re working with Clarity Learning, otherwise you wouldn’t have any clients!) and probably a little silly. Capitalize on that silliness and hold your student’s attention. One of my students can remember to cancel terms in algebra because we referred to is as “destroying” the variable. Make little explosion sounds if it helps. When you feel frustrated, make a silly face and tell the student how you’re feeling. Be honest and genuine.

Study Methods
Structure
Bringing structure and setting goals is something we tutors do for all of our students. For our ADD students, though, it is crucial and requires more effort from us. Ultimately, the student needs to learn to use tools to manage his or her own life. If he feels ashamed of needing “another crutch: remind him that one of the habits of successful people is that they write out their goals.

The authors of Driven to Distraction advocate Pattern Planning in which the student’s schedule is already marked with daily routines. The very structure of school will help. Your struggle will be with the hours after school. Consider using the Weekly Schedule [pdf] and having the student program in tutoring time, extra study time, and t.v. programs so that this unstructured gap takes some shape.

Break down projects into smaller, very tangible parts:

• Monday
  Do Internet research and print three articles on hydrogen-powered cars. [Call your student to make sure this gets done. Even with these goals written out on a note, she might forget or get distracted.]
• Tuesday
  During tutoring session, read through articles and plug notes into outline on computer.
• Wednesday
  Blend outline sentences into essay with five paragraphs. E-mail draft to tutor by 8:00 p.m. [Having a pre-deadline keeps the project on task. You might have to call again to make sure this gets done!]
• Thursday
  During tutoring session, make edits and print final draft.
• Friday
  Turn report in and don’t think about it anymore!

Notice that the tedious parts like reading and revising the draft are done with the tutor. These boring tasks may need your guidance to keep the student on track.

Set goals
See the Monthly Goals Chart [pdf] or use it to inspire your own. This one was created on Excel. Post this where it’s easy for the student to see, such as on a bulletin board or the refrigerator.

Flash Cards
Pare down large amounts of information to the basic facts and list them on flash cards. Each card comes a mini-task. You don’t have to just stick with card stock. If a computer is available, consider using Excel and typing the vocabulary word into one cell and the definition next to it. The words can be cut apart for later studying and are ready and waiting for finals. Your techno-savvy student may be able to maintain focus better by typing rather than writing as well. If so, let him empower himself.

Matching Cards
With the inherent wiggliness of many ADD students, use active study methods. Matching cards let the student handle the information and play simple games, potentially more engaging than just flipping through cards or notes.

Take Breaks
All students, regardless of level or learning issues, should take frequent study breaks to promote retention. But your ADD student may be buzzing by the time you’re ready to break, so watch her body language. Increased delays when answering, extra fidgeting, and especially angry frustration will suggest a break is due.

However, as creative as these gems are, they are not above manipulation, so come prepared. Have a timer that you can set for five or 10 minutes. The student might even want to check that you are not cheating him of a minute of peace. That way your interpretation of five minutes will not differ with his.

Next, emphatically remind the student that it’s her responsibility to promptly return from that break. At least the timer’s voice is doing the recalling, taking the pressure off of you.

Moving Around During Homework
You ADHD student is just brimming with anxious energy that has to go somewhere. Coupled with an inherent loathing of boring activities, homework becomes a battlefield.

Sometimes it’s better to let these kids walk around during the session. Maybe they need to stand while doing homework. Sometimes listening to music will help. (While I would prefer the 15-minute, mind-expanding strands of Mozart, you might have to compromise at rock music turned down low. Be sure to explain the music to the parent, otherwise the child is likely to be reprimanded for goofing off.) What ever soothes the ADD’s need for action is okay, with a few caveats.

You student must understand that these methods are logistically inappropriate in a classroom. These methods are his tools for HOMEwork. And this is training for how he’ll have to recognize his moments of distractibility and contain them in college and at work.

Down Time
According to Driven to Distraction, “People with ADD frequently need a certain amount of ‘down time’ every day to recharge their batteries. It is better that this time be negotiated and set aside in advance rather than struggled over each time it comes up.” (123) If possible, tutor the student after she has taken a post-school nap or has gelled in front of the television. Just be prepared for a potentially rocky transition to homework time. Have the student set a timer to remind him when it’s time to get physically and mentally prepared to work.

Prepare materials for the parent and child to review
By its very nature, ADD can bring chaos to the already busy American household. The nightly race to complete homework, attend basketball practice, eat dinner, and still get to bed on time leaves parents with little energy to get any child through a study guide. You were hired to help the student study. That means getting flash cards or study guides ready to go. Parents don’t need to know anything about a subject to confirm or correct answers on flash cards. “Here are the Spanish flash cards. He needs to go over them again tonight. Just ask him the English word and see if his Spanish seems correct.” “Give her this spelling test one more time and especially focus on the words I circled.”

Teenagers don’t want to be nagged by their parents, so sometimes I make a rule and state it in front of both parties. “Mom, you are not allowed to ask Cindy if she needs to go over her chemistry flash cards. However, Cindy, you MUST ask your mom to help you review. If you want us to let you take care of it, you have to do your end.”

Self-Advocacy
Books like Driven to Distraction and programs like the Auxiliary Studies Program (ASP) at Santa Margarita Catholic High School stress self-advocacy. Certainly ADHD pervades our society. Being the challenge it is, it’s no wonder that many people succumb to underachievement and even crime. But so many soar to personal heights. The difference is that the latter learned to deal with the ADD and work around it.

Teach your student to learn his needs and become vocal (watch out for that impulsiveness! Vocal, not rude!) about needing extra time on a test, a different testing location, a reader, etc. While being deaf in one ear isn’t near the challenge our students face, it’s something I have to deal with. I know that if I sit with my left ear toward a noisy restaurant, I’ll have to struggle to hear what my company says. Then I’ll tune out and be eager to leave. Hence, I “self-advocate” and fess up: “I’m sorry to be a pain, but I’m deaf in my left ear. I need to walk/sit/stand to your right.” The person asks a few questions about how it happened, and then we move on. The minor embarrassment is much better than the alternative.

As your student matures and develops some acceptance of the ADD, encourage him to shrug off the fidgets or a forgetful moment with a comment like, “Oops! There’s goes that ADD.” Humor makes everyone relax and puts the student back into the driver’s seat.

And, don’t let the student use ADD as an excuse to fail. Every person is responsible for his or her own actions. Failing to use techniques to overcome ADD is just as irresponsible as not reading because you don’t like wearing glasses.

Common Problems Encountered in the Tutoring Sessions
Confront your student with the issues of ADD as they come up. It’s not a mystery and certainly isn’t something to be ashamed of. When your student gets frustrated, calmly say, “I know you’re struggling with the frustration of this algebra and that you’re mad at yourself for not getting it quickly. Relax. Everyone gets irritated and frustrated with algebra. You’re not stupid, but you’re cheating yourself out of the chance to learn this.”

If he gets too frustrated, tell him to go away and take a break. (Set the timer!) It’s better to “take ten,” diffuse the mounting anger, and save his energy and patience for the balance of the session. [Does this technique sound familiar? Don’t we all have to get up and walk away sometimes? Point that out to your student!]

Arguments
Since the ADD student often seeks excitement, she is driven to start arguments. The rush of arguing and yelling at the parent is far more exciting than sitting down with you to memorize the periodic table. This is awkward for a tutor. We really don’t belong in the disciplinary arena, especially when the challenge begins in your client’s living room.

Since the action of the argument is what the student seeks, don’t add fuel to the fire. Hopefully the parent knows what to do (although often they don’t or don’t have the energy at that moment to tackle it). Driven to Distraction has several practical methods for families to use to weather these situations.

Sometimes the argument, embarrassing as it is for all parties, will let the student blow off steam and the session can begin. Unfortunately, the student has gobbled up a quarter of the hour for which his parent is paying. Therefore, try to be useful by making flashcards or getting the homework page set up. If it seems helpful, remind the student that the ADD’s impulsivity is acting up and that the sooner you two get started on this work, the sooner you’ll go away and leave him to the relaxation of television or video games.

Not Writing Out Problems
As former algebra students, we know how boring it is to write out the steps in a problem. Project that onto someone who inherently loathes boredom and you have a math student who races through problems. This will be a fight. Hassle the student as much as you need to get her to write out the steps of the exercise.

Tired Student
People with ADD often have trouble getting to sleep, setting them up to be tired the next day. There is little you can do to manage the student’s sleep patterns, but you can encourage them to come up with ways to be awake for the homework session. A nap? Maybe he needs to eat during the beginning of the session while you verbally quiz him on something. As long as the food itself doesn’t become a distraction (catch-22!), munching during homework is fine.

Rough Beginnings
Often, you will arrive and your student will already be ticked off. He’ll slam down his books, if he even comes to the table, and sulk while you wait for him to drag out the assignment book. This mind frame is far from readiness to learn!

As pointed out in Driven to Distraction, “their moods can be quite unstable, going from high to low in the bat of an eye for no apparent reason. They can be irritable, even rageful, especially when making transitions.” Going from relaxing after school (or perhaps “winding down” is a better phrase) to starting the tutoring session is a transition that may lead to a moody period.

You can diffuse the moment, though, if you’re aware that it might happen. I have noticed that my ADD students have an inherent interest in the human condition. Interestingly, they all seem to do well in social studies, even if it’s just class participation. They love stories, so neutralize this volatile moment with a story of your own as you pull out the books (ideally he should get out his own supplies, but you’ll have to choose your battles). Talk about an event in college, or something dumb you once did (that story will come back to you in future conversations!). It’s almost as though you are distracting him from his rage and getting him to come over to your side of the force.

Also, remind the student that it’s okay to feel angry and that everyone has bad or disappointing days. You don’t need to turn this into a sermon, but frequent reminders that the student is more normal than he thinks will help. Remind him, too, that moodiness is a side-effect of ADD and he can ride it out, especially if he’ll work with you to focus on something else.

Stalling Out
It’s interesting to watch this happen. The student just sits there, staring at the book or the homework. She isn’t looking away or fidgeting. She’s just sitting there. Likely, her attention has drifted off. All it requires is a soft, “How’s that reading going?” “Does the problem make sense?” You’ll see them straighten up and they move on. This is part of the reason these students need readers for tests; otherwise they’ll just phase out, lose momentum, and take much too long to complete the test or assignment.

Dreadful Handwriting
Since handwriting is often difficult for ADDers, encourage your student to type assignments. To take advantage of the tutoring session, let her dictate while you type. This is easy when there’s a computer in the study area.

To reduce the tedium of a math assignment, and to reduce the frustration and illegibility of uncoordinated handwriting, I often write out the math problems and let the student fill in the work. It’s important that he write as much as possible, as the thinking and learning process in math doesn’t always translate with dictation.

Then, while he’s completing the math (and I’m praising him for working so well), I can type in the beginnings of the science questions. As soon as the math is done and he’s had a break, he dictates the science answers to me. Zip-zap, two assignments down! This energy of this team effort engages the student, frees him from the insult of too much help, and still requires him to solve math problems and research answers like, yes, any other student.

Inattentive to Your Explanations
As tutors, we all subscribe to the “Socratic method” of asking a student to explain something to ensure she gets it. Be sure to do this with your ADDers because they will tune out a few sentences into your speech. If needed tell the student, “Because I’m concerned that you might tune out, I’m going to ask you lots of questions to make sure you’re getting all this in your head.”

Changing the Subject
Since people with ADD have trouble attending to one thing at a time, your student will likely bring up some intriguing but totally unrelated topic (“So what did happen after your tire blew out on the freeway?” in the middle of factoring an algebra problem.) I tell my student, “You’re getting off track. We’ll discuss it after you complete another three problems.”

Again, watch out for that manipulative streak--fueled by the ADD’s desire to do anything other than the present task--that will have your tenth grade geometry student entertaining you with stories about the prom. These kids are bright and if you don’t maintain control of the session and steer the student toward the goal of completing the homework, you won’t get enough done, the student won’t learn to take the subject seriously, she’ll score poorly, and you’ll ultimately lose the client for being ineffective. Be caring and genuine, but be firm and do not let these kids run the session and waste an hour of your time, their time, and their parents’ money.

Medication and Your Tutoring Session
The medications for ADD help the student to focus the brain, just like glasses focus the eyes. The brain is helped to focus on one thing at a time and filter out distractions. Therefore, one of the most frustrating things that I encounter is when my ADD student who does quite well with the aide of medication hasn’t taken his pill yet! Considering it takes 20 to 30 minutes for the chemicals to take effect, that wastes half of the session!

If I see that the student is unusually wiggly, I blatantly ask, “Did you take your medication?” If my suspicions are confirmed, I deliberately point out, “Then you are going to have to try very hard to pay attention. Your ADD is going to be looking for things to do and we won’t get much done.” Just know that you’re probably going to have an uphill battle that session. Have a good offense and be prepared to take breaks. Let the student stand if needed. Perhaps she can dictate information to you.

In another instance, the student’s medication may be just enough to get him through school and an hour of homework. Be upfront with your pupil. “You and I know that your medication is going to wear off in an hour. Let’s get as much done as possible, and then we’ll do a review game at the end.” By creating a bit of a challenge and a rushing situation, you may get the student to hyperfocus, blast through the work (maintaining quality, of course!), and get a lot done. Play Tic-Tac-Fact or another game with any remaining session time.

Teaching
ADD students can’t stand the boredom of long explanations. I’ll be explaining something the student needs to know and he’ll snap, “Yeah, yeah. I get it.” But I think there is more to it than just the impulsivity and inability to just the appropriateness of a reaction.

After years of special classes, tutors, medication, and low grades, these kids are frustrated and resentful. The student may interpret my detailed explanation as, “I’m so stupid, everyone has to explain things to me. If I were smart, I would catch on the first time around.”

If the student truly does understand the concept, move on. But if he’s trying to hide behind hurt feelings, confront him. “Don’t get mad at yourself and cheat yourself out of an explanation. You need to know this. You’re not stupid for needing to be taught this. We tutor all kinds of students who need help with [your subject].”

Sometimes, though, teaching the concept isn’t as important as letting the student develop the patience and self-confidence to complete an assignment. They’re used to getting things wrong and like to remind themselves of just how stupid they are. My student will complete several problems, shove the paper back at me, and sulk, “I got them all wrong, I know.” Maybe he did, may be didn’t. If this is an especially low day, perhaps in a string of low days, and I can tell the student is urgently in need of a boost, I might review them, ignore the incorrect answers, and say, “Nope, they look good to me.”

Be a bit dramatic about correct answers, regardless of your student’s age. Since I’m female, perhaps it’s easier for me to draw stars and happy faces on a 15-year-old boy’s math paper. But even male tutors can write a C for Correct. Make the successes visible. Let the student see what a good job he did. You’re not patronizing him. You’re retraining his self-concept, a crucial part of coaching.

Disorganization
Binders: Any junk drawer will remind you that organization takes time and patience. The latter is a scarcity for our ADD kids. With such meager attentive resources, it’s no wonder the students won’t take the time to pop open the clips with the tabs. If they open the binder at all, it’s by pulling apart the rings, which bend just enough to render the binder useless. Do some of those papers need holes before they marry with the binder? Forget it!

I am an advocate for expandable binders and discourage the use of three-ring binders. With seven to 13 tabbed pockets, the student simply has to slide the paper into its class. And the day’s paper can even safely ride around in an outside pocket until the child gets home. No holes, bent rings, or torn papers. Blue Expandable File

Old Papers
A common student mistake is to carry around the entire semester’s papers in a binder. The forest of pages is frustrating and unnecessary. Instead, label file folders and after each section, help your student transfer the old materials over. They might be needed for finals, but they’re probably not important for daily access.

Poor Follow-Through
Poor follow-through is a trademark of ADD. Expect it and make the student aware of this problem. Then set up methods to beat it. If you can’t check on an independent project yourself, ask the student who else can do this. The student will have to learn to use a small community or technology to set him back on track. While parents would be the obvious choice, this might be misconstrued by the adolescent who is--per normal developmental patterns--trying to break free of his parent’s reign. Is there an admired sibling or cousin who can help? Can the cell phone’s timer be set to beep at 5:00 when the student should begin his nightly Spanish homework? Encourage the student to come up with ideas that will work for him.

Forgetting to Turn Assignments In
A side effect of poor follow-through, and a common foible of many kids we tutor, unsubmitted assignments are a short cut to lower grades. I’m not sure how the completed assignment fails to migrate to the teacher, but it happens. Again, teach your student ways to beat this. Make sure he puts the assignment in the proper section of his notebook, or some agreed upon place for turn-ins.

I have a student whose turn-in habits were atrocious! The paper would be in his binder! Perhaps the tedium of the search discouraged him from looking for it. Perhaps he had tuned out when the teacher asked for homework. Perhaps the negative attention of being scolded was more stimulating than decent grades. His parents, great advocates of his success, had a fax machine so that all papers could be faxed to the resource teacher and she would distribute them as needed. While it took the responsibility away from him, faxing was better than chronic poor grades and lowered self-esteem.

But this method isn’t always accepted, especially at busy high schools. Now we have a system in which he attaches a bright Post-It note on the edge of the paper so that it flags his attention the next day. This simple method really works! He’s even to the point of asking me for a tag.

Irritation with Teachers
We’ve all accused some teacher of not liking us. Perhaps it’s true that a student and teacher don’t click. And teenagers are especially sensitive to acceptance. ADD students, with their inherent impulsivity, may react to a teacher’s attitude and simply not do the work. Some of my students deliberately don’t write down the assignments in a sort of passive-aggressive retaliation. Catch this as soon as possible and make every effort to get the assignments from the teacher, for late or missing assignments will quickly drag down an already tentative grade. My reasoning that the student is only hurting herself has little impact, but I try.

ADD with underactivity (as opposed to hyperactivity), the quite daydreamers who don’t disrupt anyone, but tune out of class and into another world.

Tutor Frustration
There have been times that I’ve almost left a session out of sheer aggravation with the student. When I get exasperated and snappy, the student, like anyone else, retreats in self-defense and we have homework gridlock. His impulsivity and perhaps even rage sets in, he sits and does nothing or stalks off, and that’s that.

Be aware of your own feelings and patience level. For myself, I know I have to eat before tackling a session with one of these kids or I become very snippy. These kids are sharp and quickly pick up on my weakness.

But most of all, know that changes take time. Change and improve your techniques as needed, but be patient with yourself. Arm yourself with education. Knowing why these kids react as they do takes the sting out and lets you help them better. This self-loathing, parent-aggravating, academically defeated student will not rocket from Ds and Fs to As and Bs in a month…or even a few months. You’re there for the long haul and if you can do a good job, the parents will cherish you. You’ll become a major champion for that student’s success. And you’ll brag to every one about how “your student” got all Bs and Cs this semester.