ADHD vs. Remote Learning

After three weeks of procrastination, I finally finished writing this article And, in time for the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year, which for me has called for a hybrid of online and physcial presence. When quarentine was in full effect, us student were thrown into an undeveloped and falwed system of remote learning, and since then, I’ve been preparing for its inevitable return. While I understand this new way of learning is not ideal for anyone, those of us with ADHD have higher hurdles to overcome.

An ADHD student’s worst enemy is a phone or a computer. In March, when our country went remote, there was no way I could have prepared for a seamless transition from school to my “bedroom turned classroom” without a few hiccups.

Over the course of the spring, I spent a substantial amount of time trying to test the most effective strategies to be successful in the “classroom” while trying to comply with the guidelines set forth by my school. To say the least, this was not an easy task.

If you are a student looking to connect with others as frustrated as you (there’s a lot of us), or an guardian trying to support your child’s academic success, you’re in the right place.

Here are some of my personal experiences with remote learning.

• I took for granted how important physically moving from class to class was to me. Walking to and from class, and being able to quickly connect with my friends was part of my normal routine. Now, without the need to change classrooms virtually, I stopped getting up from my desk. When I was motivated to move around, I found myself getting distracted by miscellaneous things around the house. Like the one time I entered the garage intending to grab lemonade only to find that my bike’s frame looked dirty. I guess the heart wants what it wants, because I took the entire bike apart, cleaned it, and put it back together. My Digital Music Production teacher no doubt wondered why I had not joined class.
• The lack of physical supervision -something I once desired- is one of online schooling’s fatal flaws. In those early days of remote learning, I spent a third of my collective hours of English class browsing Wikipedia. if an interesting idea was not fully discussed by my teacher, I would go research it on my own. The ease with which I could lose focus during these moments was considerable and my long trips to Wikipedia left me out of the loop and unfamiliar with the lesson upon returning to my class’s tab. In a physical classroom, my teacher and classmates helped serve as a reminder to get me back on track. Without question, self- accountability during online schooling is crucial.

Here are tips that have worked for me.

• After a few weeks of frustration, I devised a routine to hold myself accountable. Every morning, I would wake up at the same time, make my bed, brush my teeth, and change into something other than what I slept in. These small moments of productivity helped me feel more prepared for the day ahead. I also decided to take the opportunity to eat a larger breakfast than I normally would. Having a good breakfast kept up my energy (and medication stifles hunger).
• I rearranged my room to feel more like a classroom. By repositioning my desk, and removing my computer monitors and other distractions, I established my work station. My ultimate goal, which I eventually achieved, was to make my work space sacred and remove all possible distractions — including my mobile phone. I kept it charging in the kitchen until my classes were finished for the day. This was the most challenging task, but surprisingly therapeutic. I would not have been able to do this independently, however, so if you can ask your parent or guardian to hold you accountable, that may help your success rate.

As online school approaches, I have made some notes for improvement. At the top of my list is creating an open dialogue with my teachers about my ADHD challenges. If more students like myself can create awareness and ask for more support, the odds are in our favor to succeed. While I don’t have all the answers, I hope that what has worked for me can help you. If you want to write about yourself and ADHD, check out my website ADHme.org and get started.