The prerequisites to learning are straightforward: calm and confidence. When students don’t feel emotionally supported, they freeze, shut down, or become overwhelmed — even when they have the skills to succeed.

To help your students navigate emotional blocks and remain motivated to learn, try these methods:

Dismantle Perfection

To illustrate how perfectionism and other emotions impact learning, ask your students:

• What do you wish your teachers understood about how you’re feeling?
• What is unpleasant about the task?
• What story are you telling yourself about the task and your abilities? What expectations are you holding?
• What makes it hard to start?

[Get This Download: How to Teach Children with ADHD — Classroom Challenges & Solutions]

Level Set

Perfectionists tend to overrate most tasks as critically important — a pattern of thinking that causes overwhelm and task paralysis. Use a ratings scale to help students gauge the true importance of a task.

Restore Control

Have your students prepare “If I ___, then I can/will” statements to help them stay engaged during tough moments. Examples include:

• If I have a difficult exam coming up, I will create a detailed study plan.
• If I panic about time during a test, I can ground myself using my five senses.
• When the test begins, I will start my breathing exercise.
• If it’s too loud in class, I can put on noise-canceling headphones.

Prioritize a Safe Learning Environment

Foster a supportive learning environment by recognizing and honoring the different types of learners in your classroom with these practices:

• Regularly remind students that it’s OK to ask for information to be repeated and to make mistakes while learning. Make these and similar reassurances part of your classroom rules and expectations.
• Present information in different formats.
• Allow students time to process new information before moving on.
• Remind your students that you know they’re working hard.

Highlight Strengths

Find ways to help your students spend part of their day pursuing an interest, talent, or strength. Doing so provides a much-needed break that helps regulate emotions and restores a sense of competence amid the daily stress of learning.

[Get This Download: 10 Teaching Strategies that Help Students with ADHD]

The Emotional Learning Ladder

Putting it all together, help your students understand their emotional state and find ways to re-engage with learning using the following visual tool. Encourage them to come up with their own descriptions, personal triggers, and strategies for returning to a calm Level 1 resting point.

Supportive Learning Environment: Next Steps

• Download: 30 Great Accommodations for Children with ADHD
• Read: Teaching Strategies for Students with ADHD: Ideas to Help Every Child Shine
• Read: The Educator’s Guide to Executive Functions: How to Understand and Support Students in Need

Gena VanderMeulen is an academic and ADHD coach at the ADHD Center of West Michigan.

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