ADHD at Work: Navigating the Classroom as a Teacher with ADHD

The Many Hats Teachers Wear

Teachers are the guides and guardians of learning, responsible for delivering instruction, managing classrooms, adapting to diverse student needs, coordinating with parents and staff, and fostering emotional and academic growth. Whether in elementary, secondary, or special education, teachers play a profound role in shaping skills, self-esteem, and future opportunities.

Their job demands flexibility, planning, multitasking, emotional intelligence, and relentless patience. Teachers don’t just educate—they inspire, support, and often hold the emotional temperature of an entire room.

August 2025, CJ Pringle, ADHD Coach @ Agave Health

The Hidden Struggles of Teaching with ADHD

Teaching is fast-paced, people-oriented, and full of moving parts—some ADHDers thrive in the energy, while others feel constantly behind or overstimulated. Here are the most common hurdles:

Planning and Staying on Top of Lesson Prep

• Teachers with ADHD may struggle to plan ahead, overestimate how much can be done, or leave lesson prep until the last minute.

• Inconsistent routines can lead to scrambled mornings or forgotten materials, especially when juggling multiple subjects or grade levels.

Paperwork, Grading, and Administrative Tasks

• Report cards, parent emails, IEP updates, attendance, and grading can feel tedious and overwhelming.

• ADHD may lead to procrastinating on grading, losing papers, or forgetting to enter data in time.

Task Switching and Classroom Transitions

• Shifting between instruction, classroom management, technology glitches, and emotional needs is a constant.

• ADHDers may struggle to reset focus after interruptions or get stuck in one mode of thinking.

Emotional Dysregulation and Sensory Overload

• The classroom is loud, unpredictable, and emotionally intense.

• ADHDers may experience burnout, irritability, or shutdown after repeated interruptions, behavioral challenges, or overstimulation.

Following Through on Promises or Routines

• “I’ll check on that for you tomorrow,” or “Let’s finish that during recess,” may be genuinely forgotten, causing unintentional disappointment for students.

Classroom Survival Tools for Teachers with ADHD

Teaching is a high-energy profession, but that energy needs direction. These ADHD-friendly strategies can help teachers stay focused, balanced, and effective:

1. Create a Visual Weekly Anchor Plan

• Use a whiteboard, planner, or digital dashboard to map out weekly lesson plans, grading targets, and key reminders.

• Helps prevent last-minute prep and keeps priorities in view without relying on memory.

2. Use “Set It and Forget It” Systems

• Automate as much as possible:

  • Use recurring calendar reminders for grading deadlines, meetings, and parent check-ins

  • Create reusable lesson templates and routines

  • Set alarms or visual timers for classroom transitions

3. Build in “Quiet Corners” for Yourself

• Designate a spot in your classroom or school where you can go for a 1-minute reset—whether it’s your desk, a staff lounge, or a hallway loop.

• Use that space to decompress or regulate emotions between high-stress moments.

4. Use Batch Processing for Admin Tasks

• Set specific times in your schedule for grading, emails, and data entry. Try not to do them piecemeal throughout the day.

• ADHD brains benefit from momentum and minimal context switching.

5. Externalize Student Promises

• Use sticky notes, whiteboards, or a “teacher promise log” where you (or students) write down tasks you’ve committed to follow up on.

• Helps keep trust intact without overwhelming your working memory.

6. Protect Recharge Time—Not Just Planning Time

• Use prep periods wisely—but also schedule time for restorative breaks, especially after emotionally draining classes.

• Even 5 minutes of solitude or music can help avoid emotional burnout.

How Agave Health Supports Teachers with ADHD

Teaching with ADHD is like conducting a symphony while dodging paper airplanes. It demands structure, flexibility, focus, and compassion—qualities that Agave Health’s ADHD coaching helps develop in a sustainable, judgment-free way.

Through personalized coaching and practical tools, Agave Health helps teachers:

✅ Build repeatable planning and classroom routines that reduce chaos

✅ Create grading and communication systems that actually work with your brain

✅ Develop emotional regulation strategies to handle student challenges with calm

✅ Improve follow-through—even on days packed with interruptions

✅ Tap into ADHD strengths like creativity, empathy, and outside-the-box thinking

Whether you’re managing lesson prep, behavior plans, or just trying to survive Monday mornings, Agave’s ADHD-informed coaches are here to help you stay grounded, energized, and effective.

You don’t have to do it all alone. With support from Agave Health, you can lead your classroom with clarity, confidence, and energy that lasts all year.