Here are my best ADHD Friendly teacher classroom resources, must-have purchases and supplies to purchase for the daily ADHD organization struggle and a well run classroom, regulated students and a happier teacher life.
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ADHD Friendly Teacher Classroom Resources: Classroom Set Up & Organization
It doesn’t take too much to get a classroom in working order. Between a classroom budget and being at the right place and time at the beginning and end of the school year (teachers retiring, moving rooms, and donating what they don’t use), I have acquired the things that work best for me and my ADHD in my classroom.
Mailboxes– This is the one I have in my room. I like the slightly increased durability of plywood vs. cardboard mailboxes because this holds my extra copies for various subjects, which increases the weight of what is being stored. I am not a fan of drawers as I find I just shove things in there and forget about them. These mailboxes help me stay organized in a very visual way and I can see what I have without the added task of opening a drawer.
FYI: I only endorse things that I've personally used or have come highly recommended from my teacher friends and family and think they may be helpful to you. If you buy anything mentioned using my Amazon referral links, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Clipboard Organizer– This was a more recent purchase as I grew tired of the hot mess of clipboards being stored in bins created. If you use the low profile clipboards you can get two clipboards in each slot. This is certainly not something a first year teacher needs to have, but it makes the classroom more organized and saves a little bit of time when using them.
Classroom Rug- I love my 8 X 10 rug. I am a fifth grade teacher and have (mostly) the same class the entire day. I will typically have anywhere from 22-28 students each year. I find the 8 X 10 size fits in my classroom and can fit my 22-28ish students. The big rug works as a place to hold classroom meetings, sit on when watching a movie, change up the teaching location of mini-lessons as well as read a picture book. I also like the rug as an additional way to absorb sound in the classroom. I wouldn’t spend too much money on a large rug, though, as these things get junked up throughout the year. A few years ago in my building, a few teacher’s rugs disappeared sometime during the summer deep clean. . . something that happens from time to time.
Sterilite Bins– I love these to hold books in my classroom library as well as organize extra school supplies like pencils, glue sticks, scissors, markers and crayons. They come in a variety of sizes and are the most durable baskets I have ever used . . . I love them!
- The last day of school is a gold mine for collecting unused or no longer wanted school supplies from students. Many times these students will toss their scissors, glue and unused pencils into the trash instead of bringing them home. I will tell my students as they clean out their desks take anything home they are going to use, but if they are going to throw it out, please give them to me.
Really Good Stuff Magazine Bin– These magazine bins are great for holding my extra materials for each reading unit. I have lots of paperback picture books that are great to read one time a year when teaching figurative language. These bins hold those materials together and are easy to grab and use when we get to the one day of the year when we will read those books.
Giant Lined Post-It Chart Paper– I have terrible handwriting and struggle to keep neat (and cute) anchor charts for my class. This lined paper has really helped me when creating large display/anchor charts for my class.
Lined Sticky Notes– These post-it notes are super helpful when I don’t get through an entire lesson and will continue the next day. I list out the things I still need to finish the next school day and then stick it in my lesson planner. These are perfect for short to do lists.
Self Adhesive Magnets– These have been invaluable for my schedule, important vocabulary and anything else that I need to keep up all year but may want to move around the dry erase boards. Buy a box of these and you will be a very happy teacher. They come in so handy!
Heavy Duty Magnets for Posters– The magnets do some heavy lifting and are truly invaluable. I love having these easily accessible anytime I need to display a poster, flyer or student work for a shorter period of time.
Thank You Notes & Sympathy Cards– All teachers need to have a pack of ready to go stationary for a variety of occasions. Stock up on bulk stationary and stamps so you are ready to send a quick note whenever needed.
ADHD Friendly Teacher Classroom Resources: Desk Organization
An important aspect to consider is the teacher desk zone when buying ADHD friendly teacher classroom resources.
I do not have a desk with drawers. Instead I use a table. My ADHD cannot handle drawers, filing cabinets and basically anything you can’t immediately see. Yes, I have my own executive functioning issues. Over the years I have found many, many things that do not work for me and have found and refined an organizational structure that works for me in the classroom.
Cup for Pencils, Highlighters, Sticky Notes– I use a variety of colors to highlight and annotate text/notes. I need these materials in an easy to grab location when I use my document camera, which is on my desk/table area. I love the rotating feature of this. It is super handy and a nice catch all for all of my random pens/pencils/paperclips etc.
Highlighters– Just like the felt tip pens, the variety of colors with highlighters really help students to focus in on important information and it adds variety for my ADHD brain. I find myself using highlighters most of the time when working on math- but there is a ton of reading involved in math questions. I use these to highlight the important points or I will use a variety of colors to highlight the various steps that are indicated in a question.
Colorful Expo Markers- These markers are highly useful- especially when teaching math! I love using a different color for adding/subtracting and multiplying/dividing. Using a different color to highlight each step of a math calculation is a great way to support students who might not get the process after quite a bit of practice. I love these and my classroom can’t have enough. It’s also good to stock up on a bunch of black expo markers for the students to practice on their dry erase boards.
Legal Pad- I keep this on my desk/table and use this to create a ‘To Do’ list each day. I make a fresh list at the end of each school day so I can hit the ground running when I return to school in the morning. On the left side, I organize my list with what I need to do and on the right side I organize my list with things I need to think about or don’t want to forget.
Letter Collection Tray– I have a few of these throughout my classroom. I have two on opposite sides of the room that hold lined paper. I want to make lined paper easily accessible for all students and having two trays, cut down on unnecessary trips across the room for students who might want to walk by their friends. I also have one of these trays on my desk. This is the perfect spot for holding important paper collections that you might not need on a daily basis like field trip permission slips or other waivers that may come at you over the period of a week or two weeks.
Teacher Lesson Planner– I have gone through a few variations of teacher planners over the years. For a few years, I used a google sheets document that was nice for keeping important teaching links. As we have digitized our teaching units and hold the links on our google drive, the google sheets page was not working for me in a dynamic i planning fashion. Setting it up each year was a pain along with all of the weekly tabs that I would have to scroll through. It was difficult to write in a fire drill or some other thing that took about 15 minutes of my lesson. Once the pandemic hit, I was don using Google Sheets as my lesson planner. This teacher lesson planner has just the structure I am looking for. I love the weekly planning pages with notes to add on the right hand side. This is great for those weird circumstances throughout the year to keep in mind, like send out conference sign ups or finish present levels for a student’s IEP. I also love the monthly overview at the beginning of each month. It is weird to say, but this is a dynamic planner that anticipates my teacher needs. I will be buying one again next school year.
ADHD Friendly Teacher Classroom Resources: Focus & Sensory Supports
Here are some of the items that I have in my classroom depending on the needs of the students and my own ADHD. Many students struggle with attention/focus, anxiety and sensory regulation. These are some of my must haves for this group of students.
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Classroom Seating Options
Talk with your principal, OT or special education teacher to see what they currently have access to. Often these individuals have access to funding and can purchase these for you without dwindling down your own classroom budget.
Student Rocking Desk Chair– My school has a few chairs that look just like the typical classroom chairs except that they have rocking chair legs. I have had a few students that have personally used this option and it has been wonderful and not a distraction. This is a great seating modification for some students who need to be constantly moving.
Theraband for Desk- This is a great addition to any students desk who needs some type of movement while the teacher needs that student to stay in one place in the classroom.
ADHD Friendly Teacher Classroom Resources for Student Organization
Accordion File Organizer- I have seen more ‘hot mess express’ disorganized kids successfully transition from random folders to an expanding all-in-one file folder. Keeping everything in one place provides an organizational structure these students struggle with when dealing with individual folders for each subject. This one is truly life changing!
Chair Pockets– Students who struggle with Executive Functioning would benefit from not keeping anything inside a desk. Instead have them keep a chair pocket where they can easily see their supplies.
Storage Bins for Disorganized Students- This is an extra scaffold for students that can’t handle desks, these bins would be a great option for keeping workbooks, folders and notebooks. The student can easily see where their materials are located.
Fidgets for Focus
I have allowed a variety of fidgets in my classroom- fidget spinners, pop-its, slime etc. I have since banned them all as I find they are just a slippery slope for toys in my classroom- unless it’s part of their IEP or something an additional modification I have worked out with the parents. Don’t get me wrong, I truly think students need to regulate their focus and attention throughout the day- which is why I take my class out for recess, allow the students to leave (with permission) for a walking or water break for a short period of time and have movement breaks embedded throughout the school day.
Even with all of these supports in place, some students still need a fidget and/or place to help regulate their focus. Here is my curated lists of fidgets that work and are quiet in the classroom.
Velcro– This is great for a student that is looking to touch everything. Put a strip of this under their desk and they can play with it at their desk.
Handheld Fidgets- These fidgets have all been tested over the years and have worked well for my students with sensory needs and focus challenges and hold up quite well and are quiet. The magnets are quite strong and can take heavy usage from students looking for sensory feedback.
Puzzles– I have a puzzle table for the first time this year and it has been amazing to see the interest in kids. Most of my students ask to work on the puzzle throughout the day and are so excited and proud each time they complete a puzzle.
We have unfortunately had a few puzzles that have been completed and are missing a few pieces. I suspect it is because the pieces have fallen from the table. A puzzle board would be a great way to help stop lost pieces from happening.
ADHD Friendly Teacher Classroom Resources: Teacher Bags & Backpack
Patagonia Backpack– This is not the exact backpack I use, as I purchased mine in 2015 and it is still going strong! I have had cute teacher bags over the years, but found they didn’t have all of the slots, pockets and general material make up that could handle spilled water and other messes caused by me. Any backpack with a laptop sleeve, and two extra zipper areas (one for my badge and pens, the other for your papers/books/other work) and a water bottle holder works well. I highly recommend Patagonia because their stuff holds up, as my 2015 teacher backpack can attest. As an added bonus anything you buy from Patagonia, if it breaks you can send in to their shop and they will repair it for you. I believe you have to pay for postage. I sent in a purse a few years ago, it was gone for about 8 weeks and came back in great shape. What a great program and investment!
ADHD Friendly Teacher Classroom Resources: Professional Books
Most of the books that I find that make a worthwhile purchase are the ones that relate to student behaviors and/or are helpful to share with parents. Here are some of the books that I have in my collection at school.
Smart But Scattered– If you could only read one book in your entire teaching career, make it this one. This book is a masterclass in all things executive functioning. It goes over why, and what to do, when some kids struggle with basic executive skills like getting organized, time management, staying focused and regulating emotions. This book is a part of a series of books on executive functioning written by psychologists Peg Dawson and Richard Guare. I have recommended and lent this book out to many struggling families. If this topic is interesting you can google ‘executive functioning’ to find the latest information. Sara Ward is another specialist in the area of executive functioning.
Out of Sync Child-Practical guide that give information on what is going on with kids who struggle with sensory processing, frequently struggle with dysregulation or work with the Occupational Therapist (OT) at school. Tips are shared for creating a sensory-enriched life, something that seems to be a particular challenge in a post pandemic/remote learning world.
Sensory Child Gets Organized– This is another great book to add to your collection. I have shared this with many frazzled parents who struggle with super disorganized kids. This book was written by a professional organizer who happens to also be a parent of a child that struggled with sensory processing. She includes information and pictures that help parents (and teachers) create organization systems for their kids/students to be successful.
Zones of Regulation– While this is a curriculum that helps students recognize and regulate their emotions, don’t get stuck on the ‘curriculum’ part of this program. I find this is an extremely helpful foundation for teaching SEL lessons with students and constantly refer to the different zones throughout the year. This program is a part of the Social Thinking publications which are also great resources. If you would like to learn more about these programs/books your special ed teacher, speech/language therapist, occupational therapist or social worker probably has a copy they can share with you (if they are nice and share things with you).
First Six Weeks of School and The Morning Meeting Book are two easy to use and super helpful books from The Responsive Classroom. I will often review these books at the beginning of each school year because they have so many ideas for creating a classroom community.
ADHD Friendly Teacher Classroom Resources: Supports for Students at Home
If you have any parents who are looking for sensory support here are some of the things we have used at my home and love. Some of these are for sleep. Some of these are for getting extra energy out while getting solid sensory input. Finally some of these are for times of increased anxiety and will help increase a sense of calm.