Focus Fun Lesson Plan Focus Fun
ADHD Strategies for Success
Lesson Plan
Tier 1 Classroom Strategy
Duration
45 Minutes
Audience
Grades 6-12 (IEP)
Approach
Skill Exploration
Why This Matters
Empowers students with ADHD to develop skills that improve academic performance and personal well-being by transforming challenges into manageable systems.
Key Objective
Students will explore and identify specific ADHD management strategies for focus and organization in the classroom.
Equipment & Materials
Time Phase Activities & Focus 5 min Introduction Define ADHD in student-friendly terms. Ask students to share how focus impacts their day and any current "hacks" they use. 20 min Exploration Pairs work on the Strategy Toolbox Worksheet . Move around the room to prompt deeper thinking on "why" a strategy might work. 10 min Discussion Use the Brain Hack Discussion Cards to facilitate a class-wide debrief. Focus on personal experience and overcoming obstacles. 10 min Closure Select one "Commitment Strategy" for the week. Reflection on how these changes affect daily life beyond school.
Facilitator's Guide
Teaching Tip: Normalize the Struggle
Avoid framing ADHD as a "problem to be fixed." Instead, present it as a unique brain wiring that requires a specific set of tools. When students share strategies, celebrate the "hack" rather than the "fix."
1 Introduction: Setting the Stage
Opening Hook: "Imagine your brain is a high-speed browser with 40 tabs open at once. Sometimes, the right tab is hard to find."
Define ADHD focus as "attention that goes everywhere" rather than "no attention."
Ask: "When you really need to focus, what is the #1 thing that gets in your way?"
2 The Strategy Toolbox (Pair Work)
Hand out worksheets. If students struggle to start, suggest: "What about using a timer for 10 minutes of work, then 2 minutes of moving?"
Encourage students to personalize the strategies. Instead of "use a planner," maybe they use "phone alerts" or "sticky notes on the mirror."
3 The Real Talk Discussion
Shift focus to implementation . Why don't we do the things we know help? (e.g., forgetting to check the planner).
Discuss "Internal" vs "External" strategies.
4 One-Week Challenge
Every student writes their chosen strategy on a post-it note and sticks it to the corner of their desk or inside their binder. This serves as a visual cue for the rest of the week.
Differentiation & Support
For Extra Support
Provide a "Cheat Sheet" of 10 common strategies for them to choose from instead of brainstorming from scratch. Use sentence starters for the reflection.
For Extension
Challenge students to create a "Focus Survival Kit" (physical items) or design an app interface that would help manage their specific ADHD profile.
Focus Fun Slides Brain Hack Series
Focus Fun
ADHD Strategies for Success
Energy
Focus
Systems
The ADHD Brain
The "40 Tabs" Problem
ADHD isn't "no attention"—it's attention that wants to go everywhere at once.
"Your brain is a Ferrari engine with bicycle brakes."
Hard to Start
Losing Time
Distractions
Forgetting
Your Tool Kit
The External Brain
Don't store it in your head. Use planners, apps, or sticky notes.
Time Chunking
Work for 20 mins. Move for 5 mins. Repeat. Your brain needs breaks.
Environmental Control
Music, noise-canceling headphones, or facing the wall.
Strategy Workshop
Work with a partner to fill out your Strategy Toolbox Worksheet.
Discussion Topics:
What actually works for you?
What is the hardest part of being organized?
Which strategy sounds like it would fail? Why?
One-Week Challenge
Pick ONE strategy to test drive this week.
1 Write it on a Post-it note.
2 Stick it where you'll see it daily.
3 Try it, even if you forget once or twice!
YOU'VE GOT THIS
"Progress over perfection. Every small hack makes a big difference."
Strategy Toolbox Worksheet Strategy Toolbox
Name:
Date:
ADHD is like having a high-speed engine but needing better steering. Use this worksheet to build your personal steering kit for focus and organization.
01
Focus Blueprints
List three strategies that can help improve focus in the classroom. Think about tools like timers, planners, seating choices, or movement breaks.
02
The "Real Talk" Test
Describe a specific situation where you found it difficult to focus lately. How could one of the strategies from above have changed the outcome?
03
One-Week Trial
What is one new strategy you learned today that you would like to try for a full week? Why did you pick this one?
Hack Your Brain • Master Your Focus
Brain Hack Discussion Guide Brain Hack Discussion Guide
Facilitating reflective conversations on ADHD management
Facilitation Goals
The goal of this discussion is to move beyond "knowing" strategies to "understanding" the barriers to using them. Focus on normalizing the effort it takes to stay organized and celebrating creative problem-solving.
Encourage Vulnerability
Avoid Judgement
Topic 01
What focus hacks have you tried that actually worked?
Prompt: Think about small things—music, a specific pen, or even a different place to sit. Why did it work for that moment?
Share personal experiences
Topic 02
How do these "brain hacks" help outside of school?
Prompt: Think about gaming, chores, hobbies, or sports. How does being organized change the fun parts of life?
Broader life applications
Topic 03
What is the biggest obstacle to using these tools?
Prompt: Is it forgetting? Is it feeling like you shouldn't need them? Let's brainstorm ways to jump over these hurdles.
Problem-solving together
Reflection
If you could build the "perfect focus app," what feature would it have?
Prompt: This helps students identify exactly what they feel is missing in their current systems (e.g., "it would yell at me every 5 minutes").
Future-focused thinking
"The best strategy is the one you actually use."
