Journal article

The term school discipline includes student self-management, classroom management, behaviour management, and school exclusion practices. This article is based on the perspectives of rangatahi on disciplinary practices from two different high schools. Ten Years 9–11 students from one school who had experienced exclusion, and 10 fully engaged Year 13 students in another school reflected on their strategic navigation of the culture of classroom and school discipline. Students were aware of how to exercise agency within their school’s disciplinary regime and called for more democratic and equitable processes and dialogical relationships with their teachers.

Children with ADHD face unique learning needs that are sometimes difficult to accommodate in the classroom. This article presents findings from a qualitative study of seven students with ADHD. Students wanted teachers to initiate classroom support subtly, be available for conversations about their learning, and value peer relationships as additional support. They wanted to be able to express their own learning preferences and have their teachers take them seriously and act on them. This article provides ideas and advice for teachers about developing a classroom climate that supports students with ADHD to learn.