SECRETS OF SUCCESS
Why School Breaks the ADHD Hunter’s Spirit
The modern school system wasn’t built with the hunter in mind. But that doesn’t m
we have to keep using it.
THOM HARTMANN
JUL 10, 2025
193 6 37 Share
Image by Willgard Krause from Pixabay
Every September, countless ADHD kids return to school full of promise, only t
feel like failures by October. It’s not because they’re lazy, stupid, or broken. It’s
because the system was never designed for them in the first place.
We built our modern education system during the Industrial Revolution. Its
purpose wasn’t to foster creativity or honor individual strengths—it was to cre
obedient factory workers and good soldiers. Schools emphasized conformity,
repetition, and hierarchy. Sit still. Follow the rules. Memorize and repeat. Don
ask too many questions.
For kids with ADHD—what I call Hunter brains in a Farmer’s world—this is a
death sentence for the spirit.
The Classroom as a Factory
Think about it: a standard classroom requires kids to sit still for long periods,
absorb abstract information, and stay quiet unless called on. That’s not how
Hunters are wired. A Hunter scans their environment, reacts quickly to
movement, explores, wanders. Their learning is active, kinetic, sensory.
Now imagine putting that child in a chair under fluorescent lights for six hour
day. Penalize them when their minds wander. Shame them for blurting out
brilliant but untimely observations. Force them to repeat tasks that bore them
tears. That’s not education—that’s imprisonment.
The Myth of the Lazy Kid
One of the most insidious myths about ADHD kids is that they “just need to tr
harder.” But ADHD isn’t about willpower. It’s about neurological wiring. The
hunter brain isn’t motivated by future rewards; it responds to immediate stimu
It craves novelty, intensity, and challenge. Long-term projects, repetitive drills
quiet reading time simply don’t register as important. It’s not a choice. It’s
chemistry.
This leads to an avalanche of negative feedback: low grades, constant repriman
damaged self-esteem. The message they internalize is clear: you’re not good
enough. And so they begin to disengage, act out, or give up altogether.
Rebellion Is Not a Flaw
We treat rebelliousness in children as a character defect. But sometimes it’s
wisdom. Hunter kids resist systems that don’t serve them. That resistance, if
nurtured, becomes the same trait that leads adults to become inventors, artists
entrepreneurs, and change-makers.
But too often we crush it early. We reward conformity. We punish curiosity. W
drug children into silence.
This isn’t just a tragedy. It’s a massive loss of potential. How many future
Einsteins and Edisons have we labeled as disruptive? How many future innova
dropped out to escape systems that refused to see their genius?
Real Learning Happens in Motion
Look at how young children naturally learn: by touching, exploring, imitating,
asking questions. That’s a Hunter’s learning style. The farther we move from th
model, the more we lose those kids.
Project-based learning, outdoor education, apprenticeships—these approaches
work brilliantly for ADHD brains. They restore meaning to the learning proce
They offer feedback in real-time. They respect movement, engagement, and
challenge.
Why do so many ADHD kids come alive in summer camp, theater, robotics, or
sports? Because those environments match their wiring.
What Can We Do?
First, we stop blaming the child.
Then we fight to reform the system. Advocate for alternative learning models t
honor multiple intelligences. Support teachers who think outside the box. Push
back against standardized testing regimes that reduce learning to a number.
And at home, we tell our Hunter kids the truth: You’re not broken. You’re
different. And in many ways, you’re better suited to thrive in a world that
desperately needs new thinking.
The modern school system wasn’t built with the hunter in mind. But that does
mean we have to keep using it.
Let’s rebuild it. Let’s build schools where Hunters can run.
ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World with Thom
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Pamela Sprout Pamela Sprout Jul 10
Thank you. I have undiagnosed ADHD (I’m 74), my daughter and granddaughter diagnosed.
what a struggle, continuing three generations in our family.
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Mmerose Mmerose Jul 12
Highly individual experience invited, I guess. School pretty successful for me, with lots of pa
enabling: Mom typing last-minute assignments.... Even so, German Prof. in High school alway
looked at me kind of funny after he gave me an A first semester, then a legit D next, same se
same room. Guess I was just thinking about something else. But mostly I rose to the occasio
"chips were down." (test-taking) But I was a very privileged child. Some have privilege over m
if appropriately recognized and guided behavior-wise. I was just stuffed full of ersatz conten
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