must do lessons before teaching but don’t | ADHD Information
You sound great and well doneI dont know how people can teach disrespectful students. I'd just get angry with them, then I'd go home and cry.
You should be very proud of yourself!!!
davinci, isn't it the greatest to realize that you aren't the only one out there dealing with the problems that you have? It really is a revelation. I found it to be a HUGE relief to finally understand that I wasn't stupid or something. After that, I got REALLY, REALLY ANGRY at God, society, my bosses, for, what I'm not sure. Just the unfairness of it all I guess-- why do I have to be the one who suffers with this? Why can't society be more accomodating of people who think differently than others? Why do we have to be DRUGGED just to try to fit our square pegs into society's round hole? Anyway, I'm kind of over that. I am actually looking forward to the possible changes drugs might bring.
And yeah, what you said about missing half of people's conversations? Happens to me ALL THE TIME!!! 
Don't know about you but I'm having all sorts of trouble finding a Dr in S.A that will deal with adult ADHD. I've rang 22 Doctors only to be told their books are closed or they only treat children
It's getting me just a little angry.A lesson a day in each subject for the Esl teacher here.
"...missing half of people's conversations? Happens
to me ALL THE TIME!!!" EXACTLY!
Yes, a huge relief! Today I actually felt a little more self- accepting today as I recalled the messages from last night. It actually blows me away that you can thoroughly understand what I am going through and have gone through my whole life.
I spent a few hours in my community garden and slowed down. I had a better feeling ‘ok-ness,’ after reading your and the others’ emails. Today, I started, and am almost up to date in my student roster. AND I prepped, although at the last minute, for tonight’s class—and…I was on, I was quick, speaking very clearly, using correct grammar because I was NOT nervous. I “forced” (my mood up beat smiling, energetic but not TOO energetic,) those resistant students who have no compassion for me when I have a bad day, to participate, to speak English, to work. Did I mention that yesterday one student told her activity partner in a rather LOUD voice that I was mean. Everyone heard her. Our eyes were riveted at her back. “what was that? Did you say that I am mean?” I fell apart and really could not function. But tonight I was powerful. I knew exactly what I was doing. And why I was doing it. You know, I just realized that my teaching style might be in the ADHD-style delivery. Going from point A to point B it is necessary that I go to c, d, f, and e first. Then, when I return to point B, I hear sighs of comprehension.
Did you mention, “square pegs into society's round hole?”
really, What is it about our society that causes so many people to freak 
out if anyone deviates
from the norm? the first time I was aware of my square-peg-ness was in nursery
school. I stayed home sick. At the window, I watched the kids from my building being
picked up. I felt their otherness so acutely. Now I know that I was feeling
PAIN, 
AND ISOLATION. 
SADNESS
Hi Nelson family—I am not sure that I understand.your meaning of “A lesson a day in each subject...”what do yo mean one lesson a day”
Over and out, davinci
Hi Davinci, me again. That was a tad harsh eh?
Any way, yes I am a Disability Service Officer for one of the last remaining institutions in South Australia for people with intellectual disabilities and I mainly work with adults 18yrs upward with what we call challenging behaviours.
I've been doing this job since I finished school so coming up 12yrs this christmas. It's a fantastic job as I get to take the guys on holidays, take them to the movies, out for lunch etc. Having ADHD should be a prerequisite for my job cos WINGING it is the name of the game in my job. My guys are unpredictable and most of them are like two year olds in the bodies of adults (I relate to them
) They love to play, sing, strip their clothes off in public places, punch out at unsuspecting passer-by's if I'm not quick enough to stop them or get infront of their fist first
.
If you need stimulation and the need to be able to run things at your pace, I would suggest looking into this line of work!!!
Of course it's not all rosy all of the time and some facets of the job wouldn't suit the faint hearted.
Glad to hear you've got some postive feedback and havnt ran away like I probably would have. I take things to heart too easily.
[QUOTE=davinci56] This is very difficult for me to do. I have the lesson in front of me. But, I have great difficulty separate myself from the class to pick up a piece of paper, look for the right place to start reading. I know, mark my create my lesson plan in such a way so that it will always be the same format and legible. I se other teachers do this.
Hey davinci56,
I so identify with your problem! I wanted to share with you what I do. It may help, it may not.. it just seems to me that you do the exact same thing I have done in my past. so :
I think about the next thing I need to do. I think of not as a lesson but a story, or a musical peice.. maybe some grand symphony. ( ok, I know that's a little out there, but bear with me!)
I write down on my laptop ( by hand takes too long, and I can almost type as fast as Im thinking.) the introduction ( telling the calss what they are going to learn.) then the body of the lesson - I write out everything I'm going to say, I am actually daydreaming myself doing this as I am writing the lesson, thus the idea that its a story.
Then I write the close -- like a good story, I write what we just learned, or how to apply it in the future.. Or I leave with a good thought like a great conclusion to a peice of music.
Everything is written out in detail.. I have also daydreamed what I am going to do ( this using my inattentive ADD as a strength I might add.)
Finally, at classtime I have a small white erase board that I lean against the chalkboard, that has a skeleton plan telling me what I am doing with each class. It is not the whole plan, BUT it is a visual reminder of the tasks that I need to complete with each class.
Do I go off on tangents? You bet!!! Do I forget to accomplish everything. ummm yeah, sometimes. But my kids are learning, they are enthusiastic about the subject, and I actually think that my ADD adds a lot of fun, spontenaity and understanding to my classroom.
Good luck! you really do have the hard part done.. you LOVE teaching!! there are teachers out there who do a job.. they don't love it, and it shows in their classrooms. If we love our careers, it reflects in our classrooms also. Your students are lucky to have you! Hang in there
Thank you very much GlenW and annidagostini. I needed that kind of validation.
annidagostini~I will definitely check out crawling threads. You
mean 'threads' at this site with topic 'crawling, ‘don’t you?
Also, thank you for tips re the internet lessons. My therapist told me the same
thing, about picking up the lesson plan and start reading if I feel mind
beginning to short circuit. This is very difficult for me to do. I have the
lesson in front of me. But, I have great difficulty separate myself from the
class to pick up a piece of paper, look for the right place to start reading. I
know, mark my create my lesson plan in such a way so that it will always be the
same format and legible. I se other teachers do this.
I
have started to read instructions from the
books and handouts because sometimes it seems that I cannot explain
them
clearly to my students. Other times when they do understand my
instructions, I am, of course very pleased and put at ease, and
extremely
surprised. Sometimes, in and out of class, as I speak, I do not know
what I am
saying. as if my speech is on autopilot. depending on the context I ask
my
conversation partner if he/she understood what I was saying. I had to
see if I had coherent. Still at other times, while I am talking,
I am
thinking that"if I were listening to the instructions that I was
giving, I
highly doubt that I would understood them.
If folks are wondering why I chose the field of education even though so many
of the required skills are difficult for me to perform,
I have a very simple answer: love to teach. I started and stopped so many things through out my life. because they were challenging. I do not blame myself as much as I used to for not following through on my latest ‘great’ ideas. I now understand that I do have certain challenges. That is all they are. I can choose to meet these challenges or go back to my little cubby hole. Hence I choose to live life.
I returned to teaching adults English, this past January. This was the best decision that I had made in long time.
Hey WOW another Aussie................. Coooooool
There isn't many of us on here. I only know one other here which is Brookelea.
taritac--the
outfits!!!! yes!!!! the jewelry and shoes!!! the "occasionally late
to work" EVERYTHING you wrote could have been lifted verbatim from my
writings.
"my retardation is a REAL thing, not just laziness or stupidity or
carelessness." depression?bipolar?adhd?i tend to think all of it is ONLY
ADHD!!! this really hit HOME. I know that many people think I'm
"slow
," or weird=crazy, not eccentric, JUST PLAIN GOOFY
. however, my mind
is taking in the information in a non-linear way so, about 70% of information must be presented to ME one step at
a time.
sometimes it is as if people start conversations in the middle, then go to the
beginning, ending at a reasonable finish line. "Wait!" i
say, “who went to New York? your mother?"
"No, my father came down from new york..."
then i think: well, why didn't you say so from the beginning!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING, all of you.
I AM CRYING --WHY
I DO NOT KNOW. BECAUSE I AM NOT ALONE BECAUSE YOU FOLKS
ARE OUT THERE, and, most likely, unknowingly, VALIDATING MY EXPERIENCES, VALIDATING MY LIFE.
i really am ok. not just making it up that i am not ok. i
know what my challenges are and now is the time for action. NOT
PROCRASTINATION, WHICH I AM DOING RIGHT AT THIS VERY MINUTE.
taritac--Thank
you for the teaching tips. I KNOW THESE WILL DO THE TRICK IF I ONLY
FOLLOWED THROUGH, DID THEM, AND THEN, TAKE THEM TO SCHOOL, REMEMBER THE
INSTRUCTIONS, THE SEQUENCES INTHE ACTIVITIES...
i will
post YOUR NOTES on my "real" message board.
I AM JUST SOOOOOOO 
TIRED OF EVERYTHING, HOWEVER, I
KNOW THAT I MUST KEEP ON TRUCKIN' ON. GONNA GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! ANYONE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE KIDS SHOW "ZOOM" ON PBS BACK IN THE 60s? "WE'RE GONNA ZOOM! ZOOM! ZOOM! ZOOM! ZOOM!
davinci, I'm having the same issues, and I don't think I'm bipolar-- sounds like ADHD to me. I look at my friends at amazement: husbands, kids, demanding jobs, clean houses, bills paid on time, NOT perpetually about-to-be fired, dishes washed, nicely clothed with LAYERS and ACCESSORIES (it's hard enough for me just to put on pants and a sweater, but they have actual OUTFITS: blouse, blazer, skirt, lovely earrings, a scarf that matches just right, bracelets, necklaces, the right shoes-- how in the hell do they do it?), projects at work done ahead of time, occassionally late to work, but on time most of the time.
It was quite a revelation to me to realize that I wasn't retarded in some way. Or rather, that I AM retarded in some ways, but that my retardation is a REAL thing, not just laziness or stupidity or carelessness.
You've GOT to take a few minutes to focus on your lesson plans the night before-- just take 15 minutes to throw something together. I've never taught a course, but I have led discussions and given trainings before. When I don't have enough material to cover the time, I have a set of tools that I pull out to put the onus on the students: discussion questions, assignments that make them "teach" or entertain the class (clearly, it must be related to your topic), opportunities for them to partner and work on specific techniques. Things like role plays, reading aloud, etc. are other ways you can "vamp"!
And just think, after you get your lesson plans done this year, next year will be that much easier.
taritac38672.2631712963I teach adult ESL and must do my lesson plans before each class. i keep thinking that i can wing it and all will be fine. Once in a while, I ma very lucky and I'll conduct a good class but most of the time if i do not prepare, i get nervous, totally insecure and the worst is that my mind goes blank and i cannot think! in front of the whole
class my mind has blown a fuse and then nothingness--not a thought
except for the thought of i've got to think a thought. then i
apologize,...........
and
that is the beginning of my unraveling. there on out the class is
really bad. i am not in control, i've lost the respect of many of the
students--the usual group starts mumbling (i teach adults, and they've
already complained once to my supervisor who, needless to say
cannot understand why i screw up the roster every month.)i hate to prepare lessons but know i must grow up (so says my therapist) and do the prep, but i don't. how can i always think that i can wing it when experience, and lots of it, prove to me that i am wrong. no winging it.
I actually prefer
a fluid class structure, working on what arises spontaneously from what we are doing. enough of this blah blah blah. can anyone relate to this
Hi there, I most certaintly can relate. I spent my whole highschool years doing exactly that. I've also been told that it's time I grew up and took responsibilty for what needs to be done (like the dishes, paying bills, housework, getting to work on time....)
If you discover a way to actually GROW UP and do all the things we're expected to, can you let me know too
Failing that, you could always apply to teach English in Japan. My brother has just come back from a year there and he has never taught before and was terrible at english at school. He winged every class he taught in Japan
Can Anyone Relate ?????
ABSOLUTLEY
I'm in that about the growing up thing. On the outter I can make it APPEAR as if I'm all together but behind closed doors and more than anything within me I'm a 16 year old trapped in a 33 year old body feeling like I'm playing house on a daily bases.
I really do love structure and would likemy home to look functional but it just never happens and if infuriates me that I just can't get it together no matter how hard I try or how much I desire to.
I'm in Australia so I'm not sure what the class is you are talking about . Can I ask for the extended version of the class you are teaching ???
And are you teaching this class because it is something you want to do and have always wanted to do or because of directions from others, be they subtle or direct from others.
One thing I've found with myself is that it's the things I've been influenced to do that others think I should that don't come naturally to me have caused the most difficulties or conflict within myself. Not always but most, however that may be different for you but it was just a thought to bring up.
GymRose38672.0555208333i never even knew that i needed to grow until this past year. i never even knew i had a choice--that there was a different way. that others thought differently than me. that's how far away i was.
i have always wondered
how
other people got by. Then, slowly. slowly i realized they do not have
the same challenges that i have. After i told one therapist that i do
not understand how "they" do it--take care of EVERYTHING, do what they
need to do, and succeed. they keep jobs, maintain relationships,
intimate and social, have kids, cook, clean, put gas in the car so they
do not have to drive totally anxious on their way to work worrying that
they will run out of gas while they are already running late, and then
buy that necessary quart of milk for the morning coffee, or the ink
cartridges so they will be able to print those lesson plans and stay
relatively calm, at least compared to me. Well, she bluntly said, (i have a mild case of the bipolar blues) "they aren't bipolar"
WOW!!! this totally blew me away. so simple and yet I was
stunned. the light bulb went off in my head. all the asteroids,
whizzing in this direction and that, simultaneously made a crash
landing. their brains do not function as mine does. Simple. and i
really don't want my brain to function as their brains function. BUT I WANT TO BE LIKE THEM--conundrum.
thanks for your answer Peita Pan--that is a great name. I got the name from watching Peter Pan a thousand times over with my three year old. She wanted to watch Garfield
but had to make it feminine Peita so I suppose I'm a Lost Girl instead of lost boy
[QUOTE=Peita Pan]Failing that, you could always apply to teach English in Japan. My brother has just come back from a year there and he has never taught before and was terrible at english at school. He winged every class he taught in Japan
Hey, I've always wanted to do that! Do you need a teaching degree? ;)
Wow, thank you Peita Pan. I appreciate what you wrote. I have been
answering you in Word but am falling asleep. I will post my writing tomorrow
night.
"Disability Service Officer"--what about your job? what do you
do? I have never heard that job title before. I am curious because my father is
physically challenged. (I do not feel comfortable using the word 'disabled' to
describe my father's physical abilities/disabilities. It sounds too severe. i
would rather think of him attempting to stand up, no pun intended--he can walk--to a very
critical challenge, which he will surmount with an enormous amount of perseverance
and patience. I hope. 
Did i say that i was falling asleep at the wheel--my keyboard? gotta go ta bed.
Did you mention, “square pegs into society's round hole?” really, What is it about our society that causes so many people to freak out if anyone deviates from the norm? the first time I was aware of my square-peg-ness was in nursery school. I stayed home sick. At the window, I watched the kids from my building being picked up. I felt their otherness so acutely. Now I know that I was feeling PAIN, AND ISOLATION. SADNESS
[QUOTE=davinci56]I teach adult ESL and must do my lesson plans before each class. i keep thinking that i can wing it and all will be fine. Once in a while, I ma very lucky and I'll conduct a good class but most of the time if i do not prepare, i get nervous, totally insecure and the worst is that my mind goes blank and i cannot think! in front of the whole class my mind has blown a fuse and then nothingness--not a thought except for the thought of i've got to think a thought. then i apologize,...........and that is the beginning of my unraveling. there on out the class is really bad. i am not in control, i've lost the respect of many of the students--the usual group starts mumbling (i teach adults, and they've already complained once to my supervisor who, needless to say cannot understand why i screw up the roster every month.)
i hate to prepare lessons but know i must grow up (so says my therapist) and do the prep, but i don't. how can i always think that i can wing it when experience, and lots of it, prove to me that i am wrong. no winging it.
I actually prefer a fluid class structure, working on what arises spontaneously from what we are doing. enough of this blah blah blah.
can anyone relate to this [/QUOTE]
I can totally relate to it. I am a teacher and I wing things all the time. Things have been getting better for me with meds and with the exercises I'm doing (see the crawling threads)
I would suggest something that might help you.
Go on-line and search for lesson plans. There are thousands of lesson plans out there that have been written by great teachers - add and non I'm sure - the work has already been done.
Find what you need - print out how many you need for how many weeks you have - and go for it. Print out more than you need.
Then if you lose your train of thought, you can just go back to one of the lessons you printed out and begin to read it!! It won't seem as though you are not prepared anymore.
It works for me!!!
[QUOTE=rayray812]I AM OUTRAGED!!! NOT PREPARING LESON PLANS FOR THE CHILDREN OF COMMUNITIES THAT TRUST YOU!!!
[/QUOTE]
rayray812
I AM OUTRAGED!! YOU SPELLED "LESSON PLANS" WRONG!
Come on, we are not all perfect. Give teachers a break. They can't do everything.
Here is a teacher, coming to this site to get help so that they can teach better and you are coming down on them instead of helping them.
Give suggestions, that would be great! If you are the type of person who is naturally organized, it is helpful to those of us who struggle to hear your ideas.
These things do not come naturally to us, even though it may seem that way to you. It is like wearing glasses and not having as good of vision as someone else.
Staff need to let kids disrespectful attitudes are not welcome with them either. Parents also need to listen to this also.Hi all! This is my first post here... But I wanted to write something because I identified with you Davinci. I taught adults for a few semesters and taught kids for 9 yrs. I learned some things...
My ADD is
1. a pain in the butt when it comes to writing lesson plans, grading, checking hw-- anything involving paper. One strategy I've used is to do as much as I can when I'm excited... For example, after class I'm sometimes energetic-- especially if the class went well. So it's a good time to plan for the next one.
2. hard when I get down on myself bc of it. I had to learn not to accept disrespect under any circumstances. Sometimes, asking the student to step out in the hall with me and saying, "I don't disrespect you and I expect not to be disrespected by you" works wonders.
3. an advantage because it's related to my empathy. I'm a better teacher than some because I can't help but care.
4. disadvantage when I care too much about what others think of me. For example, my first semester teaching adults I wanted them to like me so I let them rewrite papers. I ended up having to grade (which is boring for me anyway) over the winter break. Lesson learned.
5. easier to teach with over time. For example, I got in the habit of saying at the beginning of each semester "I believe students learn more when the teacher responds to what they need in that moment. So although I put an agenda on the board, we may end up covering other topics bc I will be responding to your needs."
Teaching is hard. Teaching is hard to do well. Teaching is hard to do well, but I am capable of doing it. Teaching is hard to do well, but I am capable of doing it, and ultimately, I will help my students EXCELL!
naqueen
I AM OUTRAGED!!! NOT PREPARING LESON PLANS FOR THE CHILDREN OF COMMUNITIES THAT TRUST YOU!!!
Thank you everybody
for reading my posts. I appreciate you sharing your ideas and experiences with
me. Reading your posts, I have felt understood
and accepted, which has long been a challenge for me to
feel.
Hi rayray812,
I teach adults English as a second language, and not children as you assumed in your email. As well, I am a
substitute teacher in grades k-12, for which there is no lesson planning. When
subbing, I take along my 'bag tricks' in case it is necessary for modifications
to be made in the lessons left by the classroom teacher. I am not sure your
understanding my post coincides with their meaning.
As well, I am sorry if I am not living up to who you think I
should be. In my opinion, I am not worth your exclamation
marks. I am just another simple person born into this life trying to do the
right thing. I am learning how to be a better person, This endeavor will
continue through my whole life until my death. I firmly believe this one
endeavor provides meaning to human existence, and making mistakes is an
unavoidable facet in human existence. Learning from these mistakes is critical.
I 
know I am an imperfect, courageous, 
worthwhile human
being.
I
hope this post finds everyone well, you enjoy the weekend.
Yours truly,
Davinci
davinci5638674.9823032407[QUOTE=rayray812]I AM OUTRAGED!!! NOT PREPARING LESON PLANS FOR THE CHILDREN OF COMMUNITIES THAT TRUST YOU!!!
[/QUOTE]
rayrayrayrayrayray....
yelling is impolite mein herr
Aren't you being more than a wee bit overreactive?? Calm - be chillin'!
The important part for a qualified teacher in a classroom isn't all about lesson plans. They help - but gosh darn it - they aren't the end-all be-all. Have you taught? I'm guessing no. I have - computers for adults and children.
Without a lesson plan it's harder to tell what you've done and what you need to cover next. But impossible? No.
Most classes in the grade system are set with periodic tests. That can act as a sort of lesson plan - as if the test has been done and most get the information fairly pat - then lesson plan has been accomplished!
It's hard for ADHDers to set things down on paper. Even when we do we can sabotage what we wrote with our mannerisms. That happened to me - it's one of the reasons I didn't try to keep being a teacher. Well, that and they cut my contract early. Long story - don't wanna share.
Anyway rayray - you've had a chip on your shoulder for a while. Is everything ok? Not being condescending here - honestly worried as this kind of anger isn't good for you.
Just know that the lesson plan is only one step. It's a GOOD step true - but I winged it for a year - the kids/adults all got the education they paid for and nobody got lost. Well I did but like I said not talking about it.
Just breathe rayray - and maybe hit the caps lock one more time k?
Hi, I joined this site just a few hours ago because I need to connect with others and boy did I come to the right thread!! I directly see myself in all these postings. This is one of my severe problems. I used to be able to "wing" it too but my ADHD symptoms have grown worse and I now cant. My work also involved much writing and I am so resistant the work has not been getting done and I have become overwhelmed in trying to catch up. I am losing control over my deparment and losing the respect of those I supervise.
Thank you for your insights and the 10 minute plan sounds like a plan!!
Hey Wordwoman,
I'm the same way with the 10 minute thing. I don't set a timer, but that's
my natural inclination. When writing, I work for 10 minutes at a time
before I have to move to something else. I then come back later and write
for another 10 minutes. It seems to be a timer in my head that goes off.
Considering how much writing I have to do, it's amazing that I accomplish
anything this way.