Any tTeachers Out There? | ADHD Information

dede- thanks, those are fantastic suggestions!!!...

dieburnbot-I think you kinda already answered your question by posting. For many ADHD kids school is torture....it wasn't a walk in the park for me either. The big difference is that I had some fantastic teachers along the way and I'd like the chance to be one of those fantastic teachers to someone else.

One of the biggest differences between "regular" teachers and myself is that I've been there, done that and I've walked a mile in their shoes. I know how they think and how they feel so I can overtly teach the coping mechanisms needed in order to survive in a non-ADHD environment.

I think having ADHD also has some advantages....I think outside the box, if I have a kid who's really having a hard time with a concept I can usually find an alternative way to explain. I'm really energetic and teach really high energy lessons, lots of hands on activities. I have the same attention span as a lot of my students (at least it feels like that some days) so I can tell when they are losing attentivness (I'm not sure if that's even a word) and change activities to keep them motivated. I'm sensitive to criticism so I'd never single out or purposely embarrass any of my students.

I struggled at school, so I can sympathise with my students. I know that organization can be difficult for many kids so I teach how to organize.......I dunno I think being diagnosed and treated for ADHD as not only made me a better teacher, but also a better person.

Hi Venturess2.  I teach too, and I think it is a great profession for an ADDer as there is a great opportunity to use our creativity and empathy, and the work environment allows some flexibility.  Good for you for caring about our kids!

What dede mentioned about the post-it notes and lists....I do exactly the same thing.  I have post-its stuck everywhere.  I also know myself well enough to know that I won't be able to sit down and work at one thing for more than about 15 min., so I have a desk with several neat little stacks of high-priority things I am working on.  I find that if I keep them neat and visible, I can bounce back and forth between them easily, and eventually get them done.  I also have a big white-board with a list of each of the activities I am involved in, and I mark things I need to do up on the board under each activity.  I use red marker when I am getting near a deadline. I also stick those post-its and print-outs on the board. 

I think teaching is a great profession for adhd peoples.  A lot of ADDers have a great empathy, compassion and energy - all good qualities for teaching.

I'm not a teacher either, but I did go to college for 1 yr to be a pre-school teacher, but that was back in 1977. The classes seemed like a breeze to me (no math required, hee hee)! and the only class I had trouble with was classical music. I just didn't get. But since I did do well in everything else, my prof. passed me with a low C. ( I think he felt sorry for me). Also I didn't know I had ADD. Back than did anyone know it even existed? I just think we all just felt very different, and that things would change as we got older. At least thats what I though.

Venturess & Dede, I think thats so ....beyond awesome that y'all made it as teachers! Even though I think I could have graduated, when one of my classes was to be a student teacher, I freaked! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get ANYTHING origanized. I could sometimes fake it or make an excuse of why I didn't do something. You wouldn't think Pre-School would be that hard, especially back than! I also had alot of energy and could make things fun for the kids and get them motivated. I think the reg. teacher saw that, and that helped her out alot because she was definatly "old school" and I brought a little excitement into playtime and the basic learning stuff.

When I think back, I'm sure there was a boy and a girl who had ADD. I took a special liking to them. They were both very smart and artistic, but had problems big time socially. No one played with them and even the teacher seemed rather impatient. Thats when MY problems really started: Mothers coming in and saying that they didn't think I liked their child b/c I was ignoring them! I was shocked! I really thought they were doing fine on their own, so instead of telling them things like "good job" or anyother words of encouragement, I just let them do their thing. They seemed OK to me. Now on the other hand, I recieved praise from the parents of the other two children. I spent way to much time w/them b/c I thought they needed me more! I could also relate to them better. Now I know why.

By now, I think I had the majority of parents and people at the school pissed off at me I was still living w/my mom and was scared to tell her I wanted to quit school! What pushed me over the edge was when I was told I had to make a speech in front of the entire school at parents night. I thought they were doing this to try to get rid of me, but then I found out ALL student teachers had to do this. How could I find something to say in front of people that hated me ? I couldn't. The night I was to make this "so called speech", I never showed up. I went out w/my boyfriend, whos now my husband and got drunk. Of course I realized someone from the school would call, my mom would answere, and the sh*t would hit the fan(and it sure did), but I didn't care at the time.

Anyway, I found out later, the other student teachers had all made it through their night of the speech and most went on to graduate. A week later I officially quit and moved in with my future  S/O. My mom was embarressed, told me that I would most likely fail at life in general. We've never gotten along since. I had over 20 yrs to go before being DX'ed w/ADD and anxiety disorder. Maybe w/meds that I'm on now, adderall & klonopin, I might have made it  and have better self esteem. I graduated from tech school for health ins. billing & coding with honors. But I have yet to hold down a successful job. I'm an excellent coder, but most start you in billing. WAY to much multi-tasking and organizing for me. But on a good note, after reading all of these success stories, even coping with the difficulities that go along w/ADD/ADHD, I'm even more determind to get my Coders certificate, so I won't have to start out in billing! Meds have their limitations as to making you feel "normal", and no med could help me multi-task.

Sorry if I rambled but I had to get that off my chest and once again, KUDOS to your success! 

boggled- thankx, even more great ideas.  I already use a wipe board calendar, but I think I might try your wipe board lists.......

I am a teacher. I homeschool my children.  I am not very organized, and will probably not tell you anything you don't know. Lists are your  key.  Don't procrastinate.  A list shows you what you have accomplished, the direction your headed, and what else needs to be done.  My daughter, ADHD, depends on lists for everything,  That and doing the same routine daily helps her.  Hope I typed somehting that helped a little. I am a special education teacher in high school. Many of my students are ADHD. After being frustrated my entire time in school, I decided at the age of 38 to go to college and help others. After struggling at college, I was tested with a 6th grade reading level. Yes, special education is where I wanted to be.  I did not think of myself and ADHD till this year and after much research and looking at myself andbeing tested, my life all started to make sence. No wonder I love my ADHD students so much, we are all the same. After medication, things are much better.  I love my job! I know why I am the way I am.I'm a teacher and I have ADHD.....one of the toughest times of the year is September.  I'm bombarded with things to collect and organize.  I was wondering if there are any other teachers out there and if they have any ADHD classroom tips for the teacher.I'm nota  teacher but I have a question for you since you are a teacher.  Why did you become a teacher?  That is the last thing I would ever want to do with my life primarily because I hate school and the last thing I would want to do is get out of school and then go back to teach hehehe.  Venturess - brave profession!  not a teacher either, but a big hello to you and  for putting up with our kids all day.

I'm also a  teacher with adhd, and I agree that the first few weeks are hard. Too much to organize (all my new supplies are piled on my desk), furniture to rearrange, room to decorate, etc. Then all of a sudden, the kids arrive! I found that making a list first thing in the morning helps me. It takes me about 10 minutes to do. I write down the things I want to get done during the day and put a little check-off box in front of it. I put down everything I need to copy, notes I need to write to parents, materials I need to prepare for a lesson, etc. I add things as the day goes on. I get great satisfaction out of checking off the little boxes when I get a task done. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I rarely get everything done on the list, but at least I can see what did get finished! And I have the next day's list started.

I have a friend who would dictate her list into a mini recorder as she drove to school, and would write it out when she got to school. I never tried it....my music is too loud in the car for this!

I close my door during my prep time to tune out any noise in the hall and to discourage anyone from coming in. I really need this time to be uninterrupted.

Post-it notes are my best friends. I always have some on hand and I try to write down things I need to do, or things I observe my students doing. I have folders for each of my students and I'll jot a note about a child's progress or an area of difficulty, and I'll date it and stick it right to the folder. Then I have an easier time when I need to adjust the way material is presented to the child, or to write reports.

These are a few things that help me...any advice from others would be greatly appreciated.

~~dede~~

I love post-its! And I also use those little post-it flags when I'm reading a book or article so that when I get bored, I can come back a lot easier. I have wipe board calendar and just a board plus things to tack notes, tickets, etc. up on. I have all kinds of colored markers to try to color code stuff and bright post-its in every color so I see them. Plus I try to get as much stand up stuff as possible. I don't know if anyone else does this, but I see stuff easier if it's taller, so I have taller stuff like a stand up cordless phone, tall lamps, books stacked in different ways, etc.

I have piles everywhere though of all sorts of stuff. And I can never figure out what to do with them, especially that miscellaneous stuff that must have a place somewhere but I can never find it. Just looking at it freaks me out too, I make a big circle around that stack. Does anyone else do that and if so, how do you get rid of the piles and stacks and boxes?

distracted38239.8796064815

Hey Boggled,

That's a really good idea! I'm a pack rat, though so I don't know if I could do that or not. What would happen if I threw such-and-such away and then two years later, discovered a need for it? That's actually the way I think. Which leads to all the piles. I just moved into my dorm room a week and a half ago, and already it is one room full of piles. How to explain this to non-ADHDers? Most people who see where I live are horrified.

I am a "piler" too.  Haven't figured out what to do with that pile of misc., it just keeps getting bigger.  I have a friend who takes that pile, once a week, and puts it into a garbage bag and puts it in her basement.  If no one is looking for the stuff in the bag it works its way toward the back of here basement, and she eventually throws it out without looking at it again.  What a system!  I can't bring myself to try it.

I taught for 6 years then moved into administration.  (Assistive Technology Coordinator, not Principal)  I too had many 'Piles'.  My seating charts were my best friends.  I used to tease the kids that if they missed too much school I would forget them.  Sad truth is, after winter and spring break I had to get out the seating charts to remember their names.   I have almost totally computerized my office.  The less paper the send me the less stacks I can create.

And luckily I taught Science, so my schedule was the same every day.

 

 I'm glad I'm not the only one with piles. I wish I had the answer for this one. I don't have a basement to hide the bags of "stuff," though that would suit my style! I do have a secret for keeping my desk neat, though. Shhh, don't tell. My bottom left drawer has nothing in it. At the end of the day, I take every paper, folder, etc. and shove it in the drawer. Then I take it all out the next day and try to tackle a few more things. This time of year its mostly catalogs and Scholastic  books order forms. So I end up giving it out or throwing it out. People often comment that I have such a clean desk....If they only knew.

~~dede~~

I am an adult (I think)35 years old with adhd. I give you so much credit! How in the world do you stay on task? I have to take ritilan so I can focus on the simplest of tasks. Trying to keep my 11year old son with adhd on task. Is quite a challange.      for all the Teachers!