Being a teacher

[Carry]

I get the ‘wanting to cry’ part! I just fog up for no obvious reason at any given time!

I also get the frustration of people taking your disorder hostage! And I have no idea what to do about it!

They can’t understand what it’s like. And you can’t blame them for not knowing, even if they’re educated on the matter!

Talking to people who are ADD, really helps me, I’m finding out!

Hang in there!

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[Anonymous]

@paula ..I totally understand the frustration with the ‘ADD’ reference by the ‘flatliners’ you’re surrounded with making comments.

(If they say they are sooo ‘ADD’ you can just laugh it off..it’s just words and they aren’t that lucky to be so smart like us!)

I get them back with humour. (I’m a smart-mouth… blurting out stuff gets me into some uncomfortable situations but at least it’s kind of funny at times)

I’ve had people actually ask me if I can read!

I’m a hairstylist and have had folks say that it seems like I can concentrate to cut hair. Then I tell them but I can only concentrate and do a good job if they provide me with good stories to listen to while I’m busy! And MAN! Does it ever WORK!

: )

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[Anonymous]

tks for the replies. I think I needed to be reminded that I can’t hold it against them because they really don’t know what they are saying. I need to find more people who understand. I haven’t really slept in two nights. With so much going on right now, I feel out of control. The ADD seems to be permeating my dreams with thoughts that don’t even go together but all point to me not being able to keep up. Trying to shut it all out for the weekend.

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[Carry]

@Paula Do you think it would help if you tried to accept that it’s overwhelming you right now?

I’m discovering so much about myself right now, there’s no way I can keep up with that. It’s a whirlwind of rediscovering.. everything really. It affects everything right now, so it seems. I’m just gonna go with it.. The wind will lay down eventually.

One step at a time.

Sounds strange, maybe.. but just enjoy the ride… sort of

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[Anonymous]

Teacher here.

Before medication, I couldn’t cope with the noise of the classroom. I’d overload SO easily, every day. I was also the only creative type in an office full of organised/logical types, which meant that I was looked down on for being messy and out there and doing things “the wrong way”.

I actually had one of the leading teachers tell me exactly how I should plan my lessons and what they should look like and how I had to structure them. And yes, I was checked up on and had to submit all my lesson plans. No negotiation, no room for new ideas or creativity.

I’m now in a much more supportive environment, medicated, and coping a lot better (though it does still get tough at times!).

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[Anonymous]

@ scarfox… tks. I try to accept it, but truth be told, it makes me feel like a failure. I am so proud because I know I’ve accomplished alot to get where I am, but I also feel very inadequate. I work so hard to keep up. I stay at school much longer than others most of the time. They give me problem kids because I work well with them (wonder why) and I can only concentrate on one task at a time so behavior and actual teaching leave NO time to multi-task paperwork while I do other things. Not to mention….when I get home…I can’t face my house. It’s a mess. I hate it. I clean and actually organize but i can’t seem to maintain any order. So it piles up at school and piles up at home. I just feel frozen sometimes. Any idea what I mean? Please say yes. I am not an idiot or lazy or worthless but geez I feel like it much of the time. It seems that others around me are always organized, calm, etc, etc. blah blah blah. Not trying for a pity party here but I feel like i’m drowning right now. Do you get this way at all?

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[Carry]

@paula

YES, definately

I always describe it as being paralyzed. There’s so much and it’s overwhelming and I don’t know where to start. And then I start to think about where to start. And that gets interrupted by feeling guilty for thinking about it.. again.. and not having started yet. But how am I – mr. Chaos – going to get anything done without structure? So I start planning it again… which I’m really not good at. Then I see that I have so much to write down… that I don’t know where to start and that brings me back to the beginning….

And that makes me feel like a failure. And all this takes place in my head… and I do nothing about it. So frozen or paralyzed… yep!!

So if you’re drowning…

put on your scuba gear…

start breathing…

take a good look where you are…

enjoy the scenery if you can. (a coral garden isn’t that well organized either)

and if you know where you’re at…

accept it…

and slowly start your ascend.

breathe Paula!! ( there is a surface somewhere up there )

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[Anonymous]

Paula, Paula, Paula! Don’t be so hard on yourself. Your last posting describes me to a ‘T’. At the end of it all, I’m viewed by other teachers as being ‘so organized’. Have they actually any real idea of the length of time that it takes for me to get there? And that it last only for the day? And that I have to reorganize all over again at the end of the day???

I’m just like you. I can only concentrate on one thing at a time so there is no multi-tasking for me. My desk and worktables (okay, and all the other free and empty/available classroom surfaces) start each day out neat and tidy. By mid-day I’m struggling to even spy a sliver of any uncovered/uncluttered work surface!

To top it off, who gets all the behaviour issues because she supposedly handles them well? That would be me and probably only because I refuse to let myself lose my cool with them because after all, most of them are also ADD, just like me. Some poor teacher lived through teaching me a long time ago and did it without killingme or my spirit so I owe the same care to the ADDers that fly through the door.

This is a tough time of the year for us. Principals are stressed (at least mine is so I stay well back out of striking range) and they put a lot of demands on us along with teaching routines to a new bunch of kids. Now that’s HARD for us since routines are not usually our strong points.

As Scarface said, take a deep breathe and relax and enjoy your class!

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[Anonymous]

High school English teacher here…have the same issues SOOOOO disorganized, but creative and quirky…haven’t found a med that calms my mind down…have problem with noise but live visual stimulation. My classroom is very colorful and I think welcoming to students. I teach remedial level students as well as upper level students. I do better with the remedial class as it is 12 students and many also have ADHD…I get them, and they like me. My upper level classes are big and I have a very difficult time with the high energy and noise.

Question: Have you teachers told administration? Colleagues? Your students?

I wish I could start a support group at school for teachers and students with ADHD! How cool would that be! We could watch videos from this site! I wish the world viewed this differently…thoughts?

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[Anonymous]

I have been trying to get a job as a teacher but w/o success. I didn’t figure out til my late 40’s and after dx that I wanted to teach, but I’m good with the kids for the same reasons that many of you are–I’m fun, stimulating, and I “get” the kids with ADD. I work with sped and love it. So I work as a teacher’s asst while I try to get a teaching job but there are 2 problems–1. the teaching jobs have dried up and 2. Once you work as a TA in our district you’re pretty much typecast into that role and/or they’re not taking me too seriously at my age. (50) I am so bored working as a TA! It’s the same thing every day–I loved subbing but have to have the insurance now.

One of the problems I’m having is that there is another TA who does not have even a trace of ADD and she uses mine against me to block me from getting a teaching position–I heard her reminding the lead teacher one day that I am a scatterbrain. She is excellent at administrative type tasks but has no feel for working with the kids and their feelings towards her range from fear to downright loathing.

I know that I need to go elsewhere to get a job and may give up on the teaching altogether but OMG how I hate job hunting–I just can’t seem to get it together to do what it takes. I have a beautiful resume and cover letter, but it’s the contacting people and doing everything to the letter the way they want it–last time I had an interview I forgot to send thank you letters. Thanks for letting me come on here and agonize–I know you guys will understand and if anyone has managed to push thru their inertia during the job hunt, I’ll take suggestions.

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[Anonymous]

I’m a Pediatric Speech-Langauge Pathologist and my students love me. As a teacher/therapist, I’m an expert at “seizing the teachable moment”. It’s a strength for us ADDers. I’m an excellent therapist, if I do say so myself. But, I suck at paperwork and time management. Unfortunately, sometimes that’s all admin cares about.

I try to get my strokes from my students and their parents. They appreciate me and can see the results of good therapy/teaching. I try to focus on that when everything else is weighing me down.

Martha

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[Anonymous]

Tinkywink,

I worked as an Ed Tech before I found a teaching position and it actually got me my present job as I was already “in the system.” I was an Ed Tech in the middle school and got a job at the high school (which is where I wanted to be). Was bored silly as an ED tech. Can you go to another school in your district? You must be certified K-8 or 7-12? Don’t give up or listen to those “get it done folks” We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Yesterday was a horrible day, extremely high stress; today was great…but that’s ALL teachers. Maybe they ARE more organized and have things graded quicker, and havel lots of plans in place, but can they just wing it? I can…

can they say at the spur of the moment, this isn’t working well, and change gears on a dime? I can…

Can they relate to the kids in a compassionate way because they TRULY understand the frustration of some students? I can….and I’m sure you can too! Keep in touch.

Janet

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[Anonymous]

Oh and yes…the interview process sucks, but you have to do it. Fake it til you make it; I do it all the time…

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[megady]

SuperMartha – I’m also an SLP, elementary level. I’ve had 3-4 years of being “watched” because of my paperwork difficulties. Now they’ve brought in an SLP coordinator as a “mentor” for the things I’ve struggled with (mostly timeliness and parent contact), and she is focusing on what I write in an IEP and how well my paperwork and therapy flow together. She told me that before she really met me, but had looked at some of my files, she thought I was going to be a trainwreck (her words,not mine). She observed an entire day of therapy and then we met another half-day to go over things. Talk about adding stress instead of helping out. She said that I had a good way of working with my students and good relationships with them, good articulation data, and some good things that I was doing. We talked about the things she felt I was weaker in and she gave good ideas. It was a good meeting, but again, we weren’t focusing on the things that really stump ME. I’d so love to be able to do my job without all the legal mumbo-jumbo paperwork. I’m thinking as I look at this site and have seen the main video that I probably need a significant increase in my meds. I take 60 mg of Vyvanse, and it has worked wonders, but I obviously have much further to go. I’m close to losing this job, and I can’t afford to do that!

Madsybil, are your difficulties with phone calls because of anxiety or distractibility? If not, have you ever been tested for auditory processing difficulties? I have several students who suffer from this and it can really cause problems when having to listen to anything. You sound very visual and that may be a compensation.

I struggle in so many different areas that I am overwhelmed and never know where to begin. I’m behind on all of my monthly payments, even though I make enough money to easily pay for what I have/do. I sort of binge shop, although my saving grace there is that I do it in the clearance areas as much as possible, and then I can go for a while without doing any. I’m 42 and have never been married, although I’ve been told I’m pretty,attractive,funny, charming, and intelligent. I’ve only even come close to being married twice, and I’m now glad the first one didn’t work out, and the other I’m still grieving. For the life of me it takes me 6 weeks to do the dishes, and off and on I will let laundry pile up so that I’m washing almost all of my clothes in one or two days. I do struggle with depression and anxiety, and am medicated for all, and would love to find out if I’m medicating the wrong things.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has any ideas for organizing bill paying, school paperwork, household chores, etc. And not buying things for organizing, I LOVE to buy organizing things! Another weakness.

Now I feel like I’ve whined, but any connections and ideas that can help in any way will be greatly appreciated!

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[megady]

Oh, and the one phrase I’ve heard that has become my mantra in all of this, and I often have to remind myself is: Action Alleviates Anxiety. If I just DO the thing I’m so worried about – I can do it quickly and move on! It has helped tremendously!

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[Author]

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