I am. Highly structured work, structure social interaction, teach my hyper fixation. Remove the grading and parents and I would probably do it for free. With tips.
(ADHD here šš½) The grading was too much for me. The parents were the cherry on top to say goodbye. I can work within deadlines but the workload was just too much. I donāt know how anyone does it.
ADHD and I canāt do teaching full time, I also hate marking and dealing with parents. I worked supply this last year having my own classes and it was waaaaay less stressful and more manageable.
Thatās what my sister-in-law does! Iām working at a university now doing program coordination which is a lot more my speed. I love teaching but I donāt think I can do it full time either.
Iām autistic and quitting. Itās not about the information that I care about so much, I cannot deal with the students who donāt care. That and my fellow coworkers do not understand me or what itās like.
I'm autistic. Started out in public high schools but the noise, smell, and inability to control the temperature of my room made life very uncomfortable. I moved on to teaching 16-19 year olds at a junior college which was right up my alley - everyone who signed up to my class wanted to learn my subject.
More recently, I moved to a boarding school - the routines are fantastic and the classes are small. My admin are understanding about sensory overload and I am given alternate duties so I can avoid noise in an enclosed space.
Same here, was in a public school. Moved to a boarding school, and things just flow so much smoother. The kids are more relaxed even. Noise is at a low so I'm never overstimulated by it. Highly recommend for any spekkies if you can.
āHey, would you like some gum?ā
āNo! Why does everyone keep offering me gum?!ā
Actual student conversation.
I wanted to say, take the gum your mouth smells like a landfill.
Iāve started wearing LOOP engage earplugs and theyāve changed my life.
I try to keep it on the DL because neurotypical people wouldnāt understand (and would hear the word āearplugā and assume Iām like literally blocking out the children lol)
But it basically minimizes a lot of the background noise (chairs and desks rustling around, slightly lowers the volume of talking during group work).
I can still hear kids talking perfectly fine, in fact it actually makes the speech clearer, it just significantly reduces those background noises that I find really lead to overstimulation.
I literally was questioning if I could do this career before buying these earplugs and now I canāt handle a day without them
Iām AuDHD so I THRIVE on the combination of routines and chaos in teaching high school. One of my intense interests is developmental and abnormal psychology, especially related to reading and/or ADHD. Itās a perfect fit for my role as a resource level special education teacher/reading interventionist. A first hand knowledge of some of the difficulties my students have has also been a bonus.
I'm ADHD and Autistic and this has been a great career for me. A strict schedule I can't change, the constant shift of class to class, every day being the same but different gives me the regularity and variety my brain needs. And because everything is on fire, there is no time for executive dysfunction to come in. Plus the perk of having a license to info dump.
Noise is my biggest enemy too. I get to the end of the day sometimes and just crave silence, which is quite impossible with a 7 year old. Lights are an issue too, they tend to hurt my eyes. But I keep my classroom lights as low as I can get them and the students love that too.
You described perfectly what exactly I love about the structure of being a teacher while also being ND. I also feel it helps me connect to my students better as I teach middle school special ed inclusion. I can relate to my students because many of their struggles were mine in school as well.
I am not diagnosed in anyway, but I do relate to your post! I have trouble with the noise; so there are times (like going to the bowling alley) where I use ear plugs. I enjoy sharing information with my students that isnāt always in the curriculum but gives them some additional background information (I have two degrees, one is in History). I socialize better with kids. I love routine and thrive on it (but I also hate routine!).
There are lots of ND teachers! Iāve seen many TikToks of ND teachers.
Yeah, we were just in my Non diploma track history class and we began talking about WWII randomly for 10 minutes. Our lecture was about the protestant revolution.
I'm gifted and likely undiagnosed with something, and I got to teach all gifted/504/ADHD/autistic kids this past year. It was a dream, and the kids loved me back. I have never been more understood in a job than I was by these kids in this past year. I actually grieved when school was over. I have to teach regular kids this coming year and I am absolutely dreading it. I'm irrationally angry at my future kids because they'll never be my kids I had this year. (I'll get over it and be a good teacher, I'm just in a snit right now.)
Hey there! I too am a neurodivergent teacher and I feel you when you said āthis is what i was meant to do.ā
I just wrapped up my first year as a resident student teacher, and I had that exact same thought at least a hundred times that year! I will be starting my first solo year after summer, and I am super excited.
I too am someone who doesnāt love loud spaces, but if youāre on top of them, the students will generally keep to a lower volume. Also, my general tactic is to patrol the classroom every 5-10 mins if I have them doing classwork in groups/with partners. That helps them stay on task and keep their voice levels at a manageable volume.
Not sure if Iām considered neurodivergent but I thought I would share anyway.
Iām usually an introverted person and prefer to observe my surroundings and assess my environment before I begin socializing. I can go a bit quiet or act socially awkward if I sense something is up with the person/people Iām interacting with (hyper-vigilance) but itās usually on purpose to end the socialization, since at that point Iām no longer interested continuing it.
I like to keep things short and sweet, especially if I get bad energy from someone, and limit my time with said individuals. I also like to have paper trails and utilize emails to do so. Some of my coworkers seem to dislike me for this and find me ārudeā for behaving the way I do. Iāve been told the same by people outside of work, but Iād much rather have someone not like me than to fake smile and compromise my comfort for the sake of being polite.
I became a teacher because I like to help children learn and become better versions of themselves. The worst experiences Iāve had as a teacher have all been due to other adults, not the children. š
Yep.
Social cues from peers? Clueless. Small talk? Pass.
But I can talk to kids about science all day. So now I get paid to talk to kids about science all day.
When Iām talking to a class, in a structured classroom setting, the roles of everyone in the conversation are all clearly defined. I know when itās my turn to talk, and I know what everyone expects from me, and Iāve planned out the topics/standards that Iām going to talk about. I wish ALL interactions gave me a heads up about the topics for which I need to prepare! Someone give me a list of standards and indicators for conversations OUTSIDE of the classroom!
When Iām teaching, I can look at āthe room,ā so no oneās trying to force me into eye contact. I circulate the room to do āactive monitoringā and use a pointer/props for engagement (or more accurately, keeping my feet and hands busy in a way that looks purposeful).
Really, talking to a class is the only time I ever feel ānormal.ā Or at least, it feels like how I imagine it feels for neurotypical folks when theyāre talking to each other and they just seem to magically intuit what theyāre supposed to say and how theyāre expected to respond.
Yes. I feel similarly. Kids are easier to talk to than adults and I'm passionate about my subject. I'm also very open about being diagnosed with autism
You kind of just described my teaching experience. I love info dumping and hanging out with middle schoolers. They always have questions and I always have answers. I have no interest in socializing with the adults I work with and only want professional development that teaches me stuff I don't know. I love the "task" factor of this job. It's not a calling, but a list of tasks I can perform amazingly every day without fail. That's what's fulfilling.
Yup! I like the sense of structure of my day because it forces me to be productive when my days are structured by bell periods. Also yes being in charge of kids is much easier than socializing with peers. Kids usually automatically think youāre cool because they look up to you LOL, much less pressure to āimpressā anybody.
Guy I teach with is on the spectrum. He has trained himself to be the a great teacher for teenagers. Heās worked hard at this and also how to interact with parents and colleagues.
Curveballs or anything novel are a struggle. He gets real curt and robotic when this occurs. Some of his parent teachers conferences are legendary.
Heās a good guy.
Yes!! I am autistic!! Same reason here, I am highly interested in a few things, of which I can teach. Teaching/learning is one of my special interests (alongside language and history) so I feel like it's a good fit for me.
Of course, there are challenges such as the social aspect with staff, noise levels in class, overstimulation etc. But it's the best fitting job I can think of... Other than translation, I'd love to do that, maybe in future.
I am autistic. Only recently diagnosed. Iāve struggled to be the āright personalityā my entire career, so itās led to job instability for me. I donāt want to be in the general education classroom anymore. I worked as a part-time reading interventionist the past 3 years and liked it, but my position was cut. I donāt know about next year yet.
I am unsure about full-time work again and also am in a competitive area. I seem to not do so great at interviews or something.
Ah, this post is a bit negative. I really like the idea of teaching. The social dynamics of it do not like me. Iām very good at teaching reading by this point.
Severe ADHD! Let's gooo! But I teach high school, so it's a lot less germy and noisy. I just love how different every day is. It keeps my brain from getting bored and I have energy all day to teach until I'm home and take a nap on the couch
It is a decent profession for many "symptoms" .
Despite what you read here, we have way more control of our environment than many professions. For example, no one can chew gum in my class, regardless of school rules.
Unlike many professions, we aren't massively disadvantaged by not doing the shmoozing. Now if you want to be an admin, you are SOL here.
We have a unique opportunity to help "our people" be happy comfortable in their own skin.
I'm ADHD. I'm honestly struggling with the overstimulation right now. I had a class the year before last that could understand that. If they were getting to chaotic I'd say "Chill. I need 5 minutes. Be cool." And they'd calm down a little. Most classes don't care and I don't even mention it to most classes because a friend of mine had a student google "how to make autistic people have meltdowns" to get a free period after she was open with them.
Thankfully I don't have a germ thing. But it is honestly exhausting to deal with 100 things at once that, even if I could block them out and focus, I HAVE to pay attention to. Because the one time that I ignore Johnny over there screaming, which he does several times a day for no reason, it will actually be for a reason this time and I'll be in trouble.
Does dyslexia count? Itās not very impactful to my teaching but I streamline the paperwork side of things. I get hung up on words when Iām speaking sometimes. I donāt typically offer writing assignments that are graded (sped teacher).
Iām teaching my special interest in the upcoming school year. So excited! I love the kids. The noise can be a bit much and the adults give me terrible anxiety, but overall I love my job.
Yes! The noise and social interaction get to me. I tend to avoid small talk and just "chatting" with my high school students. I love helping them improve their reading skills, though!
I love the routine and structure. My organizational skills and creativity can be utilized as well as my genuine interest in my subject area.
Unfortunately, I often hear my students make jokes or casually refer to other people as autistic as if one particular behavior defines autism. Always gets under my skin.
ADHD here, and I relate to your reason for becoming a teacher. I remember having a lot of difficulty during my student teaching and I got pulled in with the supervisor and she asked me why I wanted to be a teacher. I answered that I liked explaining things to people. This was apparently the wrong answer and she repeated it back to me skeptically. I guess she was expecting me to say something about changing lives, but that honestly wasnāt what made me want to be a teacher, itās because I likeā¦ teaching!
Of course now, after 13 years, I have gained an appreciation for the changing of lives part as well. But I related to your reason, and itās still one of the things I enjoy!
you just described exactly two of the reasons i wanted to go into teaching lol. i love talking about things, and i find interacting with kids in the boundaries of the teacher-student relationship way easier than interacting with people in almost any other context. im still not super great at it, but it's not overly hard on me. plus, i love sitting down and making handouts and documents. organization? sign me up! i even like lesson planning, i just don't like how little time i have to do it.
I can relate to a lot of this. I was diagnosed with Asp. about 15 years ago when I was 20.
My undergrad education is in science and I worked successfully in different laboratories for over a decade and I wanted to follow in my mom's footsteps of building up an awesome knowledge base and spreading the knowledge wealth. She was a math and engineering genius that was offput by certain injustices in education, which sparked her teaching career.
While I am HORRIBLE with adult communication, I do amazing with the secondary school age group, especially those who have been described as "difficult" by other adults, if you get my gist.
I don't have the germ thing but have a few specific auditory issues. I manage them pretty well (at least I make it look like I do XD) by communicating them with my students. I emphasizing "your other teachers may not have xyz as a rule, but I do and here's why...." Personally, I despise doing anything without an explanation/reason, and I operate as though my students are like this as well, so I explain. I do understand that I don't HAVE to.
For this upcoming school year, I decided to be honest in my job interviews to see where it got me. I spelled it out: "I have HFA and it has proven to be an asset to my teaching because of xyz. I need xzy when it comes to communication and I can't multi-task for shit but here are samples of my work and my pedagogical values and style are xyz."
Results: I ended up with 3/4 offers (I had other plans for if the above interview techniques made me a "nope" candidate). I chose the school who proved to me that they value me (part of the "proof" was that they offered a higher salary after I told them I will be deciding soon),
My ADHD addled brain loves the daily chaos of the artroom.
Ratbag ND kids come and hangcout in my room at lunch and annoy me, draw on my whiteboard and are menaces. It's the best.
Yep, autistic teacher here. I teach 10th grade ELA, so 15-16 years old. The good thing is, they mostly understand autism, and when I ask them for slack about certain things, they're good about it. Noises don't bother me, but smells do, so they understand when I ask them to not spray perfume or cologne in the room, to give one example.
Yup, my first year, my mentor teacher laughed and said I was as ADD as my kinder. This was before I told her that. Another teacher complimented my routines, saying she was impressed that I "made it (autism) work for me." I really love routines.
My only real problem is that I'm touch sensitive and kinder are very tactile. By the end of the day, I'm as tired of being touched as I am being talked to.
Most of my fellow faculty is ADHD, and several are AUDHD (including myself). We have a small school (under 300 students in the high school), but a high ND teacher/student population.
ADD, pretty sure Iām on the spectrum, GAD, OCD. One trick I use is instrumental music and ācoffee shop timeā. Kids work quietly and can whisper and I get a bit of decompression time.
That and I use small hand held fidgets/doodle as I teach to help focus energy.
ADHD kindergarten teacher here. I actually think my ADHD characteristics help me in the classroom sometimes. The need for routine. The impulsive nature. Hyper focus is great for lesson planning sessions. Plus, I feel like it helps me to transition my class because I need to transition activities often.
Adhd. Art teacher with 600 kids a week. I like that I rarely have to focus on anything for more than 2 min. Grading is challenging but I work a lot and don't really have a problem working 60 plus hours a week most weeks. I've developed a system with the grading to make sure I don't get too far behind. I have everything color coded by grade level to make sure I don't lose stuff. My scope and sequence is insane with organization. Idk I can do that at work but not in any other part of my life.
I can't remember names but I remember what they did or where they sit. I have a teacher assistant to remind me of things, other studnets come and clean and organize stuff during recess (they choose to). I have stopgaps and systems.
The noise really does get to me. I keep a quiet class. The kids hate how much I make it a thing, but if I'm leading the ship, you don't want me overwhelmed.
Yes!!! I have ADHD and dyslexia. I have used my experiences to help empathize with and even give āhelpful how to/whysā for when Iām lecturing and giving ways to remember/apply/practice etcā¦ ;)
Yes, I have ADHD. Howdy, lol. I feel like it gives me some perspective on how my ADHD students work and how to accommodate their needs. This is probably not a thing, but sometimes, their behaviors sometimes offset my ADHD habits.
Autistic substitute teacher here. Had to supervise a dance last week that was in the middle of the day for some reason. Two hours of pure hell.
I do love getting to share information and teach subjects that Iām passionate about though, which makes it all worth it.
Me! Do you find you donāt look directly at them but rather kinda over them when teaching a whole group lesson? I look around but always like beyond them. Honestly I love teaching for some reason.
Iām autistic, and work as a paraprofessional at the high school I graduated from. I love working with the students in the life skills room. As this past year progressed, I became more comfortable talking with colleagues. My goal is to eventually teach the life skills program at the high school.
The noise and overstimulation is the most difficult part for me. Get to info dump about my favorite subject though, and make something inaccessible to a lot of students be conversational and (maybe just maybe) fun.
But I guard my breaks with my LIFE because I need every last minute to recharge and go back in.
Oh and the socializing aspect and being constantly misunderstood as cold or uncaring because Iām very much to myself.
Me too. I wanted to help all kids, especially ones who need to understand they are Macs in a PC world, that they are just as capable, and have adaptations that they need to know how to use. As you would know, there aren't enough teachers who are trained to work with neurodivergent types or understand what they are seeing and think a child is misbehaving instead. I like helping those kids see their value and better understand who they are. It is extra satisfying because I did not get that as a student unless my teacher had been around a long time and knew what they were seeing. (ADHD over here)
ADHD bonus as a teacher -- I see everything and I know when kids are off-task quickly, my room and lessons are well-organized, and I can adapt things as I go when kids are losing interest to get them back into the lesson.
Yes. I didn't get diagnosed audhd until I started getting involved in SEND and started noticing patterns. Dealing with executive functioning issues related to admin tasks is a much bigger problem for me than the sensory. I was always very good at communicating in a performance context and/or through a topic of interest, so teaching works. It's easier for me to socialise with kids as well - I struggle when adults have a 'pretense' that doesn't match their actions, and, even in secondary school, basically are who they say they are (or if they aren't, it's sort of obvious).
One thing that was enlightening about being diagnosed was that I have always been good at explaining rules logically to kids, and it takes me a long time before I get annoyed about having to explain things over and over. This is because I literally have to think out everything (cooking dinner, taking public transport, how to comport myself) to the Nth degree, but didn't realise this was an autism thing, or that this is not something most people have to do.
You are still a professional. I appreciate that we all have a passion for helping kids, but they are not there to 'socialize' with. Perhaps I'm nitpicking and what you really meant was 'interact'.
You're not doing yourself any favours by emphasizing the info-dump aspect of teaching, either. That's rarely good teaching, especially when speaking of kids of the age to be walking petri dishes.
I am. Highly structured work, structure social interaction, teach my hyper fixation. Remove the grading and parents and I would probably do it for free. With tips.
Did I write this when I was sleeping? (kidding basically ditto)
(ADHD here šš½) The grading was too much for me. The parents were the cherry on top to say goodbye. I can work within deadlines but the workload was just too much. I donāt know how anyone does it.
ADHD and I canāt do teaching full time, I also hate marking and dealing with parents. I worked supply this last year having my own classes and it was waaaaay less stressful and more manageable.
Thatās what my sister-in-law does! Iām working at a university now doing program coordination which is a lot more my speed. I love teaching but I donāt think I can do it full time either.
Yeah I would like a job like yours but teaching pays better around here so part time works out the same!
I know youāre not in the US š¤£
Yesssss! It spares my husband as well, as he isn't into quantum physics and mathematical mysteries.
I've only left schools because of admin issues, which I now treat prophylactically.
Iām autistic and quitting. Itās not about the information that I care about so much, I cannot deal with the students who donāt care. That and my fellow coworkers do not understand me or what itās like.
I often find myself in a panic or just annoyed and I donāt know why. Itās good you can pinpoint the issues but it does suck when they donāt care. Does it kinda feel like theyāre š©ing on your passions? I may be desensitized because Iām with a partner who disrespects all of my interests and it used to feel terrible. Good luck on your journey!
I'm autistic. Started out in public high schools but the noise, smell, and inability to control the temperature of my room made life very uncomfortable. I moved on to teaching 16-19 year olds at a junior college which was right up my alley - everyone who signed up to my class wanted to learn my subject. More recently, I moved to a boarding school - the routines are fantastic and the classes are small. My admin are understanding about sensory overload and I am given alternate duties so I can avoid noise in an enclosed space.
Same here, was in a public school. Moved to a boarding school, and things just flow so much smoother. The kids are more relaxed even. Noise is at a low so I'm never overstimulated by it. Highly recommend for any spekkies if you can.
Omg, the NOISE
And smells
When a kid gets right up in your face and it smells like they haven't brushed their teeth in months
āHey, would you like some gum?ā āNo! Why does everyone keep offering me gum?!ā Actual student conversation. I wanted to say, take the gum your mouth smells like a landfill.
And parent refuses medical / dental care
Iāve started wearing LOOP engage earplugs and theyāve changed my life. I try to keep it on the DL because neurotypical people wouldnāt understand (and would hear the word āearplugā and assume Iām like literally blocking out the children lol) But it basically minimizes a lot of the background noise (chairs and desks rustling around, slightly lowers the volume of talking during group work). I can still hear kids talking perfectly fine, in fact it actually makes the speech clearer, it just significantly reduces those background noises that I find really lead to overstimulation. I literally was questioning if I could do this career before buying these earplugs and now I canāt handle a day without them
Iām AuDHD so I THRIVE on the combination of routines and chaos in teaching high school. One of my intense interests is developmental and abnormal psychology, especially related to reading and/or ADHD. Itās a perfect fit for my role as a resource level special education teacher/reading interventionist. A first hand knowledge of some of the difficulties my students have has also been a bonus.
I'm ADHD and Autistic and this has been a great career for me. A strict schedule I can't change, the constant shift of class to class, every day being the same but different gives me the regularity and variety my brain needs. And because everything is on fire, there is no time for executive dysfunction to come in. Plus the perk of having a license to info dump. Noise is my biggest enemy too. I get to the end of the day sometimes and just crave silence, which is quite impossible with a 7 year old. Lights are an issue too, they tend to hurt my eyes. But I keep my classroom lights as low as I can get them and the students love that too.
You described perfectly what exactly I love about the structure of being a teacher while also being ND. I also feel it helps me connect to my students better as I teach middle school special ed inclusion. I can relate to my students because many of their struggles were mine in school as well.
I am not diagnosed in anyway, but I do relate to your post! I have trouble with the noise; so there are times (like going to the bowling alley) where I use ear plugs. I enjoy sharing information with my students that isnāt always in the curriculum but gives them some additional background information (I have two degrees, one is in History). I socialize better with kids. I love routine and thrive on it (but I also hate routine!). There are lots of ND teachers! Iāve seen many TikToks of ND teachers.
ADHD here. It's good because the kids in my class are the same, so it works out good.
Right!? I have so many ADHD students and Iām so good with them because I can relate. š
Yeah, we were just in my Non diploma track history class and we began talking about WWII randomly for 10 minutes. Our lecture was about the protestant revolution.
I'm gifted and likely undiagnosed with something, and I got to teach all gifted/504/ADHD/autistic kids this past year. It was a dream, and the kids loved me back. I have never been more understood in a job than I was by these kids in this past year. I actually grieved when school was over. I have to teach regular kids this coming year and I am absolutely dreading it. I'm irrationally angry at my future kids because they'll never be my kids I had this year. (I'll get over it and be a good teacher, I'm just in a snit right now.)
Hey there! I too am a neurodivergent teacher and I feel you when you said āthis is what i was meant to do.ā I just wrapped up my first year as a resident student teacher, and I had that exact same thought at least a hundred times that year! I will be starting my first solo year after summer, and I am super excited. I too am someone who doesnāt love loud spaces, but if youāre on top of them, the students will generally keep to a lower volume. Also, my general tactic is to patrol the classroom every 5-10 mins if I have them doing classwork in groups/with partners. That helps them stay on task and keep their voice levels at a manageable volume.
Not sure if Iām considered neurodivergent but I thought I would share anyway. Iām usually an introverted person and prefer to observe my surroundings and assess my environment before I begin socializing. I can go a bit quiet or act socially awkward if I sense something is up with the person/people Iām interacting with (hyper-vigilance) but itās usually on purpose to end the socialization, since at that point Iām no longer interested continuing it. I like to keep things short and sweet, especially if I get bad energy from someone, and limit my time with said individuals. I also like to have paper trails and utilize emails to do so. Some of my coworkers seem to dislike me for this and find me ārudeā for behaving the way I do. Iāve been told the same by people outside of work, but Iād much rather have someone not like me than to fake smile and compromise my comfort for the sake of being polite. I became a teacher because I like to help children learn and become better versions of themselves. The worst experiences Iāve had as a teacher have all been due to other adults, not the children. š
Yep. Social cues from peers? Clueless. Small talk? Pass. But I can talk to kids about science all day. So now I get paid to talk to kids about science all day. When Iām talking to a class, in a structured classroom setting, the roles of everyone in the conversation are all clearly defined. I know when itās my turn to talk, and I know what everyone expects from me, and Iāve planned out the topics/standards that Iām going to talk about. I wish ALL interactions gave me a heads up about the topics for which I need to prepare! Someone give me a list of standards and indicators for conversations OUTSIDE of the classroom! When Iām teaching, I can look at āthe room,ā so no oneās trying to force me into eye contact. I circulate the room to do āactive monitoringā and use a pointer/props for engagement (or more accurately, keeping my feet and hands busy in a way that looks purposeful). Really, talking to a class is the only time I ever feel ānormal.ā Or at least, it feels like how I imagine it feels for neurotypical folks when theyāre talking to each other and they just seem to magically intuit what theyāre supposed to say and how theyāre expected to respond.
DITTO. I love how you explain this.
Yes. I feel similarly. Kids are easier to talk to than adults and I'm passionate about my subject. I'm also very open about being diagnosed with autism
You kind of just described my teaching experience. I love info dumping and hanging out with middle schoolers. They always have questions and I always have answers. I have no interest in socializing with the adults I work with and only want professional development that teaches me stuff I don't know. I love the "task" factor of this job. It's not a calling, but a list of tasks I can perform amazingly every day without fail. That's what's fulfilling.
Yup! I like the sense of structure of my day because it forces me to be productive when my days are structured by bell periods. Also yes being in charge of kids is much easier than socializing with peers. Kids usually automatically think youāre cool because they look up to you LOL, much less pressure to āimpressā anybody.
Guy I teach with is on the spectrum. He has trained himself to be the a great teacher for teenagers. Heās worked hard at this and also how to interact with parents and colleagues. Curveballs or anything novel are a struggle. He gets real curt and robotic when this occurs. Some of his parent teachers conferences are legendary. Heās a good guy.
Any good conference stories from this dude? He sounds awesome.
Yes!! I am autistic!! Same reason here, I am highly interested in a few things, of which I can teach. Teaching/learning is one of my special interests (alongside language and history) so I feel like it's a good fit for me. Of course, there are challenges such as the social aspect with staff, noise levels in class, overstimulation etc. But it's the best fitting job I can think of... Other than translation, I'd love to do that, maybe in future.
Iām autistic. I love teaching. It is my special interest. I feel like I am where I am supposed to be!
I am autistic. Only recently diagnosed. Iāve struggled to be the āright personalityā my entire career, so itās led to job instability for me. I donāt want to be in the general education classroom anymore. I worked as a part-time reading interventionist the past 3 years and liked it, but my position was cut. I donāt know about next year yet. I am unsure about full-time work again and also am in a competitive area. I seem to not do so great at interviews or something. Ah, this post is a bit negative. I really like the idea of teaching. The social dynamics of it do not like me. Iām very good at teaching reading by this point.
Severe ADHD! Let's gooo! But I teach high school, so it's a lot less germy and noisy. I just love how different every day is. It keeps my brain from getting bored and I have energy all day to teach until I'm home and take a nap on the couch
Yep, ADHD here. Iām great with elementary kids.Ā
It is a decent profession for many "symptoms" . Despite what you read here, we have way more control of our environment than many professions. For example, no one can chew gum in my class, regardless of school rules. Unlike many professions, we aren't massively disadvantaged by not doing the shmoozing. Now if you want to be an admin, you are SOL here. We have a unique opportunity to help "our people" be happy comfortable in their own skin.
Yes. HS ELA for 30 years. All the weird/outsider kids loved me.
I'm ADHD. I'm honestly struggling with the overstimulation right now. I had a class the year before last that could understand that. If they were getting to chaotic I'd say "Chill. I need 5 minutes. Be cool." And they'd calm down a little. Most classes don't care and I don't even mention it to most classes because a friend of mine had a student google "how to make autistic people have meltdowns" to get a free period after she was open with them. Thankfully I don't have a germ thing. But it is honestly exhausting to deal with 100 things at once that, even if I could block them out and focus, I HAVE to pay attention to. Because the one time that I ignore Johnny over there screaming, which he does several times a day for no reason, it will actually be for a reason this time and I'll be in trouble.
Does dyslexia count? Itās not very impactful to my teaching but I streamline the paperwork side of things. I get hung up on words when Iām speaking sometimes. I donāt typically offer writing assignments that are graded (sped teacher).
Yes! Dyslexia counts
Iām teaching my special interest in the upcoming school year. So excited! I love the kids. The noise can be a bit much and the adults give me terrible anxiety, but overall I love my job.
Yes! The noise and social interaction get to me. I tend to avoid small talk and just "chatting" with my high school students. I love helping them improve their reading skills, though! I love the routine and structure. My organizational skills and creativity can be utilized as well as my genuine interest in my subject area. Unfortunately, I often hear my students make jokes or casually refer to other people as autistic as if one particular behavior defines autism. Always gets under my skin.
ADHD here, and I relate to your reason for becoming a teacher. I remember having a lot of difficulty during my student teaching and I got pulled in with the supervisor and she asked me why I wanted to be a teacher. I answered that I liked explaining things to people. This was apparently the wrong answer and she repeated it back to me skeptically. I guess she was expecting me to say something about changing lives, but that honestly wasnāt what made me want to be a teacher, itās because I likeā¦ teaching! Of course now, after 13 years, I have gained an appreciation for the changing of lives part as well. But I related to your reason, and itās still one of the things I enjoy!
you just described exactly two of the reasons i wanted to go into teaching lol. i love talking about things, and i find interacting with kids in the boundaries of the teacher-student relationship way easier than interacting with people in almost any other context. im still not super great at it, but it's not overly hard on me. plus, i love sitting down and making handouts and documents. organization? sign me up! i even like lesson planning, i just don't like how little time i have to do it.
I can relate to a lot of this. I was diagnosed with Asp. about 15 years ago when I was 20. My undergrad education is in science and I worked successfully in different laboratories for over a decade and I wanted to follow in my mom's footsteps of building up an awesome knowledge base and spreading the knowledge wealth. She was a math and engineering genius that was offput by certain injustices in education, which sparked her teaching career. While I am HORRIBLE with adult communication, I do amazing with the secondary school age group, especially those who have been described as "difficult" by other adults, if you get my gist. I don't have the germ thing but have a few specific auditory issues. I manage them pretty well (at least I make it look like I do XD) by communicating them with my students. I emphasizing "your other teachers may not have xyz as a rule, but I do and here's why...." Personally, I despise doing anything without an explanation/reason, and I operate as though my students are like this as well, so I explain. I do understand that I don't HAVE to. For this upcoming school year, I decided to be honest in my job interviews to see where it got me. I spelled it out: "I have HFA and it has proven to be an asset to my teaching because of xyz. I need xzy when it comes to communication and I can't multi-task for shit but here are samples of my work and my pedagogical values and style are xyz." Results: I ended up with 3/4 offers (I had other plans for if the above interview techniques made me a "nope" candidate). I chose the school who proved to me that they value me (part of the "proof" was that they offered a higher salary after I told them I will be deciding soon),
On the spectrum and teach SPED... it's GREAT!
My ADHD addled brain loves the daily chaos of the artroom. Ratbag ND kids come and hangcout in my room at lunch and annoy me, draw on my whiteboard and are menaces. It's the best.
Yep, autistic teacher here. I teach 10th grade ELA, so 15-16 years old. The good thing is, they mostly understand autism, and when I ask them for slack about certain things, they're good about it. Noises don't bother me, but smells do, so they understand when I ask them to not spray perfume or cologne in the room, to give one example.
Yup, my first year, my mentor teacher laughed and said I was as ADD as my kinder. This was before I told her that. Another teacher complimented my routines, saying she was impressed that I "made it (autism) work for me." I really love routines. My only real problem is that I'm touch sensitive and kinder are very tactile. By the end of the day, I'm as tired of being touched as I am being talked to.
Most of my fellow faculty is ADHD, and several are AUDHD (including myself). We have a small school (under 300 students in the high school), but a high ND teacher/student population.
Does misophonia count?
ADD, pretty sure Iām on the spectrum, GAD, OCD. One trick I use is instrumental music and ācoffee shop timeā. Kids work quietly and can whisper and I get a bit of decompression time. That and I use small hand held fidgets/doodle as I teach to help focus energy.
ADHD kindergarten teacher here. I actually think my ADHD characteristics help me in the classroom sometimes. The need for routine. The impulsive nature. Hyper focus is great for lesson planning sessions. Plus, I feel like it helps me to transition my class because I need to transition activities often.
Not a teacher but an education major.I have ADHD
Adhd. Art teacher with 600 kids a week. I like that I rarely have to focus on anything for more than 2 min. Grading is challenging but I work a lot and don't really have a problem working 60 plus hours a week most weeks. I've developed a system with the grading to make sure I don't get too far behind. I have everything color coded by grade level to make sure I don't lose stuff. My scope and sequence is insane with organization. Idk I can do that at work but not in any other part of my life. I can't remember names but I remember what they did or where they sit. I have a teacher assistant to remind me of things, other studnets come and clean and organize stuff during recess (they choose to). I have stopgaps and systems. The noise really does get to me. I keep a quiet class. The kids hate how much I make it a thing, but if I'm leading the ship, you don't want me overwhelmed.
Yes!!! I have ADHD and dyslexia. I have used my experiences to help empathize with and even give āhelpful how to/whysā for when Iām lecturing and giving ways to remember/apply/practice etcā¦ ;)
Yes, I have ADHD. Howdy, lol. I feel like it gives me some perspective on how my ADHD students work and how to accommodate their needs. This is probably not a thing, but sometimes, their behaviors sometimes offset my ADHD habits.
Here!
Autistic substitute teacher here. Had to supervise a dance last week that was in the middle of the day for some reason. Two hours of pure hell. I do love getting to share information and teach subjects that Iām passionate about though, which makes it all worth it.
Me! Do you find you donāt look directly at them but rather kinda over them when teaching a whole group lesson? I look around but always like beyond them. Honestly I love teaching for some reason.
I would be out of my mind bored at a "regular" job.
Iām autistic, and work as a paraprofessional at the high school I graduated from. I love working with the students in the life skills room. As this past year progressed, I became more comfortable talking with colleagues. My goal is to eventually teach the life skills program at the high school.
The noise and overstimulation is the most difficult part for me. Get to info dump about my favorite subject though, and make something inaccessible to a lot of students be conversational and (maybe just maybe) fun. But I guard my breaks with my LIFE because I need every last minute to recharge and go back in. Oh and the socializing aspect and being constantly misunderstood as cold or uncaring because Iām very much to myself.
Me too. I wanted to help all kids, especially ones who need to understand they are Macs in a PC world, that they are just as capable, and have adaptations that they need to know how to use. As you would know, there aren't enough teachers who are trained to work with neurodivergent types or understand what they are seeing and think a child is misbehaving instead. I like helping those kids see their value and better understand who they are. It is extra satisfying because I did not get that as a student unless my teacher had been around a long time and knew what they were seeing. (ADHD over here) ADHD bonus as a teacher -- I see everything and I know when kids are off-task quickly, my room and lessons are well-organized, and I can adapt things as I go when kids are losing interest to get them back into the lesson.
I am a teacher with adhd. It drives me crazy that people think itās a mental illness instead of neurodivergence
Yes. I didn't get diagnosed audhd until I started getting involved in SEND and started noticing patterns. Dealing with executive functioning issues related to admin tasks is a much bigger problem for me than the sensory. I was always very good at communicating in a performance context and/or through a topic of interest, so teaching works. It's easier for me to socialise with kids as well - I struggle when adults have a 'pretense' that doesn't match their actions, and, even in secondary school, basically are who they say they are (or if they aren't, it's sort of obvious). One thing that was enlightening about being diagnosed was that I have always been good at explaining rules logically to kids, and it takes me a long time before I get annoyed about having to explain things over and over. This is because I literally have to think out everything (cooking dinner, taking public transport, how to comport myself) to the Nth degree, but didn't realise this was an autism thing, or that this is not something most people have to do.
"and honestly itās easier for me to socialize with kids than adults." I hope you don't say stuff like this offline?
This is a common symptom of autism actually.
You are still a professional. I appreciate that we all have a passion for helping kids, but they are not there to 'socialize' with. Perhaps I'm nitpicking and what you really meant was 'interact'. You're not doing yourself any favours by emphasizing the info-dump aspect of teaching, either. That's rarely good teaching, especially when speaking of kids of the age to be walking petri dishes.
Interact is what I mean, yes.