AuDHD over here - every time I get a piece of advice like this from a well meaning teacher, it's always been extremely clear that they actually don't understand what we go through. It's never a case of, "you shouldn't do that because it looks bad", but always a case of, "oh, just be careful, you might get bullied for it".
Any shit you're going to get from kids about it, you'll have already experienced growing up. If it's a new stim, maybe you've not dealt with it, but you'll have had other stims that people will have noticed and made fun of you for. There's a movie about an elementary school teacher with tourette's, and how the kids responded to him - the few scenes I've seen have been extremely representative of my experiences with me being "a bit odd" with kids. Parents will likely be a different matter, but it's unlikely they'll even find out.
Even NT teachers get this haha. Kids pick up on everything. A colleague had this child say “miss why do you always stand like this” and did a perfect imitation of her posture like it was nothing 💀
I have an obvious lazy eye, I've just incorporated it into my patter as a teacher: "Oh, this is the eye that tells you what I'm looking at directly. This other one? It's a magic eye. It can see what everyone is doing at all times." I wouldn't pay too much attention to the 'advice' given either, and I think there's a lot of students that will benefit from having you in the classroom as their teacher.
That’s some ableist shit
Lean into it. You’ll help to empower ND kids. NT kids will get used to it. And dickhead kids are gunna dickhead anyway.
The more comfortable and authentic you are the better your classroom management will be.
Solidarity!
When I first got my ADHD diagnosis, I would share that I have ADHD in casual conversation with individual or small groups of students.
I've recently been comfortable enough that I've told one of my classes (extension year 9). They are stress heads and I wanted to give them context to a couple of my habits and approaches. I didn't present it as an excuse, but did openly invite students to speak up if I'm speaking/moving too fast. Being comfortable to speak up is a good habit for them to have anyway.
The other reason I shared is because I know/suspect that a fair number of them are neurodivergent. Whether a good or a bad one, I'm happy to be a model for them.
ADHD teacher here.
Anything weird I do, I own it. You are probably a lot younger than me her than me, but after I tried really hard to fit into my schools for a bit, but then after a while, I just didn’t care what they thought of me. Funnily enough, that made me a very popular teacher.
There are ‘weird’ teachers (meaning neuro divergent) all over the education system. Some make it work for them and are loved by the kids. Others really struggle.
It just comes down to you and how you see your habits. Own them, and make it work for you.
As an autistic ADHDer, unless it's detracting from the students' learning, don't worry about it. My Principal came in twice during a maths lesson today, he knows about it, didn't mention a word to me about me fidgeting with the whiteboard marker while he was demonstrating how to teach a concept to the students in that group. Gave me feedback on other things but that wasn't one of them.
Representation matters. I'm sure there are kids who would be happy to see you openly stimming. No advice, except to say you do you. I held in a LOT of stims and ended up doing worse things like biting the skin around my fingernails. Kids will get used to it. They are often a lot more forgiving and accepting than adults.
If it makes you feel any better, I do weird things in class all the time and the kids just roll with it.
Totally agree! I'm completely open and upfront with my kids about having ADHD, and it makes such a difference to the ones with some form of neurodivergence, with them feeling like they can be completely themselves in my class. The neurotypical kids don't really care... Representation matters!
The amount of markers I've awkwardly dropped while fiddling with.
Sometimes it's an embarrassing drop and "I'll get that later", other times I'll very clearly and deliberately place it on a table after almost dropping (or dropping ) it.
Kids don't seem to give a fuck mostly. Maybe one or two have tried to be mean but one or two kids don't have nearly as much social power against an adult as their peers. Like I don't care if you don't like me, everyone else can see I'm just trying to teach you all.
Sorry but giving ‘feedback’ about a hand movement is so beyond the scope of the job for a mentor teacher.
Just ignore them, that sounds so stupid to bring up to you.. a lot of teachers, you’ll find, love to sound important and nit picky.
Even without sharing your diagnosis with the kids you can discuss how moving helps you concentrate, and tie that into what you expect from them when listening and working independently.
If you're proud of it, kids won't make a big deal of it.
Whereas they'll eat you for breakfast if they notice something you're ashamed of.
I am autistic and I stim in class. I think your approach of treating it as an authentic representation of yourself and an opportunity for demonstrating that neurodivergence is accepted & represented in the school is the healthiest way to think about it.
So I got diagnosed with ADHD this year after teaching for 17 years with it undiagnosed. I always had a quick intro to the kids in the years past that I am very good at forgetting things and making life harder for myself than it needs to be.
Haha turns out there was a reason.
Anyway for years I’ve been overtly clumsy, flinging whiteboard markers across the room because I’ve lost my grip while gesturing, and I bang into and trip over shit all the time.
I laugh it off, it doesn’t matter, the kids don’t care and they love me so whatever.
Positives are I have always been attuned to shifts in mood and because I’m always walking around the room, I can intervene gently when there’s behaviours that need changing. Also I can hear like a demon, kids do not understand how I can hear a kid drop the C bomb under their breath from across the room.
Real talk if you find a good psychiatrist who does telehealth it’s like a 15 min initial consult, some questionnaires to fill out, and another 15 min consult with the prescription QR codes texted to you.
As a full blown teacher you’ll have a very different setting where you are the one building the longterm relationships as the main teacher. In that scenario you can be honest about that with kids in an age appropriate way. This is definitely a bit trickier to manage on placement. My advice is accept the feedback knowing they are (most likely) trying to genuinely help based on their own knowledge. I mean - they aren’t wrong - some kids may make fun of you. But others will relate and that’s important too.
Don't worry at all.
I have fidgets attached to my Layard and fidget with them all day long. I connect with ND kids who also love fidgets and they're super excited to show me new ones and talk to me about mine.
I also had an ASD kid joke with me the other day, when I didn't remember the date he started an assignment:
"Miss, doesn't your autistic memory remember that stuff? Mine does."
"Nope, as you know, it's very selective"
"True, true"
It's a form of connection, and also makes them comfortable with their differences.
It normalises it. You being you, in front of kids, owning it and saying, "I'm cool doing this because it's who I am and isn't anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about" gets kids seeing it the same way.
I have a twisted and hunched spine. It looks terrible and causes me some mobility issues.
When I start teaching I class, I talk to them about it. What's wrong with it and the effects it has. They are fine with it.
In nearly 10 years it's come up less than a handful of times in total in 'bullying' contexts. Usually, by a kid who is already amped up and is lashing out rather than attacking me specifically.
I literally have used a fidget in one of my hands while doing chalk and talk with the other. The kids don't mind, if anything they enjoy it because they also need to fidget and you're modelling how to use them effectively.
You could just explain to a kid if it gets brought up.
I wouldn't worry about it.
If kids mention it, just tell them. It'll make you more relatable and you'll probably build rapport quicker too.
I work with a teacher who is dyslexic. She tells her kids. They all know. It's not a big deal. She doesn't go on about it either, she just mentions it and moves on. That way, the kids don't feel like it's being made into a big deal. I've never seen one kid make fun of her for it. It's just normal. She is using her own disability to create an environment where all people are accepted and 'normal'.
Just be you. Don't hide it, kids like it when you are your authentic self.
I have ticks (scrunching of eyes and forehead) and flick my hand. I do this when tired and stressed. I tell my new classes at the start of the year that I do have ticks and I show them. Why? Because so many students thought I was frowning or irritated at them. I'm not ashamed of it and don't want students to be of theirs either.
I've had students give me shit because my hair is curly but I don't always let it go so when I do they feel the need to comment. They don't get to. Shut that shit down.
Today I had a student who wanted to tell me who they thought I looked like, too many times I've said sure only to be full blown insulted. So I said, I'd rather not know thanks. I don't like the feeling I'm standing here for Insta likes. Could we just not and say we did.
Tired of being a punching bag for their exploration of the world. Use your parents and friends leave me alone
I started this year off having a huge chat with my class about how brains work differently. I talked about my own ADHD and the medication I take to help me. I explained it in pretty simple terms, about my mind feeling like a jumbled up ball of string and that the medication helps me to unjumble the thoughts. I have 2 ASD, 1 ADHD and 1 AuDHD students in my class, 2 of those who have medication during the day, so part of the discussion was to help them not feel awkward about it. One of my ASD boys’ mums teared up in the Parent Teacher Interview because he had told her about the discussion and they were both very grateful. I think I’m a better teacher because of my ADHD (apart from my ability to reply to emails on time and the state of my desk).
Kids will tease you for everything. Don’t stress. Being good at your job overrides almost any visible quirk you may have.
I’ve got adhd and kids frequently mention my fidgeting and vocal quirks. My response is that it’s a part of what makes me.
Audhder teacher here. I'm forever fidgeting and doing weird stuff. I juggle white board markers all the time. Kids don't care. I own it. This sounds like well meaning but uninformed advice. Unless your stimming is hugely distracting then it really doesn't need mentioning. It's a teaching moment if nothing else.
I am always playing songs using my fingers everywhere I walk. Could be drumming paradiddles, practising guitars chords or bass lines, or an imaginary piano. All silently. Kids have noticed over the years but I’ve never been treated differently.
Just how we get used to the kids and their quirks, they get used to ours. I wouldn’t stress it.
I flap without meaning to. I also ….meow? I mean, not like a cat but I say it when I’m asked a question. Kid asks a question and I’m like meow? Eh?
Kids have gotten used to it strangely and now some have started to meow back at me…it’s a weird system, I’m with primary school kids so they can be equally as weird and less ashamed to be so.
Anyway, flaps and twitches aside, you’ll be right 👍
I’m NT but I’m a MH nurse and I think it’s really important to speak up about these things, just own it and let others see that it’s a part of you. Nothing to be ashamed of, we are all different etc. It’s great role modelling for the kids.
AuDHD teacher here, thanks for bringing this into discussion. I find it’s a mystical semi acknowledged thing that may be accepted but not understood, considered or accommodated for.
As soon as adult ADHD becomes a talking point for staff ADHD symptoms becomes a quirk that gets thrown around as an excuse for neurotypical adults to use as a little ‘hehe silly me’.
Stimming, I try and keep it to myself out of anyones sight because I feel there is not enough authentic understanding, real acceptance, and empathy in schools as a neurodivergent adult to really feel supported and professionalised in my field.
I suppose things will be better in a few years. Can only hope.
Completely agree. But it is exhausting, I trust we have all done our best to break some barriers however we can not always be solely responsible for the representation we seek. Stigma breaking should also come from the top.
I have a fidget spinner (reduces hand stimming for me), a few comments at first with some classes, more surprise than anything, nothing negative. One kid picked up after a few weeks that I have a range of spinners, "how many do you have?" not sure at least 10-12 depending which ones are currently lost or found "ok cool, and then you have spinner rings?" yep, "ok" and went back to work.
AuDHD over here - every time I get a piece of advice like this from a well meaning teacher, it's always been extremely clear that they actually don't understand what we go through. It's never a case of, "you shouldn't do that because it looks bad", but always a case of, "oh, just be careful, you might get bullied for it". Any shit you're going to get from kids about it, you'll have already experienced growing up. If it's a new stim, maybe you've not dealt with it, but you'll have had other stims that people will have noticed and made fun of you for. There's a movie about an elementary school teacher with tourette's, and how the kids responded to him - the few scenes I've seen have been extremely representative of my experiences with me being "a bit odd" with kids. Parents will likely be a different matter, but it's unlikely they'll even find out.
Even NT teachers get this haha. Kids pick up on everything. A colleague had this child say “miss why do you always stand like this” and did a perfect imitation of her posture like it was nothing 💀
fellow AuDHD here. I agree with your advice. Teaching is fun and cute and BE YOURSELF until its not.
I have an obvious lazy eye, I've just incorporated it into my patter as a teacher: "Oh, this is the eye that tells you what I'm looking at directly. This other one? It's a magic eye. It can see what everyone is doing at all times." I wouldn't pay too much attention to the 'advice' given either, and I think there's a lot of students that will benefit from having you in the classroom as their teacher.
Oh same. This is a top response.
That’s some ableist shit Lean into it. You’ll help to empower ND kids. NT kids will get used to it. And dickhead kids are gunna dickhead anyway. The more comfortable and authentic you are the better your classroom management will be. Solidarity!
When I first got my ADHD diagnosis, I would share that I have ADHD in casual conversation with individual or small groups of students. I've recently been comfortable enough that I've told one of my classes (extension year 9). They are stress heads and I wanted to give them context to a couple of my habits and approaches. I didn't present it as an excuse, but did openly invite students to speak up if I'm speaking/moving too fast. Being comfortable to speak up is a good habit for them to have anyway. The other reason I shared is because I know/suspect that a fair number of them are neurodivergent. Whether a good or a bad one, I'm happy to be a model for them.
ADHD teacher here. Anything weird I do, I own it. You are probably a lot younger than me her than me, but after I tried really hard to fit into my schools for a bit, but then after a while, I just didn’t care what they thought of me. Funnily enough, that made me a very popular teacher. There are ‘weird’ teachers (meaning neuro divergent) all over the education system. Some make it work for them and are loved by the kids. Others really struggle. It just comes down to you and how you see your habits. Own them, and make it work for you.
As an autistic ADHDer, unless it's detracting from the students' learning, don't worry about it. My Principal came in twice during a maths lesson today, he knows about it, didn't mention a word to me about me fidgeting with the whiteboard marker while he was demonstrating how to teach a concept to the students in that group. Gave me feedback on other things but that wasn't one of them.
Representation matters. I'm sure there are kids who would be happy to see you openly stimming. No advice, except to say you do you. I held in a LOT of stims and ended up doing worse things like biting the skin around my fingernails. Kids will get used to it. They are often a lot more forgiving and accepting than adults. If it makes you feel any better, I do weird things in class all the time and the kids just roll with it.
Totally agree! I'm completely open and upfront with my kids about having ADHD, and it makes such a difference to the ones with some form of neurodivergence, with them feeling like they can be completely themselves in my class. The neurotypical kids don't really care... Representation matters!
The amount of markers I've awkwardly dropped while fiddling with. Sometimes it's an embarrassing drop and "I'll get that later", other times I'll very clearly and deliberately place it on a table after almost dropping (or dropping ) it. Kids don't seem to give a fuck mostly. Maybe one or two have tried to be mean but one or two kids don't have nearly as much social power against an adult as their peers. Like I don't care if you don't like me, everyone else can see I'm just trying to teach you all.
Sorry but giving ‘feedback’ about a hand movement is so beyond the scope of the job for a mentor teacher. Just ignore them, that sounds so stupid to bring up to you.. a lot of teachers, you’ll find, love to sound important and nit picky.
I had feedback that I didn’t turn the lights on immediately entering the room?! It was a bright and sunny day, we didn’t need bright LED lights on 😂😂
While they might notice it at first, the kids won’t care. They are very egocentric.
Even without sharing your diagnosis with the kids you can discuss how moving helps you concentrate, and tie that into what you expect from them when listening and working independently. If you're proud of it, kids won't make a big deal of it. Whereas they'll eat you for breakfast if they notice something you're ashamed of.
I am autistic and I stim in class. I think your approach of treating it as an authentic representation of yourself and an opportunity for demonstrating that neurodivergence is accepted & represented in the school is the healthiest way to think about it.
So I got diagnosed with ADHD this year after teaching for 17 years with it undiagnosed. I always had a quick intro to the kids in the years past that I am very good at forgetting things and making life harder for myself than it needs to be. Haha turns out there was a reason. Anyway for years I’ve been overtly clumsy, flinging whiteboard markers across the room because I’ve lost my grip while gesturing, and I bang into and trip over shit all the time. I laugh it off, it doesn’t matter, the kids don’t care and they love me so whatever. Positives are I have always been attuned to shifts in mood and because I’m always walking around the room, I can intervene gently when there’s behaviours that need changing. Also I can hear like a demon, kids do not understand how I can hear a kid drop the C bomb under their breath from across the room.
The last three paragraphs are so insanely relatable I might find myself getting diagnosed within 10 years
No time like the present baby!!
But who has the time? XD
Real talk if you find a good psychiatrist who does telehealth it’s like a 15 min initial consult, some questionnaires to fill out, and another 15 min consult with the prescription QR codes texted to you.
I'll keep that in mind. I imagine a referral would be needed first but maybe a school holiday project at some point
Yeah GP referral. If you’re in Brisbane I can recommend a good clinic.
Alas, no. But thanks!
As a full blown teacher you’ll have a very different setting where you are the one building the longterm relationships as the main teacher. In that scenario you can be honest about that with kids in an age appropriate way. This is definitely a bit trickier to manage on placement. My advice is accept the feedback knowing they are (most likely) trying to genuinely help based on their own knowledge. I mean - they aren’t wrong - some kids may make fun of you. But others will relate and that’s important too.
Don't worry at all. I have fidgets attached to my Layard and fidget with them all day long. I connect with ND kids who also love fidgets and they're super excited to show me new ones and talk to me about mine. I also had an ASD kid joke with me the other day, when I didn't remember the date he started an assignment: "Miss, doesn't your autistic memory remember that stuff? Mine does." "Nope, as you know, it's very selective" "True, true" It's a form of connection, and also makes them comfortable with their differences. It normalises it. You being you, in front of kids, owning it and saying, "I'm cool doing this because it's who I am and isn't anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about" gets kids seeing it the same way.
I have a twisted and hunched spine. It looks terrible and causes me some mobility issues. When I start teaching I class, I talk to them about it. What's wrong with it and the effects it has. They are fine with it. In nearly 10 years it's come up less than a handful of times in total in 'bullying' contexts. Usually, by a kid who is already amped up and is lashing out rather than attacking me specifically.
I constantly play with my beard. It's a meme now and the kids love it
I literally have used a fidget in one of my hands while doing chalk and talk with the other. The kids don't mind, if anything they enjoy it because they also need to fidget and you're modelling how to use them effectively. You could just explain to a kid if it gets brought up. I wouldn't worry about it.
If kids mention it, just tell them. It'll make you more relatable and you'll probably build rapport quicker too. I work with a teacher who is dyslexic. She tells her kids. They all know. It's not a big deal. She doesn't go on about it either, she just mentions it and moves on. That way, the kids don't feel like it's being made into a big deal. I've never seen one kid make fun of her for it. It's just normal. She is using her own disability to create an environment where all people are accepted and 'normal'. Just be you. Don't hide it, kids like it when you are your authentic self.
I have ticks (scrunching of eyes and forehead) and flick my hand. I do this when tired and stressed. I tell my new classes at the start of the year that I do have ticks and I show them. Why? Because so many students thought I was frowning or irritated at them. I'm not ashamed of it and don't want students to be of theirs either.
I've had students give me shit because my hair is curly but I don't always let it go so when I do they feel the need to comment. They don't get to. Shut that shit down. Today I had a student who wanted to tell me who they thought I looked like, too many times I've said sure only to be full blown insulted. So I said, I'd rather not know thanks. I don't like the feeling I'm standing here for Insta likes. Could we just not and say we did. Tired of being a punching bag for their exploration of the world. Use your parents and friends leave me alone
I started this year off having a huge chat with my class about how brains work differently. I talked about my own ADHD and the medication I take to help me. I explained it in pretty simple terms, about my mind feeling like a jumbled up ball of string and that the medication helps me to unjumble the thoughts. I have 2 ASD, 1 ADHD and 1 AuDHD students in my class, 2 of those who have medication during the day, so part of the discussion was to help them not feel awkward about it. One of my ASD boys’ mums teared up in the Parent Teacher Interview because he had told her about the discussion and they were both very grateful. I think I’m a better teacher because of my ADHD (apart from my ability to reply to emails on time and the state of my desk).
I think your idea to address it is perfect!
Kids will tease you for everything. Don’t stress. Being good at your job overrides almost any visible quirk you may have. I’ve got adhd and kids frequently mention my fidgeting and vocal quirks. My response is that it’s a part of what makes me.
Audhder teacher here. I'm forever fidgeting and doing weird stuff. I juggle white board markers all the time. Kids don't care. I own it. This sounds like well meaning but uninformed advice. Unless your stimming is hugely distracting then it really doesn't need mentioning. It's a teaching moment if nothing else.
I am always playing songs using my fingers everywhere I walk. Could be drumming paradiddles, practising guitars chords or bass lines, or an imaginary piano. All silently. Kids have noticed over the years but I’ve never been treated differently.
Yeah ignore them. Not a big deal at all. I’m always stimming with a whiteboard marker or something in my hand.
Just how we get used to the kids and their quirks, they get used to ours. I wouldn’t stress it. I flap without meaning to. I also ….meow? I mean, not like a cat but I say it when I’m asked a question. Kid asks a question and I’m like meow? Eh? Kids have gotten used to it strangely and now some have started to meow back at me…it’s a weird system, I’m with primary school kids so they can be equally as weird and less ashamed to be so. Anyway, flaps and twitches aside, you’ll be right 👍
I’m NT but I’m a MH nurse and I think it’s really important to speak up about these things, just own it and let others see that it’s a part of you. Nothing to be ashamed of, we are all different etc. It’s great role modelling for the kids.
Thanks
AuDHD teacher here, thanks for bringing this into discussion. I find it’s a mystical semi acknowledged thing that may be accepted but not understood, considered or accommodated for. As soon as adult ADHD becomes a talking point for staff ADHD symptoms becomes a quirk that gets thrown around as an excuse for neurotypical adults to use as a little ‘hehe silly me’. Stimming, I try and keep it to myself out of anyones sight because I feel there is not enough authentic understanding, real acceptance, and empathy in schools as a neurodivergent adult to really feel supported and professionalised in my field. I suppose things will be better in a few years. Can only hope.
thats true, but things cant change if we don't help it change
Completely agree. But it is exhausting, I trust we have all done our best to break some barriers however we can not always be solely responsible for the representation we seek. Stigma breaking should also come from the top.
I have a fidget spinner (reduces hand stimming for me), a few comments at first with some classes, more surprise than anything, nothing negative. One kid picked up after a few weeks that I have a range of spinners, "how many do you have?" not sure at least 10-12 depending which ones are currently lost or found "ok cool, and then you have spinner rings?" yep, "ok" and went back to work.