High school students describe, the characteristics of a great High School teacher. Write a short sentence or make a bullet list. You will help the teachers on this site become better teachers and help parents understand what kind of teacher you need to succeed in school.

Thanks
RADD

One of my teachers has helped me so much, he saw that I may have ADHD and helped me through the diagnosis.

I think teachers should be like him:


You should always listen to the student, even if you have heard about their problems a thousend times, even if you feel you can't advise them, someone to listen is still good.
Never let your student use his/her disability as an excuse, explain to them that it is only an explanation.
Give your student someone to turn to, if you can't be that person then arrange someone for them to go to when they are in need of help (e.g. a school counsellor or a special needs teacher).
Know that your student with a disability (whether its ADHD, AS, LD etc...) will have good days and bad days, when they seem like they are getting better do not stop supporting them, they may still need you.
Work with their parents, work out a system where if there is a problem with a teacher or peer, their parents can phone you up and you can speak to that teacher and try to address the problem.
Make sure you and the students other teachers are educated about the students disability to help them understand more, if others are not educated or don't know where to look for information, educate them yourself, help them out.
Set appropriate consequences if rules are broken, know whats a big thing or a little thing in terms of behaviour, let your student know what the consequences will be.
Always tell your student what they should be doing and not would they shouldn't be doing, you don't want to confuse the student and you want to be as positive as you can to avoid embarrassment.
I am eternally greatful for the amount of support this teacher has given me.

:)

I guess you saw this, as I saw a reply from you in the thread where it is ..LOL..but I will post it again anyway..:p

12 Things High School Students w/ ADHD Would Like Their Teachers to Know

taken from:
http://add.about.com/cs/forteachers/a/12things.htm

**the list was complied from Teens w/ ADHD

1) I really do forget things, I am not trying to be smart, sassy or arrogant, I simply do not always remember. The myth that if it is important enough I will remember it is just that, a myth.

2) I am not stupid.,

3) I really do complete my homework. It is easy for me to lose papers, leave them at home and otherwise not be able to find my homework at the proper time. Completing homework in a notebook is much easier for me as it will not get lost as easily. Loose papers are difficult for me to keep track of. (Once my mother found my homework in the bread drawer after I had left for school!)

4) If I ask the same question over or ask many questions, it is not out of arrogance. I am trying hard to understand, comprehend and remember what you have said. Please be patient and help me.5) I want to do good. I have struggled with schoolwork for many years and it is frustrating to me. My goal is to do my best and pass this class with flying colors.

6) ADD is not an excuse. ADD really does exist and it does affect my thinking process. I would like to be "normal" and be able to remember and process information quickly, I do not enjoy being "different" and made fun of for my differences.

7) I need your help to succeed. It isn't always easy for me to ask for help and sometimes asking makes me feel stupid. Please be patient with my attempts and offer your help.

8) Please be sure to talk with me in private about behaviors or actions that may not be appropriate. Please do not humiliate me, insult me, or call attention to my weaknesses in front of the class.

9) I do better with a detailed plan and knowing what you expect. If you should change plans in the middle to adapt to some outside influence, please help me to adapt. It may take me longer to adjust to the changes. Structure and guidance are my best allies.

10) I don't like having "special accomodations." Please do not draw attention to them and help me to succeed with the least amount of attention drawn to my ADD.

11) Learn about ADD/ADHD. Read information and find out all you can on how kids with ADD learn and what can make it easier for them.

12) Always remember that I am a person with feelings, needs and goals. These are as important to me as yours are to you.
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:D :D

Boone,

I was really touched by your reply. Not many students get support like that. Some teachers teach to make a difference in kids lives. I think you had one of those teachers.

If you don't mind, I am going to keep a copy of your post for myself and to share with other teachers. It really it powerful. Thank you so much for taking the time to post.

Of course I don't mind you sharing my post with others! :D

I think it's great that you are finding ways to help and support students, if only there where more people like you and the teacher that hepled me in the world.

A good teacher knows that every child is individual and has different needs and different ways of learning, so if the child isn't learning the way you teach, then you should teach the way the child learns.

I don't know where I'd be without the help and support of my teacher.

I would say that a good high school teacher is one that operates with the goal of communicating a concept/theme to a diverse body of students, which means that each student represents an individual challenge to solve (not that the student is a problem, but figuring out the individual strategy), and that grades should be reflective of what is achieved in this respect. I know that this is rather generalized, but I think most classroom conflicts relate to this point (whether the person is being taught wrong, or the teaching is uninteresting). It's impossible to be perfect in this way, but most teachers don't put in much of an effort here, expecting students to adapt to some chosen box/standard.

Ya'll are awesome. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughts. And Data, er, HF, well-spoken, you hit the nail on the head. You will make me a better teacher.

I need to get more printer paper and start my binder on this subject. After some more posts, I will tell you what I learned from parents and kids last year. It was eye-opening.

NOTE: I remove any references to names or the souce except for a general statement about voluntary, but solicited comments from an education forum online. I copy and paste only the responses in Word. And then print the pages. No one will see the binder but me.

RADD

I had a teacher- one of my spec ed teachers who also was my golf coach who was amazing. I also had a teacher in 4th grade that really saw me, and understood me. We still keep in touch all these years later.

golf coach- I was failing a class my sr year. A class i needed to graduate. He was asked to work with me and help me to pass the class. He meet iwht me 3 times a week to work on the classwork. He got a book for me to highlight and he read me the info and i highlighted. It was the best thing for me. I took the tests with him where again he read the tests to me. He would find ways to relate the info to me or sports or whatever so I could understand it. If he ahd not stepped in I prob would not have graduated on time.

The best thing he did was that he didn't talk abut my LD or ADD outside of the classroom. On the golf course I was just another one of his golfers. Its just too bad I dind't work with him till my sr year. Who knows what he could have done for me all 4 years!

My 4th grade teacher- While I was not dxed with ADD as of then she knew it. She was great about letting me get up adn deliver things to the office, or hand out papers or whatever. Her class was very hands on, that was huge. There were no "low" or "high" reading groups. She would tlak to me like I was a normal student, not a "special kid" Most importantly she has been there for me ever since 4th grade. I still email and meet up with her to this day. I have emailed her assignments and she has looked them over and given me feedback and advice. Just a great person who is very very supportive in every way, shape and form!

Fast forward to college- I have one teacher right now who I swear is ADD as well. He also really gets me. He understands that i hear EVERYTHING! He is cool about it. When he lecutres he walks around and uses his hands alot. He calls on people at random to keep them involved and such. He is graet and brining his own experiences into the classroom and sharing them with us. He is totally cool about me taking my tests in another room that is distraction free and with unlimited time.

I have talked to him about my test taking problems-I just have a lot of trouble doing multiple choice questions. I think I over analzye the questions. He has been very accomidating with this and has since made me essay question tests instead. Whata great guy.

All of these wonderful people have been very supportive me my plans to eventualy teach. I have def thought about spec ed. but I am not 100% on that.

A teacher can really make or break your school experiecne!

From my teachers from Kindergarten to 9th grade, they weren't all exactly the best; although I was lucky to have some real nice ones. But if they were reading this right now, I'd tell them to:

- Find out more about ADD; after all, it's one of the more commonly diagnosed disorders in the U.S
- Understand that homework really does get misplaced, I don't ALWAYS forget to do it (and please not give detentions for missing homework)
- Don't scream or yell at the kid in front of the entire class. Or empty out the student's entire desk to show everyone its' contents.
- Be patient
- Try to follow the 504 plan. It can prove very useful.

take time to work with the like really work with them not like ok ugh i dont want to be here type of thing
understand them let them know that you care
be able to joke with them lol hey humor has never hurt anything
if something is not working work with the kid to fix it with reasonable things
never say that a higher class would be to hard always say it will be a challange
share your wisdom but do not be arragant
try to show that you can relate
be their for the student even if it was once where you gave up your lunch to help a student who was having a bad day they will rember(sp) you forever
let them know that you are on their side (to many times it has been the other way around)

yeah even like a couple of these things in a teacher would be amazing

Well there are alot of good things but I'm too distracted to figure out how to put them into words but it always makes me feel better when teachers grade in pink or blue or something and not red.