I'm on my 7th year of teaching and each year I tell myself that THIS year I'll be more organized. I always start off the year pretty organized, but after about a week or less, it's gone.

I make systems at the beginning of the year, but I never stick with them. I get this paper or that paper and set it on my desk thinking, "I can't deal with this now, I'll look at it later." Then it gets buried under all the other papers I've set on top of it with the same "I'll get to this later" thought. Suddenly, I can't find my desk.

I start off the year with a beautiful, blank lesson plan book. I write great lesson plans for the first two weeks of school, then I stop. Suddenly, I'm 3 months into school and I have to spend hours writing all those lesson plans I kept putting off writing.

I get paper work I need to fill out on this Special Ed kid, or that speech kid, or this ESL kid, and you guessed it, I set it down with the thought of, "I can't deal with this now.. I'll get to it later" until it's lost in a massive pile and someone chases me down looking for it.

I have finally gotten into some major trouble at work. My principal has put me on an intervention with deadlines on when I have to meet her expectations. I have completely frustrated her to no end and she's considering not renewing my contract.

Well, after much talk with my therapist and many checklists later, it turns out I have ADHD. This has immensely affected me on the job for years. It's very hard being a teacher with ADHD. I'm going to my psychiatrist on Monday to see about getting on some meds. In the meantime, I have to meet these expectations of my principal if I want to keep my job. They all have to do with organization, etc.

Are there any other teachers out there who deal with these same organizational nightmares?? If so, how do you cope?? Does your principal know your situation? I'm afraid if I tell her, that it'll just give her more ammunition to use against me. My therapist and I both think she just wants to get rid of me by making school a nightmare for me (she changed my teaching position 3 times in 3 weeks).

Sorry this is so long.. for those of you who were actually able to follow this and stuck it out.. thanks. I welcome any suggestions!



Scattered in Texas.

Scatter,
Are You my female twin I could have writen your post. All but the introuble and three grade change part. Lets chat I believe there my be alot of us out here in la la. what happened to that la la la laaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaa
scottc in California

Scatter, I am NOT a teacher; but, a mother of two beautiful intelligent ADHD children. My 10 yr old fourth grader is mainstreamed into a regular classroom due to the siZe or our school and right now he is completing eighth grade subjects and will be tested this summer to see if he needs more of a challange. His teacher is brutal and hurtful to him; since the school year started we have had to start depression meds due to anxiety attacks at school and before school. My daughter bless her soul has a speech impediment that seems to only appear at the school.

Please, I am BEGGING you do NOT give up these kid's need someone who knows what it feels like. Someone who won't try and push them under the rug, who will work with them to find their strengths and weakness's. Don't lose hope trust me there are so many parent's out there rooting for you and I will be praying overtime not only for your sanity; but, it would be nice to know that somewere some kid is going to get to hear "I know exactly how you feel."

Much respect,
Cherity

Scatter, I was a teacher (arts k-8) and almost killed myself trying to get to work on time, even though the concerts at the end of the year were reviewed as splendid successes. Here are some of the things I think I might do if I were you:

- Get your evaluation and medication. You are therefore immediately protected by the Federal ADA.

- If you do not trust your principal, tell him or her NOTHING. I have seen situations where if someone is protected by the ADA and discloses a hidden disability, administration/management (and this is not just in education) actively looks for a cause-related reason to get rid of that person, if they don't need them on staff desperately.

- I've heard some really interesting things about what the educators are going through in Texas. Do you have any friends on staff that you can switch tasks with? You can do something for them that they hate to do while they do your IEP and related Special Ed. paperwork?

- Is there any way you can look at what your schedule is like now and block out some time (during the weekend? at the public library before you go home?) to do lesson plans for the week in one block?

- I am like you - my professional challenges are usually organizational. GET A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER - hopefully someone who works with the chronically disorganized. (They have an official study group for that.)

Just some thoughts. Best of luck.

some days i am organized and others i play catch up.

do your best. :)

having boxes to sort stuff is a good idea.

but, try not to have more than 2 boxes to sort.

i once got more than 5 boxes and and took forever to sort.

i am still throwing away stuff.

keep in touch and good luck.
paul :)

you can do it too!
:)

Paul

My wife is a middle school PE teacher/coach and undiagnosed ADD. She has grades due again, and is almost having panic attacks (again.) Everything waits until the end of the grading period and then a marathon of grading begins. Every time. This week, in addition to grades being due, her school is hosting this week's track meet, and she's going crazy. And not a semester goes by without her losing a huge ring of school keys, which she sometimes gets back.

Disorganization and a sensitivity to criticism (from parents mostly) just about ruin her, and she wants to get out of teaching, but she can't make up her mind what else she wants to do. What she'd like is if I went out and made a huge pile of money so she never had to work again. Hey, that's what I want, too, but it ain't gonna happen. Meanwhile, it's my fault for not making that pile of money.