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Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

I agree with every single idea displayed here. I fell through the cracks of a really bad state school system and ended up dropping out of high school. I got my GED a few months after I dropped out and ended up in college. I almost flunked out of college as well but managed to maintain a B average since then. Even in college, speaking to the professors and its like they REALLY DON'T CARE. I get so furious all the time. I believe that all teachers should take courses that help them deal with ADHD prior to obtaining their license. The number of students who "fall through the cracks" due to a teacher not caring is staggering!

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

I honestly think this is lovely. One teacher that I had told my parents that they have flat out failed as parents because of my disorganization.. It wasn't their fault that I have what I had. I do my best and teachers would be more understanding if they saw a list like this.

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

LOL, nice post. i wish could give this to my chem teacher!

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

thanks for the tips. ill be sure to tell a few of these to any teacher giving me crap for not progressing at average pace (if it happens). i usually do well, but some classes i do falter out of human mistakes and sometimes adhd addled reasons.

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerbycheyenne (Post 1045223)

Very good points! So I went onto many websites and discovered that I have almost every sympton of ADHD inattentive, and these symptoms are both present at home and at work, but at school they aren't present. I'm a very good student and always have been. Is it possible to be a perfect(well very good) student and still have ADHD inattentive?

ADHD-PI is a sneaky little devil. I have it and I can tell you that, while I identify with most of what ADHDers go through, there are things that I don't simply because they are related to the hyperactivity part that we inattentives don't have. It's sneaky because people that have it often don't know they have it because they don't act out and draw attention to themselves

ADHD-PI a lot of times won't affect school the same way it does at home or work, because of different environmental factors and the fact that you don't have the hyperactivity getting in the way of your ability to get your work done. I did fine in high school and rarely had any problems with grades or paying attention in class. Occasionally I had to take extra time with tests or take my schoolwork home with me, but it wasn't as bad as it was when I was younger. Plus I think if you're driven enough you will form coping habits that help you at school, but at home you let them relax a little bit so the symptoms show up more there (they did for me). As far as work goes, you may want to look at if what you're doing is compatible with your personality, I could understand the ADHD coming out if you have to do a lot of paperwork, or boring mundane tasks.

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

They all ring true except for #8 for me. I'm not in high school. I'm dealing with these same problems but in college. I hate having accommodations and knowing I'm getting extra time to take an exam and still not being able to do as well as I like. I hate asking questions over and over and having tutors stare at me funny when they think I should know the information instantly (since it took everyone else a week to learn it). I have started telling myself to give up...when it comes to my college education. I'm in the wrong major maybe. I love psychology, art, reading, writing, photography, literature, and instead........I'm having to deal with chemistry and biology courses.

You know what else I hate? Having to take Ritalin or Adderall so I can just be normal like everyone else....and that STILL doesn't do the job completely.

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

I love four xD because I did it all too much, my teachers didn't seem to care though.

On the down side though, I think #10 needs more emphasis in schools/life. When the old lady at the school told me I had ADD. (No idea who she was..) My school life changed, a lot. I was put into an 'Academic lab' class, which consisted of me, two-three other A.D.D. kids, and a couple stoners. It was a huge hit to my self esteem. And then when I did turn my grades around, A's and B's they refused to let me out of it.

Great list!

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

This really means alot and will help me as i am entering high school

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

I am reading this and wondering what is going to happen to my son. He is a good child and wants to do well in school but he has ADD and just cant do all of the things they want him to at once. He has 5 classes and honestly I think he can only keep up with maybe 3. Right now he has 4 F's and one C due to not completing homework and failing tests he doesnt let me know he needs to study for. I am trying to help him but he lies about the homework. He lies all the time saying he doesnt have any to do. I know he can figure it will hurt his grade but mentally I dont think he gets it. I dont know what to do??

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

This focus sounds wrong.

Speaking as a former abc student (I had As Bs and Cs), I don't think its a matter of what ADHD students need teachers to know.

What matters is what I want me to know. What makes me tick and what can I do?

Your teacher probably knows you are not stupid but do you? You know you can sometimes concentrate and focus but do you know when/how?

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

Thanks TS for giving a nice information. We can certainly apply this.

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

Quote:

Originally Posted by livinginchaos (Post 292759)

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!)

My homework was never done so I guess I fail on that point haha

Quote:

Originally Posted by livinginchaos (Post 292759)

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.

That falls too. You had to hook me to a hospital heartbeat monitor to know I'm alive and breathing.

Now we need a guide for boys haha

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

Oh boy here we go......Responses bolded in red

Quote:

Originally Posted by livinginchaos (Post 292759)

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.
Practice makes perfect. If you can't remember a certain thing, find different ways for you to memorize that specific material better.

2) I am not stupid.,
It's not about how smart you are, it's how you use your intelligence that counts? ADD never stopped some of us from graduating with honours. You just have to approach school materials different from everybody else.

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!)What I did back in high school was to pack what you need before you go to bed, and you won't forget anything that you need because you already got it packed.

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. You may have ADD/ADHD, but this is a non-ADD world. Life with ADD may suck but people must adapt to it one way or another, otherwise they will not succeed.

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. Lots of people with ADD have succeeded in both high school and college without special accommodations. If you don't want to have special accommodations due to your ADHD then put effort into working on your own and getting things done on your own (just like everyone else.)

12) Always remember that I am a person with feelings, needs and goals. These are as important to me as yours are to you. With a private tutor this should be considered. However, a teacher trying to maintain a classroom with over 30 other students (while still accommodating for you) is easier said than done. Referring to point 10, asking your teacher for help when you need it is important in terms of succeeding, as well as putting effort into homework. No matter how hard your work is, doing your HW will definitely count in the long run.

There, I'm done. This is basically how I got through JH, HS, and basically the 1st and 2nd years of college.

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazystarf (Post 1194968)

Oh boy here we go......Responses bolded in red

There, I'm done. This is basically how I got through JH, HS, and basically the 1st and 2nd years of college.

Congratulations. You have posted what worked for you with your personality and your ADHD. While this may have worked for you it might (read most probably) not work for others. So to me you sound like an NT saying "Try harder" you lazy bum.

Re: 12 Things ADHD High Schoolers want their Teachers to Know

Quote:

Originally Posted by KronarTheBlack (Post 1194977)

I agree, that's the way crazystarf's post hit me as well.

For instance, my granddaughter always finishes her homework and puts it
into her school bag - but that is no guarantee she will remember to hand
it to the teacher the next day.

And no matter whether a teacher has 10 or 30 kids in a classroom and
teaches 5 or 6 classes each day, they do need to remember that each
and every one of those kids is a person with feelings, needs and goals.
In some schools there are a hundred teachers and each of them wants
their principal to remember that he or she is also a person with feelings,
eh?