My name is Gracen Monet Dickey, and I have textbook ADHD; I talk out of turn, zone out when I am not engaged, and move constantly usually landing me in trouble. As an adult, I have learned coping strategies to navigate academic environments and use my ADHD brain to my advantage however as a teacher I see many students facing the same problems I experienced.
One of my favourite comedy skits by Louis CK summarizes the job of being a teacher in a perfect way:
I have learned in countless different environments ones where I thrived and some where I had an overwhelming feeling of anxiety and a low sense of self-worth. While I have reflected on the negative experiences I often think of the positive experiences. The most important thing to me is meeting students where they are and Mike Vecchione does a skit that summarizes this perfectly.
Most recently I found home within a classroom environment during my July Indigenous Education Institute. It was school every weekday for a month from 8:30-4:30 something that would usually make my skin crawl. However, the gentle and welcoming environment allowed me to feel safe and secure to be myself.
The Breakdown:
- Hands-on work was integrated throughout every course from land-based teachings to cedar weaving we experienced it all.
- Participation was 95% of our grade thus talking and discussing was encouraged.
- We built a positive classroom community which fostered comfortability, bravery, and rich discussions.
- We listened to our bodies: some days we stopped early if things were emotional, some days we went longer if the discussion was rich.
- We worked collaboratively towards a goal that everyone was passionate about.
I believe that following your student’s lead and meeting them where they are allows for the most growth both academically and socially. This model utilizes and adapts throughout the different learning theories acknowledging connections play an important role in learning, behaviour influences learning, and both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation fuels learning. However, it is never stagnant, constantly adapting and following the needs, wants, interests, and behaviours of the class to form the content for the week.
Gracen, thank you for sharing such a personal response. You are an inspiration, I really appreciate your post. It was well thought out and it had some really fun links!
I think that the way of teaching is slowly evolving and hopefully changing into something that is a more positive environment for the children.
I lived in the united states for 10 years and then another year I went to high school, I can say with confidence that it is not the same as the education in Canada. In the States, I saw how classrooms were set up in a very traditional way with only grades and GPA being the most important aspect. I did very well, however, this was not an ideal setup.
I work with a client who I tutor through my company, and the teachers of this student have effectively given up on them. It is such a sad thing to witness. I really hope that there is going to be more room for change and growth in the system.
Hey Gracen! Your story really resonated with me. It’s truly inspiring to see how you’ve overcome challenges related to ADHD and grown both professionally and personally. Your resilience is truly admirable! I couldn’t agree more with your quote, “Following your student’s lead and meeting them where they are allows for the most growth both academically and socially.”
I completely agree with you. Every child has their unique strengths and weaknesses, and it’s the responsibility of teachers to identify and nurture those strengths while providing support to overcome challenges. By doing so, teachers can help their students reach their full potential and achieve success in their own way. It’s wonderful to see educators like yourself who are dedicated to ensuring that every child receives the support and guidance they need to thrive.
Hey Grace, I love this post! That TikTok of what it is like being a teacher has been one of my favourite videos for a while! As a pre-service teacher, I find it super hilarious. I enjoyed reading the breakdown of your experience at the Indigenous Education Institute. All of those bold points are things that I want to have in my future classrooms and I am glad to hear that you had a good experience with them. You are right that teachers are always adapting to the needs of their students and evaluating what the best course of action is. I think it is super valuable that you have used your personal experience with ADHD as a way to shape your teaching practice. Well done!
Hi Gracen,
It was extremely interesting to read your post regarding the environmental conditions that promote academic and social success of students with ADHD by someone who has ADHD themselves. Reading your insight was rewarding in a different way then reading the diagnostic overview of ADHD from a textbook as it took the human experience into account.
One question that arose while reading your post is do you believe the reason you enjoyed your time at the Indigenous Education Institute so much was the fact that the instructors took the time to establish a safe, emotionally intelligent classroom environment? As a TTOC, as well as a teacher of a grade 5/6 class, the lack of time spent on creating an inclusive, welcoming classroom culture outside of that first month of school in September suprises me when research tells us how imperative connections in a school setting are.
I look forward to reading more of your posts as the course continues!