If any job would make someone think they have add it would be teaching elementary students. I've taught for 22 years. Love my job dearly, and yes I've never admitted to having Add publicaly, but ask anystaff member and I'm sure they would all point my direction. We must remember that even though there are things that drive our own selves crazy, there are many positives traits we have such as creativity in the classroom! multitasking masters!, an ability to understand other chidren with ADD, patience, flexibility, etc. Focus on your strengths you bring to the classroom. So what if your desk is a little cluttered, just make sure you know where all of the important things are that your pincipal etc. would need on a moments notice! I file things right away. I don't remember doing it ,but I know it is there. I have talked with many elementary teachers and most feel they are add to some extent. I think you almost have to be to do so many of the things we do at once. I would be bored to death doing any other job!!

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I am also an elementary school teacher with ADHD. I've taught for 22 years, 10 in kindergarten and the last 12 as a fourth grade teacher. I agree completely with "Thinker:" Even though having ADHD makes the paperwork part of my job Hell on Earth, the important part (teaching!) is so much fun. I have no problem letting my students, parents, and co-workers know that I have ADHD; it lets the parents of my ADD/ADHD kids know right away that I "get" them. And guess what? My students "get" me, too, whether they have the disorder or not. I read "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key" by Jack Gantos aloud to my class at the beginning of each year, and it opens up the door to dialogue about how wonderful and miserable life can be when you live with ADHD/ADD. I also agree that being an elementary school teacher is perfect for someone like me because you are performing multiple tasks constantly, all day long. In fact, when I was diagnosed 2 years ago, my doctor told me that she treats almost as many elementary school teachers as she does kids because the nature of our job "re-wires" our brains to some extent. I may have the attention span of a gnat, but these days, so do our students because of the instant gratification they get from instant messaging, texting, email, etc. So what if my paperwork is behind or I don't get graded tests back to the kids the very next day? I'm a damn good teacher because I'm patient, flexible, goofy, and I know how to make learning exciting, fun, and relevant to my students. So, embrace your ADHD/ADD, learn some coping skills for keeping organized (ugh!), and continue to be the great educators that your students know you are.

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Thanks for the responses. Very helpful and encouraging! One huge problem for me is lesson planning each day. I want to have a loose plan on paper and in my mind for each subject but I usually get scared and go into obsession over each detail which takes hours just for one day! On top of that we do not have a useable math series. We all look at our state objectives and just scavenge hunt for activities and lessons and worksheets. Our school also a few years back did Literacy First. Much of what I can tell from it uses "centers" for a portion of our day. But I have had no training so for that block of time I hodge podge with others to cobble up 4 different centers for a week it too lacks any support structure. Also I was alternatively certified for Elem Ed although I taught Phys Ed in Elem several years ago, substituted and been a mom for 20 years I wonder are there classes in college that would really help me with this everyday everyday lesson planning. What works for you? I am so excited to see the kids and get back to school but that daily grind of sitting and thinking of lesson plans rewriting obsessing for hours really wore me out last year! thanks again.

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It's funny, I was sitting in professional development earlier this week, thinking to myself that clearly the instructor had never worked with students with ADD. She talked to us for four hours, gave us a half hour break, then talked for another hour and a half. I must have taken 6 bathroom breaks, because I just could not sit still for that long. I'm glad there are other educators with ADD I can commiserate with.

As for lesson plans, I force myself to plan out a week in advance on the weekend, and then have to remind myself that it is ok if I end up changing somethings. This way, I at least have a framework to work off of.

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jlb said: Thanks for the responses. Very helpful and encouraging! One huge problem for me is lesson planning each day. I want to have a loose plan on paper and in my mind for each subject but I usually get scared and go into obsession over each detail which takes hours just for one day! On top of that we do not have a useable math series. We all look at our state objectives and just scavenge hunt for activities and lessons and worksheets. Our school also a few years back did Literacy First. Much of what I can tell from it uses "centers" for a portion of our day. But I have had no training so for that block of time I hodge podge with others to cobble up 4 different centers for a week it too lacks any support structure. Also I was alternatively certified for Elem Ed although I taught Phys Ed in Elem several years ago, substituted and been a mom for 20 years I wonder are there classes in college that would really help me with this everyday everyday lesson planning. What works for you? I am so excited to see the kids and get back to school but that daily grind of sitting and thinking of lesson plans rewriting obsessing for hours really wore me out last year! thanks again.

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