One of my students has ADHD off the friggin wall. He's 14, and he has no clue that anyone else in the world exists but him. He's usually so unbareable and I want to kick him out of the room because he's THAT bad (mind you they ALL have ADHD), but today, I was in his classroom talking to his teacher, and he was talking out loud half to himself and half at me and he said, 'When I heard we had a lady music teacher, I pictured an old lady, but you're the most beautiful woman in the school.' Haha, how can I not like him now! It was cute because he doens't even understand the concept of kissing butt. Those little boogers!
WithThisRing
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Re: I got a nice backasswards compliment today...
that is cute.
michele31
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Re: I got a nice backasswards compliment today...
That is sooo cute. I am sure he is a really wonderful child but the AHAD makes it hard for him to cope.
just when you want to strangle a kid...and they are getting on your last nerve...they say something nice to you...the nerve
its hard to be mad at kids for too long
either way...hang in there...the years almost over
HeatherandNick
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oooohhhh - that was so sweet
Sunny
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That was nice!
anna
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aweeee
DaniRN
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How sweet
NovBride
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It's amazing what they come out with sometimes. Imagine if it were the other way around. I've heard that.
ChristineC68
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that's cute:)
julybride444
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That's cute! I was curious about the 'all have ADHD' statement.
Do you work with kids with learning disorders or just ADHD? I didn't realize that there were special classrooms for ADHD only, or is it that you work with kids with learning disorders and many of them have been co-diagnosed?
I know that misdiagnosis is pretty common, so I wonder how that plays out in your classroom (most girls w/ADHD don't get diagnosed, and many boys who don't have ADHD are diagnosed with it-even though they may have another learning disorder, a sleep disorder, a conduct disorder-or just be boys being boys). The reason that I ask is b/c I've done quite a lot of research on the subject, and wonder how it's being handled in your school.
prncssrachel
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Julybride, I guess I should have clarified, but I work in a school for kids with behavioral and emotional issues. In this one class, they ALL have ADHD. I know, that must have sounded insensitive of me. The class is only 7 boys. It's not a huge class. We have students with a wide array of diagnoses. The thing with this class though, is that they are not there because of their ADHD. They are all there for other things like PTSD, or things more along those lines. These kids have had it rough and I in no way meant for it to sound like I was 'classifying' them all in the same category.
julybride444
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Hi, I wasn't taking it as insensitive. I was just wondering if your school has a special class for kids with serious ADHD. (I happen to have ADHD although I'm high functioning with it, and wasn't diagnosed until adulthood...I've become very involved in it through CHADD). I was wondering if your school makes attempts to find alternative teaching methods to maximize these kids strengths rather than fight their weaknesses...or if they are diagnosed by just a family physician or a neurologist.
Sorry, didn't mean to jump in on your cute thread! I was just curious!
prncssrachel
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No ,no, please, I am glad when I find people who know about things like this. The fact about my school is that it's an alternative to public school and it takes a lot for a kid to have to be there. I suspect that many of them are misdiagnosed just from what I know about ADHD and what not, but I am not a classroom teacher. I am the music teacher and my formal training in special ed is very limited. We are SUPPOSED to be offering alternative learning methods to these students, but are more often than not correcting behaviors and dealing with students who are suicidal. We use a point based therapeutic management system in which they are able to earn 5 points for every 45 minute period. They are residential students, so every aspect of their day from brushing their teeth, to going to school to socializing is highly structured. The point system is great for their behaviors, but unfortunately takes the emphasis off of the learning process. We are also staffed with many teachers who are not even certified. I could go on and on about this, but I get very heated when I think about it! If you want to know more though, please feel free to ask. And your concern for these kids is greatly appreciated! If only we had more teachers there like yourself!
julybride444
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It's such a tough situation! Most of those residential places have limited money, and hire people who really don't want to be there or who don't understand the behaviors (it sounds like you really care for these kids ). It's so hard, and then they throw these kids in with each other so they are surrounded by other kids with problems. What the solution is, I just don't know. ....
prncssrachel
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Do you really want to be irritated? Our school has money coming out of the wazoo! We have more money than we know what to do with and starting salaries are in the 40s! So it's not like they couldn't attract people with certification. They just feel that certified teachers don't want to deal with these kids and eventually go and teach in a public school where it is 'easier'. They present like 'prep' school which is WAY off the mark! Go and look at their website, you'll be like, huh? this is a behavioral school? www.chamberlainschool.org
julybride444
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This is what so upsets me about these places:
Residential Staff: Immediate openings for child care workers to implement all facets of our residential program. High school education and Massachusetts drivers license required, experience working with adolescents preferred.
Ok, so now all you need is a high school diploma and a drivers license to provide care for troubled children. Give me a break!
I also noticed that the links on the resources page for ADHD either take you to a site run by opthamologists about vision/adhd connection or a page about an alternative no medication therapy (not accepted by the medical community as the best adhd treatment). So does this mean they don't let any of these kids take meds, or does they just not know what they're putting on the website?
julybride444
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p.s., it really does look like a prep school!
prncssrachel
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And....tada! This is why I am leaving at the end of June! I mean, did you ever feel like there were things that were so wrong going on, but that you were SOOO powerless that there was no way they would ever get better? I love teaching there, and I have limited experience with these kids, but I just can't take the BS that goes on there anymore. I just feel like it will only get worse My cousin is now in a school like mine and I just worry that it will be doing more harm than good because so many of these places aren't hiring qualified staff.
julybride444
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I don't blame you, but it's too bad. All of the best people, who are willing to learn about these disorders leave. I left after a year working as a medical advocate for children with developmental disabilities who were living in a home (they were wards of the state). I couldn't take it any more. Now, I'm hoping to got to law school so that I can litigate on their behalf...I just couldn't keep working in that type of environment. I even reported verbal abuse, serious verbal abuse...and I was told they couldn't fire the person b/c they didn't have any staff to cover his shifts! Oh my god!
