ADHD and teaching: Do I come clean to my principal?

[Vcmusician66]

I've been teaching large group music classes the last 13 years and lost a large portion of my job last spring, as my numbers weren't growing for my program enough for my principal and Arts supervisor. I think that was just a nice way of saying that my haphazard work performance was starting to become noticeable. After a summer of job hunting, having a successful interview, and getting a new partial position in another state, I'm now finding my work habits once again catching up with me.

My new principal is great, very positive and helpful, but I think is starting to notice something's not right. Do I come clean about having ADD? I feel like this is something I probably should have told him in the initial interview, but doing so would have perhaps reduced my chances of getting a job.

I'm feeling down today as I have a meeting with him to discuss a lesson he sat in on that I really tried to do from how I wrote it, but that didn't flow well at all. I felt like I had to abandon my creative skills to get through it. Any suggestions?

[cjnolet]

I've been struggling with this too. It's unfortunate the bias people have towards ADHD both as a result of over-diagnoses in the 90's and kids using medications that weren't prescribed.

I recently ate my pride enrolled in the disability student services @ my college and the lady running the office tells me "Honey, if you looked around, you'd find 90% of people have ADHD". Huh? That's a rather demeaning and marginalizing response that pretty much belittles everything I've been through. If 90% of people had ADHD, then I'd have been considered normal growing up and not constantly reminded of the opposite.

I've told some people at my work and gotten mixed responses. It wasn't until I elaborated on specifics that people realized what I was getting at. It seems like they are inclined to think of ADHD as rambunctious obnoxious children rather than realizing there's a physical component to the brain activity that causes us to be the way we are. When I explain the deep down details, and when they are actually interested in understanding, they seem to get the picture.

First off- I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. It's a known fact that when you are already approaching a situation with a bad mindset, you are just going to cloud your brain even more and make that happen. That phenomenon happens whether you are ADHD or not. Also- I think it's worth pointing out to people, like your boss, that ADHD doesn't need to be looked at solely as a disability. It's a different way of perceiving and interacting with the world and one that's believe to have actually been a benefit thousands of years ago when we were the innovators paving new frontiers.

Also- there should not be any reason for your boss to think any differently of you knowing that you have ADHD. If you are functional and able to work and think, why should someone think any different than if you didn't have ADHD? I personally think it's worth mentioning to them just to ease your mind and gain some understanding that you are not just a weirdo because you're different, but there's a physical explanation. It might actually help you and your principal be able to interact better.

Also- what are the work habits you speak of?

[Vcmusician66 in reply to cjnolet]

Thanks for the reply, cjnolet, and for your perspective on this. You're right about going into things with a negative attitude. I've been battling this for a long time, and just recently started seeing a change for the better after my doctor switched me to a different blood pressure medication. Apparently, Atenolol has been known to affect mood, as well as add to mental fogginess.

I also agree with what you say about there being a bias against ADHD, even if a lot of the time it's more implied. I share your annoyance with people like the woman running the clinic you spoke of... many people can't truly appreciate what we struggle with, or try to downplay it. There was a recent article in the news entitled "Make ADHD your Superpower!" about how we can use this ability to approach things more creatively, but after a lifetime of underachieving, missed opportunities, finding myself in a career I hadn't really set my heart on and seeing so many people surpassing me, I've gotten very cynical.

I'm still working up the courage to tell my principal. Both he and my assistant principal are so supportive. I don't want to disappoint them, especially since I have 2 more years until I'm eligible for tenure.

Work habits that led to my undoing: forgetting important deadlines, not following up on things, waiting until the last minute to get stuff handed in and not managing my classroom well (a lot of sustained mental effort that I just couldn't bring myself to face. My wife of 24 years is beyond exasperated with me and when I told her last June that my position had been reduced, she said "well, it's not like you didn't know this was coming."

[Lovinit]

I wouldn’t be comfortable telling my boss I have adhd. I would find other ways to help yourself improve at work.