Ek is weer terug na 3 maande se besige, besige skedule. Tussen skool gee en my laaste jaar van studies af handel was daar maar min tyd vir inskrywings.
Vandag wil ek egter weer bietjie 'n inskrywing oor ADHD maak. Ek voel dat mense al hoe meer neerkyk op ADHD. Mense dink nogsteeds dat dit net nog 'n geldmaak storie van dokters is.
Partykeer voel ek dat mense dit afmaak sodat hulle nie daarmee hoef te handle nie. Miskien as ek dit ignoreer sal dit weggaan?
Pleit vir my! (die kind)
Is daar ooit genoeg mense wat vir hierdie kinders wat ADHD het, pleit? As jy hoor 'n leerder in jou klas of selfs jou EIE kind het ADHD - wat is jou reaksie daarop? Soos ek dit sien het jy een van twee keuses:
Pleit vir die kind met alles wat jy het!
Ignoreer dit en hoop dat dit weggaan (wat ek en jy weet nie gaan gebeur nie)
So watter keuse het ek en jy dan eintlik? Net een nê? Pleit vir die kind asseblief. Swot op oor ADHD: Wat dit is en hoe om dit te hanteer, maar die belangrikste van alles - wat jou kind wens jy het geweet.
Hier is 3 dinge wat my eie boetie sê hy wens sy onderwysers het geweet:
As ek nie my medikasie gedrink het die dag nie, kom ek aggressief voor as iets nie uitwerk nie - ek IS nie aggressief nie.
As ek 'n rowwe dag het, moet nie voor die hele klas vir my vra "Het jy jou pil gedrink?" nie.
Al drink ek my medikasie gaan ek moodswings hê, dit is normaal.
Al drink ek my medikasie beteken dit nie ek gaan eweskielik fokus op die regte dinge nie. Die medikasie is daar sodat ek 100% kan fokus. As ek 100% op my werk fokus en iets trek my aandag, gaan my aandag 100% daar wees, al is dit nie die regte fokus nie.
Ek sukkel regtig om my aandag weer terug te kry by die regte ding as dit eers weg is.
Pleit vir my! (die ouers)
Nes jy as onderwyser vir die kind moet pleit, moet jy vir die ouers ook pleit. Hier is nog dinge vanaf ADHD ouers wat hulle wens onderwysers het geweet:
Ek wens dat elke liewe onderwyser in die wêreld 'n eie ADHD-kind kan he. Eie vlees en bloed! Sodat hulle kan besef dat ADHD absoluut niks met die opvoeding-in-die-huis te doen het nie.
Dit help nie om daardie lyfie weereens pouse in die klas te hou om sy werk te voltooi nie. Hy het juis nodig om buite in die vars lug van sy energie ontslae te raak.
Dit wat onderwysers as ongeskikte gedrag ervaar, is juis 'n nare simptoom van impulsiwiteit (een van die grootste kenmerke van ADHD)
Kyk met SAGTE, LIEFDEVOLLE oe na die kind voor jou.
Ek wens elke onderwyser in die wêreld kon weet en verstaan hoeveel harder ADHD kinders leer en werk, net om hoeveel kere swak punte te kry en weereens te voel dat hulle "nie goed genoeg" is nie.
Ek wens hulle kan weet dat ADHD kinders baie sensitiewe siele het, en dat elke skewe woord en kyk ekstra diep die kind sny.
Stof tot nadenke
Wanneer jy weer 'n leerder in jou klas het wat ADHD het, dink asseblief aan die dinge wat jy hierbo gelees het en aan die volgende aanhaling:
I wouldn't change you for the world, but I will change the world for you.
Hi there!
I am back after 3 moths of a very busy schedule. Between being a teacher and finishing the last of my studies there was little to no time for writing a blog.
Today I want to do another entry about ADHD. I feel that people are belittleing ADHD more and more. People still think that it's just another scheme for doctors to milk you for some money.
Sometimes I think people think they can ignore it so that they don't have to handle it. If I ignore it, it will go away right?
Advocate for me! (the child)
Are there even enough people to advocate for the child with ADHD? If you hear there is a child with ADHD in your class, or even your own child - what is your reaction?
As I see it, you have one of two choices:
Advocate for the child with everything in you!
Ignore it and hope it goes away. (Which both me an you know is not happening.)
So which choice do have? Only one actually. Please advocate for this child. Go and learn more about ADHD: What it is, how you can handle it and most important - what the child wish you knew.
Here are 3 things my own brother wished his teachers knew:
If I didn't take my medication I am not aggressive, I just seem aggressive.
When I have a rough day, do not ask me in front of the entire class "Did you remembder to take your medication?"
Although I drink my pill, I am still going to have moodswings - it's normal.
Even though I took my medication, it does not mean I'm going to focus on the right things. The medication is there so that I can focus 100%. If I focus 100% on my work and something catches my attention, my attention is going to be 100% there, even if it's not the right focus.
I really struggle to get my attention back to the right thing once it's gone.
Advocate for me! (the parent)
Just as you as a teacher must advocate for the child, you must also advocate for the parents. Here are more things from ADHD parents (my own) that they wish teachers knew:
I wish every teacher in the world could have their own ADHD-child. Their own flesh and blood! So that they may realize that ADHD has absolutely nothing to do with education-at-home.
It does not help to keep that child in class again when it is break to complete his work. He just needs to get rid of his energy outside in the fresh air.
What teachers experience as inappropriate behavior is a nasty symptom of impulsivity (one of the biggest features of ADHD)
Look at the child in front of you with SOFT, LOVING eyes.
I wish every teacher in the world knew and understood how much harder ADHD children learn and work, only to get bad grades again and feel that they are "not good enough".
I wish they knew that ADHD children have very sensitive souls, and that every crooked word and look cuts the child extra deep.
Something to think about
When you have a learner in your class again who has ADHD, please think about the things you read above as well as the following quote:
I wouldn't change you for the world, but I will change the world for you.
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