Finding Your Tribe: Thrive as a Neurodivergent Teacher
As a neurodivergent teacher, you're likely aware of the unique challenges you face within your field.
Finding your tribe—those who truly understand you and support your journey—is possible, and can help.
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Understanding Neurodivergence in Education
Recognizing how neurodivergence manifests in education helps to create a comfortable environment for both teachers and students.
Neurodivergence refers to naturally occurring variations in the human brain, which affect how individuals perceive and interact with the world.
If you're neurodivergent, you might struggle with communication barriers, sensory sensitivities, or social interactions.
These can impact not just your direct teaching experience, but also how you connect with students and colleagues.
Advocacy for inclusive teaching environments is crucial to ensure that neurodivergent educators like you receive the support you deserve.
This blog offers educational content; not medical advice. Please, consult a healthcare professional for personal mental health concerns.
Types of Neurodivergence
Neurodivergence encompasses a wide range of conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), AuDHD, sensory processing disorder (SPD), dyslexia, and more.
Every person who has one of these conditions may experience different strengths and challenges, and those may vary depending on a range of factors.
As the saying goes, if you've met one person with ADHD, you've met one person with ADHD.
Acknowledging these differences is the first step towards better understanding your own strengths and needs.
Common Challenges Faced by Neurodivergent Teachers
Communication barriers can hinder interactions, leading to misunderstandings with students, families, or staff.
Sensory sensitivities to certain sounds or scents, for example, might make busy classrooms more overstimulating than for others.
Finally, the social aspects of a school environment may feel overwhelming, particularly if you work with large numbers of students or in more than one location.
Building Connections: Finding Your Tribe
Connecting with like-minded educators helps build a network to support both professional and personal well-being.
Finding your tribe involves finding and reaching out to others who share your experiences and understand your journey, creating a critical sense of community.
(That's why I'm here!)
Support Groups and Communities
Joining a support group can be one important step you can take for yourself.
Platforms like Teaching While Neurodivergent Facebook group, serve as safe zones where you can share experiences and strategies with others facing similar challenges.
The feedback and camaraderie found in these groups works to lessen the isolation many of us feel!
People listen non-judgmentally and understand the struggle without belittling or condescending.
Strategies for Finding Your Community as a Teacher
One of the main reasons I started this blog was to create the type of community I needed when I was in the classroom.
By joining the mailing list and participating in Facebook discussions, you too will start to enjoy some of those benefits.
If you're interested in building broader skill sets, you can also look to national or local chapters of groups like CHADD.
If you're a woman interested in building executive functions, check out Shannyn from EF Bomb's free course.
Women have the added layer of hormonal fluctuations which greatly impact our executive functioning.
Personal Development
Understanding, accepting, and supporting oneself is vital for anyone, and remarkably so for neurodivergent teachers.
It's essential to prioritize your well-being to remain effective and fulfilled in your career.
Again, connecting with other adults who are dealing with some of the same scenarios (external or internal) as you do, is one of the best ways to do this.
Managing Stress and Building Resilience
If you're like me and roll your eyes whenever you hear someone admonish you to destress, I totally get it.
Years of hearing the same tired trope from people who don't understand is disheartening even if the intentions are good.
I mean, it's not like we haven't tried, or that never occurred to us, right? Trying harder is simply not the answer.
Interestingly, in the Facebook group most people said that getting outside is one of their top ways of letting their nervous systems re-regulate.
Professional Growth Opportunities
Career advancement isn't out of reach for neurodivergent educators. There are several avenues to explore.
Mentoring and Professional Development
Mentoring programs and professional development courses are excellent ways to enhance your skills and grow your career.
Some of the material you get in workshops to help neurodivergent students can be tweaked to fit your needs.
Read my post, “15 Achievable ADHD Accommodations Checklist” for Teachers for more information.
Advocacy and Awareness in Education
Raising awareness and advocating for neurodiverse students, just as you do for all students, will eventually lead to shifts in policy and culture.
The same can be said for neurodivergent staff, although the methods may need to be slightly altered.
As always you will want to interpret these ideas in ways that feel natural to you.
If you value privacy, find ways to advocate that feel comfortable to you.
Becoming an Ally
As a neurodivergent teacher, your life experience is instrumental in creating a supportive educational environment.
Encourage others to learn and support changes that benefit both educators and students with diverse needs.
This is sometimes referred to as ‘universal design,' where certain practices that are implemented for one group also benefit the community as a whole.
Finding your tribe includes finding other allies, and aligning your work to support each other.
FAQs
Effective Ways to Connect with Other Neurodivergent Educators
Engage with online communities such as our Teaching While Neurodivergent: Support for ADHD, Autism, and Sensory Needs for tailored insights and connection with other nd teachers.
Professional Development Opportunities for Neurodivergent Educators
Seek continuous education through platforms that offer professional development tailored to neurodivergent needs.
Please see my Resources page for more suggestions that I have found helpful.
Key Takeaways
Finding your tribe as a neurodivergent teacher is not just about finding support; it's about embracing a community that understands and uplifts you.
Continue advocating for neurodiversity and embrace the unique perspectives you bring to the field of education.