Published on 12, July, 2020
I would like to know if there are any autistic teachers here.
I would like to know...
How has autism had an impact on your teaching (in and out of the classroom ....positive and negative)
How has the job affected your autistic life? Im thinking here specifically in terms of the non-classroom elements of the job. For example how does the paperwork and planning affect you at home and your routines? How do you cope with the stresses of the job and a changing environment? How does it impact on your worklife balance as an autistic person? Do you have many meltdowns shutdowns or burnout episodes? Do you have any sensory problems at work such as information or social overload? How do you cope with these?
Why did you decide to take up the profession and did you know you were autistic before you started teaching?
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I am self-diagnosed and can relate to many aspects of autism throughout my life. Since self realisation i am able to use coping strategies Im an adult tutor and currently this is the only teaching job ive had so i cant compare with other teaching roles. I would be interested to know how much of my job is general stress and how much could be down to being potentially autistic which compounds any stress. But i also would like to know your positive stories and experience!
I am a teacher but I am currently signed off work by my doctor as I had a full on breakdown 3 weeks ago and havn't been able to go to work since. I work in a very macho envioronment in a sports department of a college and although they are lovely people I find the male macho thing quite overwhelming.
Previously I worked in secondary schools which was even worse, the endless exam pressure, the conformity of everyone having to have the same views and manners in the staffroom, it was horrible.
I often find I get on better with the students than the teachers
I really struggle with the conformity of school, I feel that we are training kids to be robots instead of individulas. Good little boys and girls that will grow up to fit in with the system and do as they are told by their bosses. I cant be like that and I always encourage my kids to be individuals. I once started a drum circle in form time in a comprehensive school lol.
Maybe because I was homeschooled myself I don't get the whole conformity thing
I tried to become the strict disciplinary teacher but it didn't suit me and made me a terrible teacher
I dont know if I will go back to teaching. I am a writer in my spare time and i want to focus on that
If I do go back to teaching I want to do it my way and not the rest of the worlds way
Sorry you've been signed off. Hopefully now you can rest and recuperate. I work in adult education and its more about upskilling but it does feel like an exam factory at times. It's all geared up to finding a job.....a lot of my students come to the uk to find work....in modern society having a job is the main goal because it's difficult to live any other way.
Writing sounds good if that's your enjoyment. II'd like to become self employed in something then I've only got myself to answer to but I don't know what and with the way things currently are, it's probably best not changing just yet.
That makes sense. I actually started off in adult education, I really enjoyed it but that was 15 years ago. I dont know what its like now.
That sounds quite good