Neurodivergent on Yik Yak | I’m an elementary special education teacher and I’m big on being neurodiverse affirming. I don’t have rules like this one, I focus more on “fidget in your bubble” because it can be harmful to our peers to be in their spaces. Any tips to be more affirming?

Yik Yak

Download

Join communities on Yik Yak Download

Neurodivergent 13h

I’m an elementary special education teacher and I’m big on being neurodiverse affirming. I don’t have rules like this one, I focus more on “fidget in your bubble” because it can be harmful to our peers to be in their spaces. Any tips to be more affirming?

Neurodivergent 1d

Wait that’s actually such a good point. It really is just anti neurodivergence 😭🥀

Anonymous 10h

it’s always been weird to me that breaks from education like recess stop once grade school is over. people don’t just magically start tolerating sitting in a chair for 8hrs a day when they get older that’s why you see so many older students getting antsy or stretching in their desks.

Anonymous 11h

I cannot stress enough the importance for recess or just unstructured play time is for child development to break up the school day, I’ve also seen teachers who use multiple different types of seating or just let kids stand in place during instruction, sit on an exercise ball, etc. but also a non-zero amount with inattentive adhd or just less obvious neurodivergence will be overlooked and not end up interacting with a special education teacher at all so like?

Anonymous

#1 11h

Encourage your coworkers to consider these things as well outside the realm of kids already placed with special ed and in general actually engage students and not just be talking at them. Which is hard to do with large class sizes ik there’s a lot of systemic barriers.

Anonymous

#1 11h

I work with kiddos who have learning disabilities so they spend all day in general educating and only come to me for 30 ish minutes so I cannot do recess but my school has in place brain breaks and multiple recesses throughout the school day. I’m a huge advocate with the gen ed teachers to support all students “wiggles” IEP or not. We also all have cozy corners in our rooms for students to take breaks in. I also try to implement a lot of play into my routines bc it’s so academic focused

Anonymous

OP 11h

Most teachers also have alternative seating options. It makes my audhd and dyslexic heart happy to see all the changes made to the school environment but there’s still so much more work to do

Anonymous

#2 10h

this was more of a reply to the other replies on this most btw

Anonymous

#2 10h

In my 8th grade government class we had to research, write, and give a speech on a proposed bill addressing a problem we see in society, and then vote on which ones to pass. I wrote mine on recess being extended to upper grades. My bill ended up getting the most votes from the student body. I still firmly believe we need to expand outside time and breaks into secondary education.