3 Ways My Teaching Was Unknowingly Informed & Improved by Neurodivergence
I’ve been practicing and teaching for decades in ways that were accommodating and leveraging my neurodivergence to refine, modify and optimize methods—without even realizing it.
Well, did you figure it out? It’s hinted there in the title…I have a neurodivergent brain—but that’s a story for another article. Right now, let’s jump right into it!
For those just joining the party…
What is neurodivergence?
It includes, among many others, ADHD and autism (which you’ve probably heard of), and it's really a spectrum of experiences and perceptions—it affects & refers to how we see and feel the world.
Why is this relevant to you?
A neurodivergent brain sees things through a subtle, pattern-seeking, interest-based nervous system lens. That means we often pick up on nuances and layers that all kinds of brains can benefit from bringing some awareness to.
Since I was only recently diagnosed at 46, that means I’ve been practicing and teaching for decades in ways that were accommodating and leveraging my neurodivergence to refine, modify and optimize methods—without even realizing it.
Here are three things I’ve learned that improved my teaching:
1. A Student-Centered Framework
So often, teaching is approached as delivering static information and forcing brains to retain & conform to that information.
But a student-centered approach—and what I now see as a crucial aspect of a neurodivergent-informed approach—is about listening.
Listening to how each student learns, what they’re missing, and what they need.
It’s about adapting the information so that the core message can be delivered in a way that’s useful to that particular student.
2. A Open-Flow Approach
Over the years, I’ve noticed that whenever I try to force things there is only so far it can go before I hit a wall—burnout, crash, energy implosion.
So I’ve learned to observe and anticipate my rhythms… and more importantly, to let my needs and rhythms shift.
Extending this to my students means I create environments that anticipate and allow for students to take different paths while all converging on the same destination.
This may involve things like letting students move around the room, choosing how and where they learn with various modifications, giving freedom to self-regulate by stepping out or changing positions and by providing materials that have access points to the information that are varied and diverse.
3. Following My Heart & Using Encouragement as Motivation
One thing I found highly effective for myself, with all the different endeavors that I pursue, is that my internal monologue determines a lot about how I feel about the process and how far I'll go with a project.
Over the years, through lots of varied practices, experimentation and willpower, I’ve shaped that inner voice to focus (most of the time) on encouraging myself and building myself up.
I’ve found this worked so well for me that I started applying it naturally to students. I've now seen it work so well for students that I can't imagine a better way of teaching.
We need to feel good about ourselves to be excited to move forward…and when we are excited to move forward we progress…and when we progress we feel good about ourselves…
This creates a kind of neurotransmitter or dopamine feedback loop, essential for many ADHD brains in-particular but also incredibly, if not optimally, effective for a broader swath of brains too.
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There is much much more to share and explore about this topic and I’m so excited to be on this journey together with you…
What is your experience with neurodivergence? Share a comment below…