#tw school

[crowwolf8]

Ah yes, school; the land of social anxiety and panic attacks

[floortile34]

not sure if this is a hot take but school is extremely traumatic and needs huge reform. it causes immense damage to everyone who goes through it. no large-scale school system is exempt from this. this happens in all countries, not just the ones where it's worst. this problem's also inextricably tied to capitalism and neither can be fixed without also fixing the other

school genuinely breaks people (and others) with even worse being done to those with intellectual disabilities and neurodivergents and those with other psychiatric disorders

[inkshine]

Here's to all the students with disabilities unhappy about going back to school.

Here's to all the students with disabilities unsure of how their disability might impact them this coming school year, and are wary.

Here's to all the student with disabilities who know the school environment will make their mental and/or physical issues worse.

Here's to all the students with disabilities bracing themselves for being bullied, ignored, or harassed when they're back at school.

Here's to all the students with disabilities already dreading feeling embarrassed at school because of their disability.

I know it sucks, and I wholeheartedly believe in you all <3

[aspd-culture]

do you think making "to do list" things and breaking items into smaller pieces step-by-step would help with my ASPD and irresponsibility (at least for work/school)? what helps for u?

I think it definitely could? For me my issues with ASPD weren't actually my biggest problem in school, it was my comorbid ADHD. I would check into tips for pwADHD to find help with that because I didn't get those coping mechanisms until I had already been out of school for a couple years, with the exception of allowing yourself to doodle and fidget while trying to focus, which doesn't seem super applicable for this case.

The thing is, you have to kind of pick out if you have ADHD symptoms tangled in with ASPD, because I thought I was irresponsible because I was called irresponsible, but it turned out the reasons for that had everything to do with things I couldn't control about my ADHD, and I "became responsible" once no longer in an environment where I struggled (such as when we moved from most essays being written by hand to being turned in on google classroom in my school, allowing me to be unable to "forget my homework at home". When that happened, suddenly my "irresponsibility" went down, like a lot).

One thing I can say worked for me that I'm not sure if was about my ADHD or ASPD or both was splitting it into chunks. I did some of it on the bus home, some of it in study hall, some of it at home, etc. so I could keep telling myself "I can stop whenever I want and do the rest later" as long as I kept myself accountable as to when "later" would be. Be as flexible as you have time to be.

If it is ASPD causing the problem, I would say your biggest issue is going to be working through the "why should I have to do this" portion of it - so logically working out for yourself how you could apply the things you're learning irl at some point, which is usually very possible and likely even if at surface level it seems like it isn't. Never underestimate the power of telling your ASPD brain "if we do this, we'll be better than the people who didn't" or "if we do this, we can get away with not turning in something we don't want to do later easier because we'll have this grade in the books and it won't look like a habit". Find a way to make it about how it can benefit you (even if that's a superficial reason/doesn't truly matter bc if it works it works), basically.

That's just a lighter version of harm reduction honestly. It's best to not skip any work, but if your brain is going to make you, then prioritize the big stuff and give yourself trade offs for lesser issues until you get used to getting stuff done/turning it in.

Plain text below the cut:

I think it definitely could? For me my issues with ASPD weren't actually my biggest problem in school, it was my comorbid ADHD. I would check into tips for pwADHD to find help with that because I didn't get those coping mechanisms until I had already been out of school for a couple years, with the exception of allowing yourself to doodle and fidget while trying to focus, which doesn't seem super applicable for this case.

The thing is, you have to kind of pick out if you have ADHD symptoms tangled in with ASPD, because I thought I was irresponsible because I was called irresponsible, but it turned out the reasons for that had everything to do with things I couldn't control about my ADHD, and I "became responsible" once no longer in an environment where I struggled (such as when we moved from most essays being written by hand to being turned in on google classroom in my school, allowing me to be unable to "forget my homework at home". When that happened, suddenly my "irresponsibility" went down, like a lot).

One thing I can say worked for me that I'm not sure if was about my ADHD or ASPD or both was splitting it into chunks. I did some of it on the bus home, some of it in study hall, some of it at home, etc. so I could keep telling myself "I can stop whenever I want and do the rest later" as long as I kept myself accountable as to when "later" would be. Be as flexible as you have time to be.

If it is ASPD causing the problem, I would say your biggest issue is going to be working through the "why should I have to do this" portion of it - so logically working out for yourself how you could apply the things you're learning irl at some point, which is usually very possible and likely even if at surface level it seems like it isn't. Never underestimate the power of telling your ASPD brain "if we do this, we'll be better than the people who didn't" or "if we do this, we can get away with not turning in something we don't want to do later easier because we'll have this grade in the books and it won't look like a habit". Find a way to make it about how it can benefit you (even if that's a superficial reason/doesn't truly matter bc if it works it works), basically.

That's just a lighter version of harm reduction honestly. It's best to not skip any work, but if your brain is going to make you, then prioritize the big stuff and give yourself trade offs for lesser issues until you get used to getting stuff done/turning it in.

[soclonely]

The Clones as Things Your Teachers Should Have Told You As A Child To Encourage You

We are all up in the feels of supporting your inner child this week. I'm noticing a pattern of being let down by some of the adults in our life so I am here to be your teacher/coach/parent/stranger/society encouragement right now. Plus I really, really just miss doing these.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rex- "Seeing you guys is the best part of my day!"

Echo-"Your success in the classroom does not define who you really are"

Fives- "I see you."

Jesse- "You don't need college to be successful. A GED is just as good as a high school diploma. Vocational school is just as important and as good as going to a university. Whatever you choose to do with your future, you have my support and guidance."

Kix- "Of course I remember you!" (when you come back to visit, whether it be the next year or 10 years down the line)

Tup- "Even teachers have bad days. I'm sorry I was openly angry and snappy today. I will try to remember to leave my own personal problems at the door next time."

Dogma- "Honestly you aren't going to use this in life, but the state standards require I teach you it. So we are going to get through this as soon as possible" (look honesty is the best policy!)

Hardcase- "You have my full attention."

Coric- "I'm worried about you. Is everything ok?"

Bly- "Sometimes, the only thing holding you back is the attitude you have toward the proble. Its okay to circle back to it when you are feeling better about it"

99- "If you like the things and hobbies you have, other people’s opinion does not matter at all. All you know is that you are happy, and you live for who? Them or you?" (shoutout to my 5th grade teacher who made fun of me for liking star wars)

Cody- "I am sorry you don't trust me. What can I do as your teacher to make you more safe when in my classroom?"

Waxer/Boil- *Put a sticker on your graded paper just because*

Wolffe- "I apologize for grading you on this material and not realizing you were struggling. Would going over it together and redoing the test once you fully understand help? Would a different assignment in its place be okay if you aren't confident

Boost/Sinker- "I believe in you."

Hunter- "If any of you need a quiet place to just take a moment by yourself, my office door is always open and my classroom is empty during these periods"

Wrecker-"Always be yourself because everyone else is taken."

Tech- "I am listening."

Crosshair- "No matter how good you are at something, there's always someone else who can do it better." (some of us needed a little humbling lets be honestl)

Omega- "They’re missing out, because you’re a kid worth knowing." (in response to any exclusionary classmates or just isolation feelings)

Howzer- "Thank you for explaining your situation with me. I will try my best to accomodate you in the meantime"

Fox- "How are you today?"

Gregor- "You know what? I think we've had enough. No homework for the week."

[gps-yaps]

I had a math test today and I'm pretty sure I got everything right. I also passed out on my mom's bed (as in, fell asleep). And I did my history work in advance which I need to start doing because it helps me understand the work (-_-)7

[randomgifsxx]

“You ready for your firstday of kindergarten, kiddo?” 🖍️🔹

[selectivechaos]

tw: sanism, school, negative emotions

in school, bc of the selective mutism, i was a ‘pleasure to teach’ up until the point where i became a ‘creepily silent kid who was brilliant academically but falling behind their peers socially and we think he’s not trying to engage.’ and that just tells you a story about how the school system ignored my mental illness because it was useful for them that i was silent, until that meant it deteriorated and was treated like a personal flaw.

the double-edged sword of how they treated me has shaped how i perceive work, productivity, my abilities, self worth, everything, all in relation to how much of a gift and/or an obstacle they deemed my mental illness to be. the question to them was never how much it hurt me; only whether it helped or hindered my grades, attendance, social conformity and so on.

yeah i fucking hate the school system. literally everywhere, in general, the way they approach mentally ill students needs to change 🌹🌹

[jameslongforjimshortforgabriel]

no i dont want financial compensation i need to bomb a school

[traumasurvivors]

hi april! I just wanted to pop in and let you know that what you’re doing is something special: running all these resources and just communicating and offering help to other trauma survivors is just incredible really and I just hope you’re having a lovely day wherever you are. I reached out to your blog last year and have made sure to stay up to date on any posts or advice you share and it led me to realize I actually would like to pursue a career in psychology. I just started classes and while I’m excited to be here, I realize I’m having difficulty focusing and paying attention despite wanting to do the work. would you have any tips or other sources that might be helpful for me right now? I plan to remove most social media since it seems to be a big contributing factor in my lack of focus, but what else could work? thank you!

Hi anon!

I really struggled with staying focused in school as a result of my ADHD.

Some things that helped me were:

Finding study buddies. Finding people to do work with and study with was super motivating and helpful! Even if it was an online friend and we did our work at the same time so we felt together.

Making my study space welcoming and nice. I put pretty decor on it and made it feel mine. I put little treats in the top drawer so that I could have them as I studied. I put scented candles in I could light and just overall made it a nice aesthetic. Some people find gentle music helps them focus. (Not me personally, but I’ve heard from some people it really does!)

I’d also buy myself some stickers I loved and as I finished things, I’d get to “place” my sticker either on my notebook, binder or even laptop.

Found a routine. I don’t just mean a daily routine but a study routine. I’d make myself a nice warm cup of tea as I was about to settle in and it was the sort of thing that made homework seem relaxing and nice.

Keep track of my progress. I created an excel spreadsheet where I input all my assignments, readings, etc. and I’d mark the percentage I’d completed. I set it to be colour coded so that I felt motivated to make it get to 100% and go green.

Here’s an example.

This isn’t my own, but one I made for a friend when she saw my idea and really liked it. She also found it motivating. This was the end of semester so things were mostly 0% or 100% at this point. During the semester, she’d do things like mark 1% for completing a title page even because it felt super motivating and made it feel like progress. And then also increasing the progress percentage with each step/page/etc in an assignment. (Like if she wrote 4 pages of a 5 page essay, she might label it as 75% to keep in mind that she had one more page but also a final edit to do.) Seeing it climb really helped as she updated it along the way. She also really loved the “stars” I added every time it hit 100% in progress on something. A basic one might just have the assignment, due date and progress.

I found visually seeing my progress made me want to keep making it.

Set a timer. I recommend this for cleaning stuff but telling myself I’m only going to do work for ten minutes makes it easier to start and sometimes once I’m going, I end up on a roll and don’t want to stop.

Colour code notes. I loved getting to use different coloured pens or highlighters when I took notes. It made me more excited about it.

I’m super drained today, so I don’t have much else to add but I kind of want to write a post on this soon and compile more ideas. If anyone has sources they can add to this ask, please do!

[crowwolf8]

I DONT WANT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL

[floortile34]

ugh why tests constantly

tests should be abolisged. they take so much time for no actual benefit

well, rather test should never be mandatory

"wouldnt that make grading more difficult?" grades should be abolished. they waste bureaucratic energy and demotivate students more than motivating them

[localyattafan]

Having a hard time staying mentally grounded the past few days (yayyyy dissociation /sar), but Cosmo really helped last night so I’m taking him to class with me today :)

Gotta start with a good breakfast! Tater tots and a bacon + cheese hash brown casserole 😋 (the only good thing they serve for breakfast here other than the bagels; the eggs suckkkkk)

He doesn’t like Chemistry (same buddy). At least it’s just a homework review day and not a lecture!

Chem is about to start so we have to go, but we have Spanish later so he’s gonna get to travel aaaaallll over campus today :D

[happyfanofeverything]

reading umineko chapter 4

it feels like maria’s always trying to love and protect something the way she wants to have been loved and protected. her drooping rose, her sakutaro, a hypothetical fellow bullied kid in her class... 

[gps-yaps]

School is either like 7 or 8 hours of prison

#real

it starts at 8 so 7 hours, unless you get there at 7:30 so 7 and a half hours. If you count the bus as school, it starts up at about 5:30 so thats around 9 and a half hours if youre the first stop, not counting the time off the bus which would be more. So arouns 12 hours of school if you go on the bus and you're the first stop. Unless you count our other school which is until 3:10, so it's about 8 hours then but less periods. Unless you take a seventh period class and you're there til four. So 9 hours. And there's no bus after that so if you count transportation and the such as school...

[ventingforever]

You cant get through secondary school being kind

No one cares? Don’t care back

People want you dead? Want them and yourself dead back

Teachers don’t follow your accommodations? Don’t follow the school rules back