A.D.D. Confessions

I think I have always been a bit A.D.D. Back in the "old days" they did not call it ADD, they called it daydreaming. I remember my elementary teachers telling me to pay attention and to stop daydreaming. I could never remember what I was actually thinking about while the lesson was going on, but I do know that whatever I was thinking about wasn't anything exciting. My mind just drifted away into anything but the lesson.

I still have a few ADD moments, these include:
*When I am in Sunday School.
*When I go to Marty's work parties.
*When I attend long meetings.
*When I clean the house. (Sometimes I can't seem to focus on just one room at a time. I might put something away into the bathroom and then I find myself cleaning that room instead of the room I started on).

I have learned several ways to overcome my daydreaming, ADD tendencies. I have found that several things have worked for me over the years. When I clean a room, like the kitchen, I will often set a timer and make piles of things to take into over rooms. That way I do not get too distracted.

If I take notes, I focus better on a speaker or a meeting. I don't like doing this, but it helps. If things get really bad, I have been known to sneak a crossword puzzle in a folder and work on that instead of paying attention.

Whenever I start a new school year, I am reminded of my problem and I try to remember the kids who may have the same symptoms. I have often used timers in my classroom. I have stood by a student in hopes that it would draw them back into the lesson (or try to catch with a puzzle in a folder).

I start my school meetings on Monday with the same resolve that I have every year....To actively participate. Sometimes that is not possible, so I will try to take notes and when I get too tired of that, I will try not to be a distraction. I won't text under the table, and I won't bring a puzzle.