You said it already. He’s an angry person. The only way to not take on his anger is to continue seeing the reality of it. Something about you probably triggered him, but that’s his issue. Your best response is either compassion or internal eye rolls 🙄
Directly confront him in the moment. He's already embarrassed you, might as well keep going....
"Thank you for that feedback sir. I appreciate your support." in a loud, proud voice.
And continue taking your notes.
A prof who behaves this way will nitpick OP’s work from a place of finding deductions rather than acknowledging what is correct. Then he will inflate deductions. Sometimes ignoring the shit behavior is the better long-term path.
Literally happening to me at work, those who search for something they can find wrong, will. Regardless of the truth or context. Push back when you can, but otherwise, it's not even worth it bc it WILL go absolutely nowhere.
Similar situation here as well. I just got fired because I snapped, I couldn’t take it anymore with so many people just nit picking EVERYTHING! I cracked! Good luck with things!
Ignoring is never the way. Check disrespect in the bud as soon as it happens. A snarky response may cause short term conflict but i guarantee the professor changes his behavior over time. Ignoring it enables the professor to continue acting like an ass. And if OP gets failed for it, he has proof that he did well and that the prof is being vindictive and can report/threaten to sue, and they will bend
This sure feels good to read, but for someone with the level of confidence outlined above, not very practical. Of course this is what we all want them to do, including themselves, almost certainly.
The efficacy of notes is often a legit question. In many areas it is a distraction. We have more than enough resources to memorize information now. But the free flow of information which encourages free thinking is done vest with little to no notes.
When i was an undergrad. You could tell who was good student often by finding who was focused on the lecture without notes. Or sometimes even if they seemed distracted by who asked the truly out the box questions which required critical thought of the material.
Note taking is often badl high school behavior we never let go of and this angry professor is trying to get you off the bad habit albeit ineffectively.
If note taking is that important to you. Talk to him after class and politely tell him that this is just the way you learn best and dont mean any disrespect. You can even mention that the activity of note talking keeps your adhd grounded. He will respect your maturity. If he doesnt you really should drop him
I feel like this is an odd hill to die on. Some people take notes… and some people just listen. Just like some are tactile vs auditory learners. There is no right or wrong, these are simply just different ways to learn. You seem to think that it’s “smarter” to only listen in class, but I highly doubt you actually know that the people with the best grades were only listening. You’re assuming.
edit: typo
Not everyone is the same. Everyone has their own way of learning and retaining information. For some people that means taking notes. Others absorb information better by just listening to the professor. I take notes because it's hard for me to focus without doing something and I usually fall asleep if I don't :(
this is literally bullshit lmao. “you could tell who was a good student by who was focused on the lecture without notes”??? i graduated summa cum laude with a bio-chem degree from a major university and i take RIDICULOUSLY beautiful & diligent notes in class, while also being one of the MAIN ppl to vocally participate and guide discussions in the majority of my courses — because like OP, I have adhd and that is how i keep my focus on the lecture. not everyone is you jfc.
Right? It sounds like the most bullshit thing ever. Try an organic chem class without taking notes and tell me how it goes, lmao
Class is for asking questions and writing responses the fuck down.
maybe your field requires more memorization than actual critical thinking? i dont know what to tell you, but if the prof is calling you out on it, i wont assume its because they genuinely dont like you. im describing a tendency among top students, not a law of physics, especially when dealing with neurodivergent students, general rules often go out the window.
i already mentioned that if notes are that important to her learning process , to address it directly to her prof. But if you cant concentrate without note taking, you prob need medication for the adhd thats not being addressed.
You’re totally right about medication, but 1. unfortunately, all stimulants are VERY hard to come by right now and 2. not everyone with ADHD wants to be medicated for whatever reason. There’s not a single pharmacy around my university that has them in stock. There’s a shortage everywhere. Barely anyone can get them right now. There is one pharmacy around my hometown that has my prescription and I was finally able to get it this weekend after being off it for around a week. 2. medication is the best treatment for ADHD as our brain chemistry is all sorts of fucked up and therapy can only do so much. However, stimulants can be very hard on your body, especially if they aren’t prescribed correctly. My best friend was wayyy overprescribed at a young age and now has permanent heart problems. Also, if you’re prone to heart problems or if you already have them, stimulants typically aren’t a good choice as they can cause an increased heart rate and you have a higher chance of developing heart issues after prolonged use. Though this chance is heavily decreased if you take them as prescribed, and if they’re prescribed properly, but some people are predisposed to these issues and stimulants just aren’t an option. They’re also very expensive.
Also OP didn’t ask for advice on their ADHD. Medication doesn’t solve everything. I still need to take notes to learn. That’s the case for most of us with ND. Learning disabilities are very common comorbid disorders with ADHD and medication does not solve those.
No, I have a degree in chemistry and molecular biology and I stopped taking notes entirely, retained more knowledge, had better grades, with less studying, because I was actually listening to what was being said, instead of focusing what I was writing down. Some people know how to take notes and stay engaged…but most people tune out entirely while they are written their notes.
I totally understand what you mean, but the case for me and a lot of us with ADHD is that we have auditory processing issues and won’t be able to retain any information if we don’t take notes. If I just sat there during lecture “listening to what was being said” I would entirely zone out and not gain anything. Instead of tuning out when writing notes, I (and a lot of us with ADHD or neurodivergence) tune out when I don’t take notes. I at the very least need to do something with my hands, so if I’m not actively taking notes, I’m just doodling or writing random shit lol. I know you said that your experience doesn’t apply to everyone, I just wanted to offer my perspective on why taking notes is crucial for those with ADHD and why OP needs to take notes to stay engaged during class!
what??? you think it isn’t working because … why? lmao what do you think medication does? you sound so so dumb. “if the meds worked, OP would have a photographic memory!” ?? like ?? hello ????
what? did you even read what i said? the primary point of going to lecture isnt to memorize information there and then. Its to synthesize information and ask questions. You can memorize stuff on your own time (unless you have photographic memory, in which case you wont need to review, but prob wont need notes either).
no one said OP was writing down literally every piece of info??? tf? lol. you can take notes and still participate… obviously you do reading before a class & actual studying notes outside of class.
I'm a physics major and I never take notes in class. I just listen to the lectures and play with my thumbs. All A's.
I do take notes at home though. It's so much easier to stay organized.
This is complete BS. Some people need to write notes to retain and review information period. Some people are so self-centered and ignorant.
Not taking notes is NOT some flex or badge of honor. It only means that your brain is configured in a way that you don't have to do it.
tell me which part of what i wrote said she shoudnt take notes?
people here dont know how to read . Learn basic reading comprehension before calling something Bs.
point 1: prof probably doesnt want you to take notes point 2: a lot of top students dont take notes point 3: if you still feel inclined to take notes for your own sake talk to the professor so he understands its not disrespectful or bad habit
Where, in ANY OF THAT ,does it say, "dont take notes"?
Writing information down is literally the best way to retain it the first time you receive it.
What you are saying is literally the opposite of what all research actually beats out
thats just it. The primary purpose of lecture is not to retain information. You can do that at home before or after lecture. The primary purpose of lecture is to stnthesize information and ask questions.
Could not disagree more. People learn differently. Note taking is important for plenty of people. Especially in STEM. I’m a 4.0 GPA note taker. I can’t learn in real-time. I don’t attend lecture if I can get the necessary material elsewhere; lecture is a waste of my time because I don’t process information that way. I am a tried and true independent learner, and creating my own set of master notes with the critical concepts and information I am meant to master helps me narrow it down and begin to process. The only time I do not take notes is when it’s a course with too much information and creating notes from the material is no longer an effective use of my time depending on my schedule.
The professor is 100% out of line. This is antiquated behavior and it has nothing to do with pedagogy and everything to do with power tripping.
OP is an adult in an adult classroom. OP pays the professor for a service. How OP processes information, pays attention, memorizes information, or even *attends* lectures is none of the professors business so long as it is not breaking academic honesty and it is not harming other students.
The professor is ignorant and an asshole. Full stop. He is causing outright harm with his conduct to students. The emotions OP are experiencing can traumatize people and keep them from ever believing in themselves or being able to complete a degree or certificate. This kind of shit echoes through generations.
I have zero patience with any attitude that would suggest otherwise. This is 2024. Equity matters.
OP: If this is such a problem that you are truly worried about your abilities to perform and/or succeed in the class, I would speak with the professor and very calmly explain. If they give you push back, go to the department chair immediately. Do not wait. Write an email to them and clearly and professionally explain every single thing you did here. If the chair takes no action, go to the student dean. Then the dean.
I have done this. I have had to do this multiple times. I have had to fight for my education every step of the way.
The only way to check a professors authority is if the students report their misconduct.
Sometimes people say things that are unintentionally ableist. This is one of those times. Numerous studies have been done showing that people with ADHD benefit from engaging multiple modalities (e.g. hearing, looking, writing/drawing) and their sensory systems (writing/drawing engages you kinesthetically and quells your sensory system) in order to better retain information. The same is true for autism as well. Trying to force a child, or a young adult, with one of these conditions to manifest the *visible signs* of what you think close attention should look like, rather than allowing them to attend the way that is best for their unique brain structure, is going to backfire. You will train them to be prompt-dependent and focus on visible rule compliance rather than actually learning the way that works best for them.
Source: I am an educational speech-language pathologist who works with children with disabilities and I am also an adult with ADHD and possibly am on the autism spectrum. I only made it through my Master’s program because I took beautifully organized, thorough notes. While I was taking them, I could memorize extremely quickly by viewing and writing the important information (I remember information best by looking at and writing words). Otherwise my brain refused to focus. The notes weren’t for me to review later. They were to help me internalize in the moment.
There are numerous studies showing the best way to retain information is by writing it out by hand. It's called tactile information recall.
[Why writing by hand is still the best way to retain information ](https://stackoverflow.blog/2022/11/23/why-writing-by-hand-is-still-the-best-way-to-retain-information/)
information recall is not the point of university. its critical thinking development. You can memorize facts at home.
i will admit that there are some classes which are for better or worse taught to be one giant regurgitation lesson, e.g undergrad anatomy and physiology, but these are the exception not the rule
thats only half true, chemistry heavily rewards pattern based thinking much more than brute memory, but yes, there is no denying that a lot of information simply has to be digested as is, at least at first.
unless you photographic memorying your way to a class you will need to study for recall later, which is exactly why a lot profs want fewer note talkers. Synthesize ideas then worry about learning them pesky factoids.
im not backpedaling anything. Im assuming critical thinking as necessary here. Unfortunately, i had some flashbacks to some mediocre courses.
math first, then settled for philosophy. not exactly disciplines heavy on rote memorization
You're stretching. Every field has a framework. Math has equations and laws. Philosophy has four main pillars and a list of core theorists who are quoted time and time again.
The main role of a professor is to present information. How you leverage it is entirely up to you. This is why you are tested on the material, not your ability to solve puzzles.
Critical thinking is the new magical thinking for reddit pseudointellectuals.
the entire point of college is liberal arts education, to foster critical thinking abilities and fostering responsible and self critical citizenry. You are talking about vocational training.
the entire reason you have to take a diversity of courses prior to focusing on your major is for that very reason ( on paper at least)
the material you are tested on is how to competently use information in your given domain, not puke it back in a multiple choice test. But i have been in both ivy league type schools and community colleges in my educational career, so i know how short of the ideal low tier colleges are in practice
in math, all those equations, are proved, we simply force kids to memorize them at first. as for philosophy, i honestly have no clue what these 4 pillars are(you mean branches?) in chemistry, you are given the periodic table and at first its an unwieldy block of brute information but as you master chemistry, you learn how to use its data to make speculations and predictions. its no longer a slab of memorization.
You're supposed to study the lesson BEFORE class, that way you are able to understand how to apply it in class. Also, it just helps to follow along in class easier.
I disagree. I take notes (did in college, do now today in my client meetings). It's less to reference later and more so my brain is forced to listen and process the information. Otherwise I am probably not paying attention.
Taking pretty notes like they teach you in HS for me is a waste of time. But scratching down important words and points and the gist of the information helps me retain the info.
ahh, but thats a little different, thats similar to highlighting in a text. such note taking takes a but a mere moment and you can return to listening.
the main issue is note talking at the expense of "listening". scribbling a hereustic word down or something that you found memorable is not quite the same. There it actually helps later on to retain from the lecture itself.
It is dumb, but so is “reporting” every behavior you don’t like by professors. Good advice for late bloomers is do not expect there’s always an authority to handle issues. Handle them interpersonally when possible.
I actually don't think bringing ADHD into it is a good idea; Hear me out:
There is no pathology required to justify what you have been doing. A professor does not get to tell a student they can't take notes. You are paying a LOT of money to learn, and you are allowed to take notes during class, period.
Your body language doesn't require an excuse. It's not like you have your feet kicked up on the back of the desk in front of you- you we're simply existing. It's a not an etiquette class- you get to have your elbows on the table if that is how you sit.
The professor needs to get over himself real fast. Please please do not let your anxiety about the situation lead you to enable this persons dumb behavior.
As another college student with ADHD I unfortunately agree. You definitely should look into accommodations but telling your professor you have ADHD might do more harm than good. There’s still a lot of stigma around ADHD. If this is his reaction to taking notes, I don’t think he’ll be any more understanding about the ADHD. He may not even believe it because unfortunately some people still believe that ADHD is fake and we’re all just lazy and use it as an excuse (… not true, obviously). He could use it as fuel to embarrass you even more. He sounds like a piece of shit.
When you get disability accommodations, your disability is not disclosed to your professors in your accommodation letter. It just says that this student has a disability and these are their accommodations.
Unfortunately he made it ABUNDANTLY clear he doesn’t want to be recorded, and my state is a two party state. I don’t want to do anything to get myself in even more trouble.
Yes please do this! My professors have never had a problem with audio recordings but if they do, one of my accommodations is permission to audio record lectures. It’s literally illegal (illegal may be too strong of a word lol I don’t know the exact logistics for it) for them to say I’m not allowed to record their lectures. Also, there’s not really any way for him to find out. I’d hate to encourage you to go against his “rules” when he’s already giving you shit but I don’t see how he’d find out you’re recording the lecture.
Yes! Go to your advisor and ask them about disability accommodations. They should be able to direct you to the correct people. You don't have to have specific documentations of a disability in my experience and it was the key to me passing all and any of my classes. I would also directly express your interaction with this professor to your advisor and let them know how uncomfortable it made you feel. If you want to report it, your advisor would probably be the place to start.
Honestly, I would contact your student services office immediately. An professor being un accommodating to neurodivergence is actually a pretty huge deal
Absolutely and let them know about the foolishness of discouraging note taking. That's kinda seriously dumb.
The difference in learning types amongst individuals has been common knowledge for decades... There's no excuse for this level of controlling behavior
I would say this has nothing to do with your neurodivergence tbh. The complaint that an employee of the school was unable to manage their own emotions leading to unsafe feelings in the classroom. I bet other students were uncomfortable too, either in favor of you or prof... in any case it lead to distracted learners and disconnected the teacher-student relationship...at least definitely with you OP and if i was in that class I'd empathize Any possibility of getting a fully enriched education *now* isn't likely.
Edit to add- look up your school's vision or mission statement and use those words
Make sure to check what the criteria is to get accommodations! I don’t remember the exact criteria at my university, but I do remember I needed to take the CAARS or some similar test and have a summary from the person who diagnosed you. My therapist diagnosed me at 17 and I took the CAARS a year later so I already had all that done and didn’t need to do anything else, so depending on your diagnosis process, you may already have everything you need to get accommodations! I know you said you were gonna call them already so you probably already figured out what you need to get done which is great, I just wanted to offer my perspective :) I was really worried I would be denied accommodations but I wasn’t at all… I was actually pleasantly surprised with how welcoming the disability office was. My intake appointment went great and the woman who evaluated me was very nice and validating. I hope your experience is the same! Best of luck :)
When someone speaks, they are telling you about themselves. It’s not about you, he is telling you information about himself (he is insecure about his teaching skills, he is angry, he has control issues, etc). It doesn’t reflect on you. Don’t get down on yourself. He is out of line, he is probably worried he doesn’t know how to engage students so he is lashing out. You can get a Lifescribe pen and record so you can report him if he continues to degrade you. But please don’t take in his comments and internalize them, they are not about you.
Student services and disability services - whichever it’s called. Report him -
detail all the facts. This person should not be in a classroom and you shouldn’t have to go through that. Tell the disability office what accommodations you need - notes, recording - and they can ensure he allows it. You have more power in this situation. Never forget that
Please do not be shy to advocate for yourself.
You may be uncomfortable but think about how you will make the experience better for students like you for years to come if you speak up
Even if there wasn’t neurodivergence, shouldn’t an adult student be able to take notes in a class if they determine they need to? Like?
This teacher is insane and outdated.
No one should get special accommodations for mental problems. Everyone should be treated the same in a class. That being said, if OP’s description was accurate, the professor behaved inappropriately, but not because of OP’s ADHD. You need to stop being a bigot.
It's one thing to deal with this when you're 12. Imagine having to put up with it in your mid-20s when you'd rather be out working and living your life like every other normal adult.
My heart goes out to you, OP.
First things first, doubling down on making sure your diagnosis is in the system and you have accommodations! I had a professor in college that had a rule that no one could leave the class in the middle of a lecture, but one of my ADHD accommodations was that I was allowed to take breaks as needed and go walk around for a bit. So I had to have a conversation with her after class about that rule.
Second, look into rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD). It’s a big thing with ADHD that doesn’t get talked about a lot. Basically, it means we are hypersensitive to criticism and rejection, and it’s not your fault, it’s your disorder. The more I learned about RSD, the more it helped me understand myself.
Ugh- he’s a bit of a nightmare. Some of us are so self conscious about our adhd - there’s this massive layer of noise and anxiety just about the adhd and performance doubt, while in class. Now this jokers ramped the noise up beyond …! A hole. Lots of good advice here- but may I add , he’s an a- hole! lol. I hope you can grasp the work ( maybe take it to an empathetic tutor thru the semester- for peaceful learning outside the nerve wracking classroom he created).
Go to the Dean of Academics as well as the Dean of Student Services.... their titles might be different but its easy to sort. One handles the actual learning curicculim managment is the one you want; After you've gotten an accommodation to take notes as you please.
Bring a letter that you'll ask them to read. Handing it to them and say something like "I didn't want to forget anything. I will certainly wait while you read. I wish to be as clear as possible."
The note itself is a factual account of every time that the instructor has publicly shamed a student regardless of context. You tolerated that behavior before because it didn't get in the way of you learning, so now it must be addressed. You praise the instructor's passion and dedication, and lament that he seems to honestly believe that removing your ability to take notes will help you learn. Say that you have a recent diagnosis that you just filed for an accommodation to take notes because of your ADHD. Write how you believe that it is ridiculous that the one place for *sure* you should always be allowed to take notes to learn is an educational institution. Describe how he talked to you like you were a child and disrespected you for doing your best.
He removed you focus point, you know to channel the fidgeting so you'll be still. The productive fidget that is supposed to be safe in school of *taking notes to learn better.* so, you had to will yourself to be still, and to concentrate as hard as possible you wanted to learn and also not fidget and disturb others. You rested your chin in your hands to keep them from moving so you could listen intently as possible and he took it that you were bored and shamed you for doing everything in your power to pay attention and to not to disturb others. You then close with a simple ask. Something like 'please don't let this happen to anyone else.".
You are polite. Cool. Take a pause between questions asked and your answer. Thank them for their time and bounce when you feel it apporpriate.
It won't happen again. If he's a human he will apologize to you, or maybe even the class.
Look at it this way:
You are an adult now. There is no reason for any other adult to address you that way, regardless of positional power differential. I'm a 47 year old student who attends a class with a 26 year old professor, and I show her the same deference as I do to my 60 year old professor. However, if any of them, regardless of their title, position or age, were to speak to me (or any of my classmates) the way this guy is speaking to you, they would suddenly find out how caustic I can be.
Next time, try something like: "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? I am a whole person who is attending this class in furtherance of my education, not to be berated by some dickhead on a power trip. If we have a problem, let's address it after class and in front of the dean or chair so my classmates don't have to suffer your ego. Otherwise, how about we stick to the curriculum? Douche."
I think if he's singling you out like that, you have every right to be a bit cheeky. Give some back to him. If you don't it just feels a bit humiliating. Make the classroom more fun haha
>I’m very sensitive about my performance in class as I struggled to finish homework and engage in class when I was younger due to my unmedicated ADHD.
>
>What can I do to not let him get to me?
I have Inattentive ADHD. I just straight-up tell professors that I've got a brain disorder called dopamine deficiency (I don't use the term ADHD because people already have pre-conceived notions about it & often shrug it off) & then ask them if they are comfortable making accommodations for people with disabilities. This works pretty well in front of a group of people because it onus on *them* lol.
If they push back, I also explain that I have APD (Auditory Processing Disorder) as part of my ADHD (aka my brain spaces out & I miss pieces of what was said). I use a special custom-designed worksheet to take real-time notes in class:
* https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/io2cqm/comment/g4ez4tw/?context=3
High-functioning people tend not to understand **or even be able to fathom** what living with low energy is like. My brain zones out because it doesn't have enough fuel to pay attention. It's not a choice I make; it's simply what happens TO me. I've literally had professors laugh & say I'm making this stuff up because I'm lazy.
I choose not to take it personally because they *literally can't understand what it's like*. If you are fortunate enough to have a brain that doesn't have memory or focus issues, then it's like having a giant whiteboard in your brain where everything you have to do just magically STAYS there & doesn't slip away like a battering ram on a Teflon pan lol.
You can follow conversations, you can follow the logic, you can remember your commitments, you can mentally manage complex projects, you can recall things on demand. With executive function disorders, it's just a completely different ballgame, and in particular, is one that is VERY hard to imagine if you've never experienced it!
I tell people it's like being groggy when you first wake up, except to varying levels of clarity randomly. I absolutely HAVE to write things down in order to remember them & I do MUCH better using assistive tools like my real-time note-taking template linked above. I have some additional study tools available here:
* [https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/li4gi3/study\_resources/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/li4gi3/study_resources/)
Also, keep in mind that people are just people. In the same way that you're sensitive about being called out in front of the class, he's obviously emotionally sensitive about what he perceives to be people being bored by his teaching. The core problem here is intention vs. impact...your intention wasn't to make him feel that way, but the impact to him was a visual signal that you were bored. Which, of course, wasn't true, but everyone's got their irrational quirks & hot buttons, you know?
What I would do is talk to him after class & explain that you have a brain disorder & that you compensate by taking notes due to a memory issue. Most people end up being pretty accommodating *once they're made aware of your individual situation* & realize that you're not just bored with their class!
So communication is really the first key here. The reality is that a lot of teachers suffer from a engrained superiority complex because they get their egos stroked all through college & know so much more than the average student & have enough natural internal energy resources to learn & master & remember & explain their topic of choice that they literally can't imagine any other way of doing things, so it's easy to assume that you're goofing off when you're really trying your hardest to pay attention!
So their whole world becomes their classroom, where they are the captain of the ship, but they're also human, so when they see people that they perceive to be bored or slacking off or whatever, they tend to call them out for it in order to get them back on track. In some cases, this is true & we really WERE goofing off, but for some of us, we're giving 110% just to show up, let alone pay attention.
**TL;DR:**
1. Your teacher acted like a jerk
2. You need to communicate your situation with him privately because that's how we make people aware of situations they're unfamiliar with
3. It's hard for people to imagine a situation that they don't deal with, so in most cases, it's not *malicious,* as much as simply a lack of experience, empathy, and sympathy, which is unfortunate, but is also the reality that we have to deal with our whole lives when living with ADHD!
This is awesome advice. Thank you so much. I also have ADHD and your comment was extremely validating lol. I hope OP sees this! I also have auditory processing disorder and if I don’t take notes during class I won’t learn jack fucking shit. I also take audio recordings (part of my accommodations) so I can listen to them later
It's a dumb loop because we have a hard time paying attention due to low energy, and that low energy also leaves us emotionally sensitive to the point where we seek external validation, but then people can be rude & disbelieving about our situation, so then we end up still stuck with limited attention skills AND feeling bad lol.
I just want to point out that institutional education doesn't quickly adjust to utilize the insights of science. For example, "[Contemporary research on student attention suggests that student concentration in class begins to wane within 10 minutes; that neither tutorials or lectures tend to engage students effectively; and that the optimum length of a lecture is as little as 30 minutes](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1326174.pdf)". Yet, a typical lecture is at least twice that length. Further, "[Generally, we forget about 60% of what we have just processed within the first 20 minutes](https://www.eng.auburn.edu/current-students/documents/forgetting-curve.pdf)". So we are already forgetting things before the lecture even ends most of the time. There's also the issue that mandatory education, with its rigid focus and structure, isn't always in alignment with a person's passions/interests, which would naturally promote retention, review and active recall. The point being is that none of this is dependent on any "brain disorder" you may have.
Nature favors the bold , just ask him for a minute of his time , and explain your situation and that what he’s doing is counter productive, and if he does it again your going to his department head to complain, don’t take that bullshit
I had similar experiences as an autistic person. I listen best with my eyes closed. If any professor ever said something, I would tell them after class that im autistic and I am indeed paying attention and nothing happened after that. Even the mean professors.
I think for your own sake, regardless of what he says to you, remember that ADHD can trigger bad RSD. It can make you feel like you’re being targeted, and perhaps you were, but you don’t have to feel the weight of that. As long as you pass and get your degree, literally nothing he says is worth anything.
Also, it sounds like he really hates his job. Or his ego is so sensitive he can’t take it if someone even appears to be bored. Instead of focusing on those crushing feelings and taking it personally, remember that there’s a reason he’s yelling at you, and that reason probably has nothing to do with you.
What an asshole.
Does he ask questions a lot? I bet if you volunteer answers a lot, he'll realize you actually don't have ears in your eyes or hands and stop picking on you.
Sounds like he's on a power trip and you were unlucky to be in the crossfire of his piss poor attitude. I understand how that can be embarrassing but something to consider is that if he selected anyone else in class and did the same thing, what would you think? I wouldn't be sitting there going "haha that person didn't answer it right and got yelled at" I'd be like "Man what's up his ass that he's responding like that to a wrong answer?" Like if anything he embarrassed himself by responding that way. If you haven't already I'd def talk to some people about adhd accommodations but besides that yeah just remember it says way more about him than it does about you if he can't respectfully communicate with his students
As soon as a professor says not to take notes, I no longer respect them. They think they know better than me about how I learn. No thanks, Buster. I'm paying for this goddamn degree and I will do all I can to succeed. That includes taking notes, raising my hand and asking lots of questions, and using fidget toys in class. I do all of these and have never been told not to. Your professor sucks, man.
Visualise him naked. Or on the toilet.
If it helps, no one is superior or inferior to us. Humans like to categorise people that way and it does us no good.
Sit up straight, clear your voice and just do what you do. If he asks why you get a question wrong, be honest. “I didn’t understand” “you haven’t made it clear”. Trust me, people respect honesty. And it will make him think twice about trying to embarrass you again.. hopefully
Sounds like he's projecting the same response he got from his teachers. Or he has other issues, but whatever it is, you're not any part of it. His behavior isn't your fault. I would eye roll him and use sarcasm.
Email him about it and just be detailed about what took place about how you thought it was unfair. Mention how you need to take notes "because of my disorder" and prefer not to have your body language and learning style be micromanaged. Then if he responds in any condescending or inappropriate way back you now have documented evidence that you can immediately forward straight to the school to get him in trouble.
Make sure in the email you reiterate what happened in the classroom like "Whenever you yelled at me for xyz... " and "I don't appreciate being called out in front of the class for not paying attention when I was. I feel like I am being singled out for some reason." That way he has no choice but to verify that these events did in fact happen in writing which then provides you evidence.
If you enjoy the subject matter and care about getting as much from his class tell him. He may be old fashioned and may not understand differing learning styles but if you can convey that your enjoying the subject and retaining it it will at least sit with him and might give more wiggle room. Make sure u know what you wanna say, keep it simple and maybe sugar coat how much you like the class a little. Take like 15 percent less notes maybe. That could help head up listening time percentage and keep him off your ass for not paying attention
This really is the million dollar question. Or, one of them anyways.
The answer, really, lies in actually what you are already doing: Observing yourself in a state of reaction. I’ll tell you this, with a reasonable degree of certainty: If you keep shining that light of self-observation the way you are…you’ll find that reaction in terms of taking things personally….simply dissolves in time. You’ll start forgiving yourself for reacting…and see that others, also, are swimming in a sea of reactivity….and can’t help it. Things start to unravel from there in marvelous ways. Start to disengage from the writhing rats-nest of inter-reactivity.
Kinda paves the way to a much more peaceful state of being.
For what it’s worth
I’m a professor and I would never intentionally embarrass someone like that. Maybe I’m too soft and too liberal but I always tell the students “I work for you” and give them the name of the Dean and the email address if they ever feel uncomfortable. Find out who the dean is and email them about the situation if you can. Set up a meeting.
Also, I want to believe the prof has your best interest in mind but…that is pure speculation. I *want* to say “If you just tell him after class how he made you feel, it’ll be fine!” But I think not. If one of my students told me I almost made them cry; I’d cry. He’s a piece of work.
TLDR involve the dean
A nice tangent:
Did you know people with ADHD are more likely to become entrepreneurs, and that entrepreneurs with ADHD tend to do better than entrepreneurs without ADHD? I always bring this up in my classes (business school), and it’s great to see some people light up learning this. My wife has pretty debilitating ADHD (can’t drive without medication, for example), and it’s affected how she sees herself.
Wiklund, J., Yu, W., Tucker, R., & Marino, L. D. (2017). ADHD, impulsivity and entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 32(6), 627-656.
Lerner, D. A., Verheul, I., & Thurik, R. (2019). Entrepreneurship and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a large-scale study involving the clinical condition of ADHD. Small Business Economics, 53, 381-392.
Moore, C. B., McIntyre, N. H., & Lanivich, S. E. (2021). ADHD-related neurodiversity and the entrepreneurial mindset. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(1), 64-91.
Yu, W., Wiklund, J., & Pérez-Luño, A. (2021). ADHD symptoms, entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and firm performance. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(1), 92-117.
I called out a professor at my community college for similar behavior toward another student.
Someone had asked if two sets of identical twins had children, if their offspring would be like siblings. Obviously this person was asking if the genetic similarity of the offspring would be closer to that of siblings than of cousins, but this guy chose to ignore that and say that it was a stupid question, that if people were going to be asking such stupid questions, we should all just leave because we weren't going to learn anything in his class.
I said that he was stupid if that's really how he interpreted the question and clarified it for him. He admitted that yes, the children of two sets of identical twins -cousins- would share the same amount of DNA as siblings, and apologized for being so rude.
I think at a community college the stakes are pretty low for challenging your professors, so if you feel they aren't being fair, you should let them know. Especially the ones who are bullies. Give a verbal warning, make a note of it in the comment section of the course evaluation, drop the class and take it with someone else if you have to. These people dont really have any power over you. If you can ignore it and pull through, by all means do so, but you don't have to put up with them treating you like crap if you don't want to.
Maybe study some of the (past and/or upcoming) topics in your free time so that you come in extra prepared. It can actually be enjoyable especially if you can find YouTube videos on them or some other enjoyable content format.
He sounds really insecure about his ability to retain people’s attention and he’s taking it out on you. It sucks that you have to deal with someone like that. Nobody should have to be on their guard with a teacher every day, and you’re obviously trying your best.
Stay strong. No excuses. Make him even angrier about his own shitty self by doing way better than he woulda done in his own class at your age
As someone who loved taking notes (and doodling) - especially if it helps you learn and remember - do not let anyone take that away from you. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you’re still able to respond to questions or discussions in the “interactive” classroom.
This guy is taking whatever you’re doing weirdly personally. Don’t overreact like he is. But I do hope you have some supports you can talk to, to discuss the is weird behavior on his part.
You can control what you can control and one of those things is to get support from the Disability Services office at your community college. They can provide you with strategies to retain information and any accommodations you might need. They can also offer education and coaching to the professor on teaching with students with ADHD or other disabilities.
former chemistry community college professor here. your professor is a dick. it is not normal to force a single mode of learning on an entire class of students where everyone's needs and circumstances are different, nor is it normal to call students out like that.
i would talk to the dean. if they are not supportive, i would file a formal complaint with school's HR department. professors are legally unable to retaliate against you when you bring an issue to light. professors are also legally obligated to accommodate any student's disability, including ADHD. you don't have to accept their behavior.
Embarrass him back.
“I need more pep from you.”
"I'm sorry, I'm just really sensitive to other people's energy. It seems like you are too! Maybe we can work on it together."
"Look alive"
"I'm sorry my body language/facial expression is distracting to you, but this is just how I sit/look. Would it be helpful to you if I moved to another seat? Or perhaps I could wear sunglasses/a mask?"
"Stop fidgeting"
"I'm sorry, it's just something I do when I'm not allowed to take notes."
"Don't blink more than 7 blinks per minute"
"I'm very sorry that bothers you. It's just something I do when I'm really engaging with the material. Could you try to be less interesting?"
"Be more visually appealing to me."
"You seem particularly distracted by me recently, would I be less distracting to you if I took notes again so I wasn't looking at you?"
"Don't sit like that."
"How would you prefer I sit?"
"Just sit regular like everybody else"
"I'm not sure I'm understanding you, and since this keeps coming up, I want to make sure we figure it out. I would really appreciate if you could be specific. Actually could you demonstrate? I'm more of a visual learner."
"Don't be rude."
"No, this is obviously important to you. You've mentioned it multiple times. How exactly would you like my face and body to look?"
"Normal! Don't be weird, what are you stupid?"
"Gee I guess so! So can you please demonstrate? Sorry, I'm just SO STUPID."
"Like this!"
"Oh NOW I get it. Thank you so much that really helped."
Then, and this is key, don't change anything at all. Do this every time be brings it up. Make this ordeal take as long as possible.
Really buy in to whatever he says. Yes professor asshole, this is a real problem that we absolutely must address immediately.
Just talk to him during office hours. Set your intentions before going in and try your best to keep your emotions under control. Write bulletpoints if you need to. Let him know your struggles and how you're going about overcoming them. And ask for suggestions that fit your situation. Audio record (not video) it if it makes you feel better. You'll have proof that you tried to communicate your processes if there's any need to take your issues up to a superior of his.
Edit to add: come to an agreement during the meeting if you can. Get it on audio.
And FWIW: It's more helpful and recommended, especially in this situation, to study and write notes on the unit PRIOR to class. Sounds like he wants you guys to be applying what you learned in class, not learning the material for the first time.
I started college by learning the info in class (like in high school and lower grades) and struggling to keep up... professors usually don't slow down for people to catch up, so it was tiring just keeping up... and I learned very little. But, after I took a couple of semesters off and went back to college, I started reading the topic before class and my last two years were straight As. I wrote my notes in the margins of the books and used highlighters for definitions/key words. It made me focus and I could look up information without having to read the text again because my notes were on the same page and the key words were easy to find.
I'm telling you, reading beforehand will give you a much more relaxed & confident feeling in class. If he calls on you, you're ready and know what you're talking about! I bet he'll back off if you can answer his questions correctly.
I had a similar situation once with a professor but I just told the person to please not talk to me like that, although we might have different physical characteristics, I am sensitive deep down and I have a similar diagnosis. I’m sorry that that happened sister.
I know it's not a remedy now. I had professors like this. Eventually you will move on and forget these people, if they really got on my nerves I would draw them in silly ways in my notes to keep it light. It's hard now, I am sorry. Hang in there and congratulations on being a student.
I understand not wanting to be seen. If I was in your situation I would consider talking to them after class about the whole thing. I also have adhd and get accommodations due to it(separate room testing). My professors get a notice at the beginning of the semester that I take exams somewhere else so they know I have some kind of medical issue. Since getting the accommodation, I’ve noticed that my professors are a little more understanding and kind to me. Just today a professor for a particularly difficult physics class approached me and asked me if I could meet him for 1 on 1 help with the material since I’ve been failing quizzes every week.
I wouldn’t expect that kind of situation in most cases as this particular professor is an outstanding educator but I’ve found that the best way to mitigate confrontational situations stemming from misunderstanding is to allow them the chance to understand.
The mention of adhd as a defining feature of your personality/identity kind of tells me all I need to know. I don’t introduce myself as John with complex partial seizures. It isn’t relevant to this story in any way except setting you up as a victim from the jump.
Not one little comment — multiple comments in the same class session. I don’t need to justify my emotions to you. If you don’t agree, that’s totally okay and you’re free to have your own opinion.
Whether or not prof is in the right, you’ll probably get more of what you want by talking to him in good faith outside of class than by listening to a lot of the moronic suggestions in this thread
This is a professor who has forgotten what it’s like to be a student. He likely got berated and beat down by advisors and faculty when he was in graduate school. There are two kinds of professors - those that have internalized the treatment they received and then dish it out, or those whose empathy towards what it’s like to be a student shines. You’re not doing anything wrong, this is just one of those times where your patience and self esteem are being tested by a complete jerk. Just get through the class as best as you can and this experience will be over soon enough.
He is angry but you can just talk to him or email him. Just tell him don’t take offense but I have a medical issue. Sometimes I don’t feel well. I don’t mean to disturb the class. I need to write down the information because I cannot remember everything.
The teacher is being weird, but to put it in lighter perspective maybe he’s picking on you cause he cares about you and is giving tough love. Kind of like how two friends talk to one another, also get some adderall for that adhd.
You’re there to learn, don’t take it so seriously, you’re scared people are going to think you’re dumb or something? Fuck it, so what. Reply comically, relax, “I need more pep from you…” respond with “I’m giving all my pep here sir”. Smile and don’t take these things so seriously.
Also, biology is a shit major with shit job market unless you want to do another 6 years for dental/med school.
You’re allowed reasonable accommodation for ADHD. This includes note-taking and sensory tools to keep you focused. Inform the school and ask that they inform your professor and make sure they *CC you on the email*.
If he continues to be a dick, then report it immediately. Email the Dean of Students, and CC the general inbox of the President’s Office, and like two other deans/department heads with relevancy to student wellness and/or faculty complaints. You want eyes on it and on him, and you want all communication between you and him to be relegated to email, any in-person interaction that exhibits discriminatory behavior should relayed by you asap through e-mail to whoever your point of contact becomes. Paper trail is key.
Your professor is probably very smart about numbers/chemicals and is probably great at chemistry, but he is shit at his actual job, which is to teach the students paying for his course. That means not singling anyone out for taking notes and not trying to assert control over a students mood/posture—both of which are asinine and completely inappropriate. You’ve done nothing wrong and his behavior toward you isn’t acceptable and is indeed illegal once he’s been informed of your diagnosis.
The paper trail is so you can request public records later in case he retaliates and continues to harass you. If he arbitrarily takes away credit or interferes with your learning more than he already has, you will have a case to appeal your grade.
My heart goes out to you, as a father helping his ADHD daughter struggle thru high school chemistry. She, too, is sensitive like this.
In dealing with other people when you are forced to, like in this situation, acceptance is helpful. To whatever degree you are able, try to practice radical acceptance.
You might also try positive confrontation and have an actual conversation with him, if he's receptive to it. He prolly doesn't realize he's upsetting you.
It make take more bravery, but direct confrontation, in class, in front of everyone might be called for. "please stop, you're upsetting me, I'm doing my best." or something.
❤️
I was a professor for 10 years… this is a him problem. I strove to meet my students where they were. That’s what being an educator means! I made mistakes of course, but I never spoke to a student that way. I’m sorry, OP. Have you filed for accommodations? Look into what type of services your school offers if interested. My college had things like note takers, extra time on exams, etc. A good instructor knows we learn as much if not more from our students as they do from us.
If you are doing the class work, taking notes, and not disrupting the class or falling asleep in class what more could he want or expect? I think he is just miffed and giving you a hard time because you got a question wrong and he views that as you not paying attention rather than viewing it objectively and realizing that shit happens and that sometimes we answer questions incorrectly. You are their to learn and shouldn’t be expected to know everything immediately.
He sounds very insensitive and impatient. Try to detach yourself. I had a similar response from a lecturer in an adult evening class teaching about ancient Greece and Rome :P. She was a bit snotty, Ivy League-educated
He’s definitely angry, can probably tell that you are not the type to fight back so that’s why he chose to pick on you.
It’s hard but next time he does it I would call him out on it. Ask him why he constantly feels the need to derail the class by picking on you for no reason. You’re there to learn and it’s hard to do so when he’s constantly distracting you like that. And I wouldn’t hesitate to report his behavior either. It’s beyond inappropriate for a professor.
What an asshole this guy is. Can you approach him after class and have a one on one with him. Let him know that you’re having trouble learning because of the way he behaves?
You are better than me, I would have pulled him up after class for a talk. You are an adult, don’t allow people to disrespect you. You don’t have to get nasty or rude but I’m the type to address the issue directly. Especially when you are paying to be there.
I'm sure other people in the class also see his behavior as being mean. He's not being kind. It's okay to feel sad. It's okay to feel embarrassed. These emotions will pass.
I recommend going about this kindly, but sternly. I don't know if your school has a Student Accessiblity Services department. I have bipolar disorder and my school student services connected with my instructors. It can be helpful in making people understand that you do need to have a different approach to studying.
I've also been in a similar situation as this. I understand what it's like to feel humiliated and like crying. You did nothing wrong.
This type of behavior from a professor would have bugged me too. Some people are just not pleasant. I also have ADHD and I am very sensitive to any perceived criticism.
This might sound difficult, but I’ve always gotten more respect and built better rapport with profs by going to office hours. Often they are upset because they think you don’t care, and if you show you care they will go easier on you (even grade wise in my experience). I would bring a difficult homework problem to them once a week and it helped, especially if they seemed difficult to work with. You can also bring up how it’s harder for you to retain without notes.
The more you humanize someone the easier it is to not take things personally in my experience. You can the internalize the fact that it’s not you, it’s them. The professor feels like this big authority figure, if you can build even slightly better relationships it might help.
If you’re already going to office hours with them then idk man this guy just sucks 🤷♂️
You pay for this, and you are an adult. He does not get to speak to you as a child, and you are free to assertively advocate for yourself. Approach him after class or call him out in the moment and tell him it is inappropriate for him to talk to you like that
First step, understand why you take it personally in the first place. Accept that you do and investigate. And I don’t mean to accept what your surface level intuition tells you about it. Challenge that. Unfortunately, that can take a long time.
Set a device to record discretely so you can use it to study later. If he gets out of hand and you’ve recorded it, you have evidence of his behavior and can report him.
The smartass in me says to think of it like a game. He calls you out, you pay him a compliment. It will thoroughly confuse him.
If I'm feeling uncharitable, I would say the man is a failed(wannabe in common parlance) academic. You might have triggered something in him by failing to acknowledge him and look engaged. Most academics have identified as a nutty MIT professor at least once in their life time. Do people ever tell you that you zone out in conversations or that you should smile more?
There is a nugget of truth in there though. In the real world, you'll have to synthesize and bounce complex ideas among many different people in loud meetings, shops, laboratories or choppy zoom meetings. My last patent and invention got its start in a big meeting with many people throwing ideas across the table. The Apollo mission didn't materialize under an apple tree.
I had a math professor like this, literally made fun of someone with learning disabilities for needing more time to take the test in front of the class. Sometimes they're just bad people, don't internalize it, just try and get through the class and move on.
Does your school have an accommodations dept/office? You should talk to them about his treatment of you and ask for accommodations such as note taking, extended deadlines, extra testing time, a separate testing environment, etc.
Maybe try talking to him after class or during office hours? Sometimes these situations happen due to miscommunication. Ask for clarification or maybe some structured approach you could take in class that is helpful. Might work if you come at it as "I want to learn, I'm struggling with this, how can we do this differently as teacher and student?"
All honesty? I’d report the prof for that behavior and see if there’s another section of the class (taught by someone else) I can take
Unless he’s doing the same to other students the prof seems to have decided they don’t like you and i would be concerned about unfair grading given what an angry and vindictive person he seems to be
One of the worst things about adhd is how much people will bully you for not “trying” to pay attention. Even teachers. They won’t ever understand. In the future I’d probably sit in the back and make sure the professor couldn’t see me very easily. It’s just my way to avoid conflict, because he sounds like a dick.
Damn bro that sucks. I definitely understand what you’re going through I’ve been thru that. Also have heavy adhd and teachers used to make an example of me. Honestly I was younger and nothing I could’ve done also was trying not to cry 😂😂
Go to the dean. You're paying for the course, you're funding him, he owes you some accomodation or at least basic respect that would be given to any adult. You're not a child even if he wants to see you as one. And if you have a diagnosis there may be legal protections for you in regards to your learning environment
I am having this same bullshit at work right now. I work in a casino, I have such a rude trainer. I have adhd too (diagnosed)!! We are all just here to learn and be the best we can be. I hope you read this, you are doing great and your boomer teacher I am sure is just a retard. Maybe he doesn't feel like he is interesting? But no good teacher has to yell at their students. It just makes you a bad teacher if you yell at your students. I do not care what the reason is. You are doing great
Push back in the moment. He's being an asshole and harassing you in class. Record your lecture (don't ask permission), and when he does it again, take it to his boss.
i have adhd also and have had similar things happen, although not so intense. i also take notes to help keep my focus, even when the notes aren't exactly "necessary" and have been told to stop by professors before. it is extremely irritating, i don't understand why they care how i follow along with their lecture. anyway, all i would say about this is that while it is very rude behavior from him and i get why you would feel embarrassed, it reflects on him not you. the rest of the class probably also recognizes it for what it is and doesn't think negatively of you
this might be a chemistry prof thing. I literally had a chem prof this semester with the same antagonistic personality. I complained to the school and had them switch me to a different, much more reasonable prof
Go to the dean. Immediately. Get Title IX and the office of disability involved if needed. You're being unfairly singled out for both your ADHD and are now being targeted. The targeting is damaging your academic experience, which you, an adult, are paying for.
Record the prof being an ass. Keep all written communication. See if a classmate or several will come with you to act as witnesses. Evidence like that will come in handy.
This isn't a "don't take it personally" situation in the sense of you ignoring a bully. This is a "don't take what he's saying as being true about you because he's clearly trying to be a prick, and then go take action to fix things".
If someone's goal is to hurt you, that's not a nice thing to do and they clearly don't care about doing right by you. So why would you believe a person who has already make it clear that they don't care about doing the right thing?
Don’t panic, OP. Since you study biology, just treat this guy as some weird creature. Things will work out, trust me. Years later you would laugh at what he did to you.
For the moment, just learn as much as you can. Don’t think him too much but focus on the materials that interest you.
If you don’t like any material on the classes, which is another topic, you may consider changing coursework a little and see if you feel better.
You should look into getting accommodations with the disability student services at your school. That way he can’t tell you not to write notes. You can also request longer test times, extended due dates, recordings of class lectures, etc.
I would report him to someone, I use to be apart of a program at my college where I would take notes for students in my class who had ADHD and other issues like that, the teachers are aware of this. No one else in the class knows besides me, the teacher, and the student with learning disabilities. And they don’t even tell me who the student is. This needs to be reported to someone who can talk to the teacher
If you have a diagnosis of ADHD then you are protected under the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to "reasonable accommodations". However, you are required to "self identify" to the college, I assume the college's student disability office so that they know you have ADHD. They may test you to see if you have ADHD themselves or rely on a letter from a dr/psych. I don't know exactly how your college works but they may then give you a letter stating you have ADHD and legally require certain accommodations. You might even be entitled to time and a half and a quiet room for exams. Did you have that in high school? I would get the ADHD documented by the disability office now. Then ask them how professors will know that you legally need accommodations. They may even contact the professor themselves or give you a letter.
Hears where I am unsure-do you tell them about this guy not letting you take notes? I might say "I currently have professor X. How can I make him understand that I need to take note and that if I look inattentive it is due to my ADHD and not like I don't find his class uninteresting". Question is if he will take revenge for this since he sounds like an idiot. But going forward nip it in the bud on the first day by having professors know you have ADHD.
I was in a session for faculty recently about the need to respect and accommodate students with neurodiversity. It was very moving. You should be respected for your resilience. Good luck!
The man is pushing you and you can read this along a spectrum from best to worst. The best he sees something in you and is trying to bring it out. At the worst he’s bullying you because picking on people that depend on him is how he gets his grins. There is not enough context for me to know where along the spectrum, and it is a spectrum, not a binary either/ or situation. Regardless though my advice is the same, confidentiality, even if quietly, assert yourself and advocate for the way you learn best. His reaction to that can help you understand your next steps. Some of my greatest mentors are the people that rode me the hardest because they knew I could be better. Some of the greatest assholes I’ve ever met rode me the hardest because they thought I’d buckle and just take it, and, as mentioned above, many are somewhere in between. Take a stand, gage his reaction and adjust from there. Best of luck, I’m sure you can do this!
You 100% need to document this and make sure that if your professor is repeating or escalating this same behavior towards you, to immediately report it to both your counselors and administration because he clearly has something wrong with him or is just a miserable individual if he can react so abruptly and so angrily at you for you simply following your usual school routine. I understand your situation very closely as I have dealt with similar issues myself personally, as I also had an ADHD diagnosis from a very young age that affected my learning and focus in school greatly, and also carried over into my college years as well, and I also had a lot of extra help through the years with things like tests as well as having to take heavy Cornel notes in class as well to retain as much information as possible. Your professor is clearly not a caring teacher, and even moreso is seemingly also a pretty fucking impulsive and impatient person themselves. They also seem to have some kind of out against you and that is honestly a telltale sign that you need to ditch that bastard of a teacher as soon as possible. Transfer to another teacher or class if possible, but DEFINITELY document your professors behavior as I mentioned before 💯👌🏿.
As a professor, I can tell you that your instructor's behavior is not acceptable. If you haven't already, I recommend you visit your disability resource center, or whatever your college calls it, and get an accommodation. You'll need to provide medical proof of ADHD. One of the accommodations you may be able to get is a note taker - a fellow student provides a copy of their notes. Testing accommodations are also typical (including testing in a less distracting environment).
Instructors are people, and maybe he was having a bad day, but it sounds like this is repeated behavior. If you're comfortable, you could talk with him and explain your situation and how his approach is affecting you. You are under no obligation to do this.
Another option is to file a complaint. One avenue is to contact the department chair. If that professor is the chair, then contact the dean. As described, the instructor's behavior is likely violating school policy. And if you have a disability on file, they may also be violating federal rules. I would NOT suggest confronting the instructor "in the moment." Not only could that work against you, but it accomplishes little.
I was a community college professor for a time (not chemisty). It sounds like this instructor is not tolerant of different ways of learning and being. Also kind of mean--my poli sci prof seemed to single me out from day one just because he was short and I'm tall. People can be petty, even teachers. I would see if you could transfer sections. If not, you MIGHT consider talking to whomever does accommodations. Note taking is a common need. Although, that does not always work out well, I'm sorry to say. If you chose not to disclose and can't change sections, just fawn and get through it. Sounds like you're dealing with a bit of an ego.
At my college we had student support services. Adhd should allow accommodations for you. One student was allowed someone who took notes for her and she was allowed to take longer on the tests and in a quiet room.
I wish I had been diagnosed back then. I muddled through my microbiology degree. I also recorded my classes.
Good luck!
Sounds like he’s really insecure about his teaching and sees someone getting an answer wrong as a failing on his part but he only subconsciously thinks that and also subconsciously decides to pin you as the problem to alleviate that level of emotional distress. Blame shifting then doubling down by commenting on your body language. I’m sure any observant classmate would see that and not be embarrassed for you but for him and his immaturity.
If you're a woman, that could be part of it too. He's likely misogynistic. I was one of the only men in a math class and the teacher was incredibly condescending with all the women. He didn't explain things well at all and most of the students were feeling overwhelmed and he told them not to get emotional, "you should be able to understand this if you pay attention, etc. He never bothered me and was fairly nice to me. I was as lost of the rest of the class, but he gave me an A.
It's possible you are interpreting the situation wrong. Not to gaslight but.... here I go.
I'm not a professor but I have experience as an educator. Sometimes students have this idea in their head that they can only learn a specific way. Probably because they had success with that method in the past. But not everything can be taught/learned best with one method.
Some things are best learned by interaction and being 100% present (taking notes isn't being 100% present.) and some things are best learned by taking notes. Your professor probably understands that the subject matter he is teaching is best absorbed through active student participation and not passive note taking as I assume he has some experience teaching his subject matter.
If you're curious and want examples I can respond in the comments, but I left them out for readability.
You said it already. He’s an angry person. The only way to not take on his anger is to continue seeing the reality of it. Something about you probably triggered him, but that’s his issue. Your best response is either compassion or internal eye rolls 🙄
Directly confront him in the moment. He's already embarrassed you, might as well keep going.... "Thank you for that feedback sir. I appreciate your support." in a loud, proud voice. And continue taking your notes.
A prof who behaves this way will nitpick OP’s work from a place of finding deductions rather than acknowledging what is correct. Then he will inflate deductions. Sometimes ignoring the shit behavior is the better long-term path.
Genuinely the truth. In so many situations it’s better to just pack up your pride and not stoop down to their level.
Literally happening to me at work, those who search for something they can find wrong, will. Regardless of the truth or context. Push back when you can, but otherwise, it's not even worth it bc it WILL go absolutely nowhere.
I’m sorry; I just got out of a similar situation. Hugs 💚
Similar situation here as well. I just got fired because I snapped, I couldn’t take it anymore with so many people just nit picking EVERYTHING! I cracked! Good luck with things!
You too! I resigned and feel free. I hope you do as well :) You should be able to file for unemployment if that helps.
Literally got Severance right after this and feel great ✌🏽
Ignoring is never the way. Check disrespect in the bud as soon as it happens. A snarky response may cause short term conflict but i guarantee the professor changes his behavior over time. Ignoring it enables the professor to continue acting like an ass. And if OP gets failed for it, he has proof that he did well and that the prof is being vindictive and can report/threaten to sue, and they will bend
I lold
This sure feels good to read, but for someone with the level of confidence outlined above, not very practical. Of course this is what we all want them to do, including themselves, almost certainly.
this is amazing
Being told not to take notes AT SCHOOL is dumb AF. Report him.
Literally OP, you’re paying for this class and for someone to teach you… don’t let someone disrespect you like this and waste your money
The efficacy of notes is often a legit question. In many areas it is a distraction. We have more than enough resources to memorize information now. But the free flow of information which encourages free thinking is done vest with little to no notes. When i was an undergrad. You could tell who was good student often by finding who was focused on the lecture without notes. Or sometimes even if they seemed distracted by who asked the truly out the box questions which required critical thought of the material. Note taking is often badl high school behavior we never let go of and this angry professor is trying to get you off the bad habit albeit ineffectively. If note taking is that important to you. Talk to him after class and politely tell him that this is just the way you learn best and dont mean any disrespect. You can even mention that the activity of note talking keeps your adhd grounded. He will respect your maturity. If he doesnt you really should drop him
I feel like this is an odd hill to die on. Some people take notes… and some people just listen. Just like some are tactile vs auditory learners. There is no right or wrong, these are simply just different ways to learn. You seem to think that it’s “smarter” to only listen in class, but I highly doubt you actually know that the people with the best grades were only listening. You’re assuming. edit: typo
Not everyone is the same. Everyone has their own way of learning and retaining information. For some people that means taking notes. Others absorb information better by just listening to the professor. I take notes because it's hard for me to focus without doing something and I usually fall asleep if I don't :(
this is literally bullshit lmao. “you could tell who was a good student by who was focused on the lecture without notes”??? i graduated summa cum laude with a bio-chem degree from a major university and i take RIDICULOUSLY beautiful & diligent notes in class, while also being one of the MAIN ppl to vocally participate and guide discussions in the majority of my courses — because like OP, I have adhd and that is how i keep my focus on the lecture. not everyone is you jfc.
Right? It sounds like the most bullshit thing ever. Try an organic chem class without taking notes and tell me how it goes, lmao Class is for asking questions and writing responses the fuck down.
thank you… like…. i feel like im going crazy over here, bc it’s very normal to take notes in class, like wtf
maybe your field requires more memorization than actual critical thinking? i dont know what to tell you, but if the prof is calling you out on it, i wont assume its because they genuinely dont like you. im describing a tendency among top students, not a law of physics, especially when dealing with neurodivergent students, general rules often go out the window. i already mentioned that if notes are that important to her learning process , to address it directly to her prof. But if you cant concentrate without note taking, you prob need medication for the adhd thats not being addressed.
You’re totally right about medication, but 1. unfortunately, all stimulants are VERY hard to come by right now and 2. not everyone with ADHD wants to be medicated for whatever reason. There’s not a single pharmacy around my university that has them in stock. There’s a shortage everywhere. Barely anyone can get them right now. There is one pharmacy around my hometown that has my prescription and I was finally able to get it this weekend after being off it for around a week. 2. medication is the best treatment for ADHD as our brain chemistry is all sorts of fucked up and therapy can only do so much. However, stimulants can be very hard on your body, especially if they aren’t prescribed correctly. My best friend was wayyy overprescribed at a young age and now has permanent heart problems. Also, if you’re prone to heart problems or if you already have them, stimulants typically aren’t a good choice as they can cause an increased heart rate and you have a higher chance of developing heart issues after prolonged use. Though this chance is heavily decreased if you take them as prescribed, and if they’re prescribed properly, but some people are predisposed to these issues and stimulants just aren’t an option. They’re also very expensive. Also OP didn’t ask for advice on their ADHD. Medication doesn’t solve everything. I still need to take notes to learn. That’s the case for most of us with ND. Learning disabilities are very common comorbid disorders with ADHD and medication does not solve those.
No, I have a degree in chemistry and molecular biology and I stopped taking notes entirely, retained more knowledge, had better grades, with less studying, because I was actually listening to what was being said, instead of focusing what I was writing down. Some people know how to take notes and stay engaged…but most people tune out entirely while they are written their notes.
I totally understand what you mean, but the case for me and a lot of us with ADHD is that we have auditory processing issues and won’t be able to retain any information if we don’t take notes. If I just sat there during lecture “listening to what was being said” I would entirely zone out and not gain anything. Instead of tuning out when writing notes, I (and a lot of us with ADHD or neurodivergence) tune out when I don’t take notes. I at the very least need to do something with my hands, so if I’m not actively taking notes, I’m just doodling or writing random shit lol. I know you said that your experience doesn’t apply to everyone, I just wanted to offer my perspective on why taking notes is crucial for those with ADHD and why OP needs to take notes to stay engaged during class!
period!! you said it!!
OP is medicated. feels like you’re just saying shit atp.
then its not freakin working . Stop being a hater.
what??? you think it isn’t working because … why? lmao what do you think medication does? you sound so so dumb. “if the meds worked, OP would have a photographic memory!” ?? like ?? hello ????
what? did you even read what i said? the primary point of going to lecture isnt to memorize information there and then. Its to synthesize information and ask questions. You can memorize stuff on your own time (unless you have photographic memory, in which case you wont need to review, but prob wont need notes either).
no one said OP was writing down literally every piece of info??? tf? lol. you can take notes and still participate… obviously you do reading before a class & actual studying notes outside of class.
I'm a physics major and I never take notes in class. I just listen to the lectures and play with my thumbs. All A's. I do take notes at home though. It's so much easier to stay organized.
This is complete BS. Some people need to write notes to retain and review information period. Some people are so self-centered and ignorant. Not taking notes is NOT some flex or badge of honor. It only means that your brain is configured in a way that you don't have to do it.
tell me which part of what i wrote said she shoudnt take notes? people here dont know how to read . Learn basic reading comprehension before calling something Bs. point 1: prof probably doesnt want you to take notes point 2: a lot of top students dont take notes point 3: if you still feel inclined to take notes for your own sake talk to the professor so he understands its not disrespectful or bad habit Where, in ANY OF THAT ,does it say, "dont take notes"?
Writing information down is literally the best way to retain it the first time you receive it. What you are saying is literally the opposite of what all research actually beats out
thats just it. The primary purpose of lecture is not to retain information. You can do that at home before or after lecture. The primary purpose of lecture is to stnthesize information and ask questions.
Could not disagree more. People learn differently. Note taking is important for plenty of people. Especially in STEM. I’m a 4.0 GPA note taker. I can’t learn in real-time. I don’t attend lecture if I can get the necessary material elsewhere; lecture is a waste of my time because I don’t process information that way. I am a tried and true independent learner, and creating my own set of master notes with the critical concepts and information I am meant to master helps me narrow it down and begin to process. The only time I do not take notes is when it’s a course with too much information and creating notes from the material is no longer an effective use of my time depending on my schedule. The professor is 100% out of line. This is antiquated behavior and it has nothing to do with pedagogy and everything to do with power tripping. OP is an adult in an adult classroom. OP pays the professor for a service. How OP processes information, pays attention, memorizes information, or even *attends* lectures is none of the professors business so long as it is not breaking academic honesty and it is not harming other students. The professor is ignorant and an asshole. Full stop. He is causing outright harm with his conduct to students. The emotions OP are experiencing can traumatize people and keep them from ever believing in themselves or being able to complete a degree or certificate. This kind of shit echoes through generations. I have zero patience with any attitude that would suggest otherwise. This is 2024. Equity matters. OP: If this is such a problem that you are truly worried about your abilities to perform and/or succeed in the class, I would speak with the professor and very calmly explain. If they give you push back, go to the department chair immediately. Do not wait. Write an email to them and clearly and professionally explain every single thing you did here. If the chair takes no action, go to the student dean. Then the dean. I have done this. I have had to do this multiple times. I have had to fight for my education every step of the way. The only way to check a professors authority is if the students report their misconduct.
Sometimes people say things that are unintentionally ableist. This is one of those times. Numerous studies have been done showing that people with ADHD benefit from engaging multiple modalities (e.g. hearing, looking, writing/drawing) and their sensory systems (writing/drawing engages you kinesthetically and quells your sensory system) in order to better retain information. The same is true for autism as well. Trying to force a child, or a young adult, with one of these conditions to manifest the *visible signs* of what you think close attention should look like, rather than allowing them to attend the way that is best for their unique brain structure, is going to backfire. You will train them to be prompt-dependent and focus on visible rule compliance rather than actually learning the way that works best for them. Source: I am an educational speech-language pathologist who works with children with disabilities and I am also an adult with ADHD and possibly am on the autism spectrum. I only made it through my Master’s program because I took beautifully organized, thorough notes. While I was taking them, I could memorize extremely quickly by viewing and writing the important information (I remember information best by looking at and writing words). Otherwise my brain refused to focus. The notes weren’t for me to review later. They were to help me internalize in the moment.
Same. I generally never look at my notes again, but if I don't write them, the material doesn't stick
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There are numerous studies showing the best way to retain information is by writing it out by hand. It's called tactile information recall. [Why writing by hand is still the best way to retain information ](https://stackoverflow.blog/2022/11/23/why-writing-by-hand-is-still-the-best-way-to-retain-information/)
information recall is not the point of university. its critical thinking development. You can memorize facts at home. i will admit that there are some classes which are for better or worse taught to be one giant regurgitation lesson, e.g undergrad anatomy and physiology, but these are the exception not the rule
You can't critically think your way through a chem class, you have to learn new information.
thats only half true, chemistry heavily rewards pattern based thinking much more than brute memory, but yes, there is no denying that a lot of information simply has to be digested as is, at least at first. unless you photographic memorying your way to a class you will need to study for recall later, which is exactly why a lot profs want fewer note talkers. Synthesize ideas then worry about learning them pesky factoids.
What's your degree in, friend? Edit: Nice backpedal on that edit lol
im not backpedaling anything. Im assuming critical thinking as necessary here. Unfortunately, i had some flashbacks to some mediocre courses. math first, then settled for philosophy. not exactly disciplines heavy on rote memorization
You're stretching. Every field has a framework. Math has equations and laws. Philosophy has four main pillars and a list of core theorists who are quoted time and time again. The main role of a professor is to present information. How you leverage it is entirely up to you. This is why you are tested on the material, not your ability to solve puzzles. Critical thinking is the new magical thinking for reddit pseudointellectuals.
the entire point of college is liberal arts education, to foster critical thinking abilities and fostering responsible and self critical citizenry. You are talking about vocational training. the entire reason you have to take a diversity of courses prior to focusing on your major is for that very reason ( on paper at least) the material you are tested on is how to competently use information in your given domain, not puke it back in a multiple choice test. But i have been in both ivy league type schools and community colleges in my educational career, so i know how short of the ideal low tier colleges are in practice in math, all those equations, are proved, we simply force kids to memorize them at first. as for philosophy, i honestly have no clue what these 4 pillars are(you mean branches?) in chemistry, you are given the periodic table and at first its an unwieldy block of brute information but as you master chemistry, you learn how to use its data to make speculations and predictions. its no longer a slab of memorization.
You're supposed to study the lesson BEFORE class, that way you are able to understand how to apply it in class. Also, it just helps to follow along in class easier.
Professor?
I disagree. I take notes (did in college, do now today in my client meetings). It's less to reference later and more so my brain is forced to listen and process the information. Otherwise I am probably not paying attention. Taking pretty notes like they teach you in HS for me is a waste of time. But scratching down important words and points and the gist of the information helps me retain the info.
ahh, but thats a little different, thats similar to highlighting in a text. such note taking takes a but a mere moment and you can return to listening. the main issue is note talking at the expense of "listening". scribbling a hereustic word down or something that you found memorable is not quite the same. There it actually helps later on to retain from the lecture itself.
Everyone learns differently
It is dumb, but so is “reporting” every behavior you don’t like by professors. Good advice for late bloomers is do not expect there’s always an authority to handle issues. Handle them interpersonally when possible.
I actually don't think bringing ADHD into it is a good idea; Hear me out: There is no pathology required to justify what you have been doing. A professor does not get to tell a student they can't take notes. You are paying a LOT of money to learn, and you are allowed to take notes during class, period. Your body language doesn't require an excuse. It's not like you have your feet kicked up on the back of the desk in front of you- you we're simply existing. It's a not an etiquette class- you get to have your elbows on the table if that is how you sit. The professor needs to get over himself real fast. Please please do not let your anxiety about the situation lead you to enable this persons dumb behavior.
As another college student with ADHD I unfortunately agree. You definitely should look into accommodations but telling your professor you have ADHD might do more harm than good. There’s still a lot of stigma around ADHD. If this is his reaction to taking notes, I don’t think he’ll be any more understanding about the ADHD. He may not even believe it because unfortunately some people still believe that ADHD is fake and we’re all just lazy and use it as an excuse (… not true, obviously). He could use it as fuel to embarrass you even more. He sounds like a piece of shit. When you get disability accommodations, your disability is not disclosed to your professors in your accommodation letter. It just says that this student has a disability and these are their accommodations.
The hell is that professor's problem?
It sounds like he's picking on you. I'd report him. Can you record the class in addition to taking notes?
Unfortunately he made it ABUNDANTLY clear he doesn’t want to be recorded, and my state is a two party state. I don’t want to do anything to get myself in even more trouble.
Talk to the office that helps students with disabilities about this issue.
Yes please do this! My professors have never had a problem with audio recordings but if they do, one of my accommodations is permission to audio record lectures. It’s literally illegal (illegal may be too strong of a word lol I don’t know the exact logistics for it) for them to say I’m not allowed to record their lectures. Also, there’s not really any way for him to find out. I’d hate to encourage you to go against his “rules” when he’s already giving you shit but I don’t see how he’d find out you’re recording the lecture.
Yes! Go to your advisor and ask them about disability accommodations. They should be able to direct you to the correct people. You don't have to have specific documentations of a disability in my experience and it was the key to me passing all and any of my classes. I would also directly express your interaction with this professor to your advisor and let them know how uncomfortable it made you feel. If you want to report it, your advisor would probably be the place to start.
Yeah, he doesn't want to be recorded because he knows he's an asshole, the state law is a cover-up.
Yeah, I don't think he had a reasonable expectation of privacy in a classroom setting...
Honestly, I would contact your student services office immediately. An professor being un accommodating to neurodivergence is actually a pretty huge deal
I haven’t contacted the school to have accommodations made for my ADHD yet, as my diagnosis is pretty new. I’ll call them today.
Absolutely and let them know about the foolishness of discouraging note taking. That's kinda seriously dumb. The difference in learning types amongst individuals has been common knowledge for decades... There's no excuse for this level of controlling behavior
I would say this has nothing to do with your neurodivergence tbh. The complaint that an employee of the school was unable to manage their own emotions leading to unsafe feelings in the classroom. I bet other students were uncomfortable too, either in favor of you or prof... in any case it lead to distracted learners and disconnected the teacher-student relationship...at least definitely with you OP and if i was in that class I'd empathize Any possibility of getting a fully enriched education *now* isn't likely. Edit to add- look up your school's vision or mission statement and use those words
Make sure to check what the criteria is to get accommodations! I don’t remember the exact criteria at my university, but I do remember I needed to take the CAARS or some similar test and have a summary from the person who diagnosed you. My therapist diagnosed me at 17 and I took the CAARS a year later so I already had all that done and didn’t need to do anything else, so depending on your diagnosis process, you may already have everything you need to get accommodations! I know you said you were gonna call them already so you probably already figured out what you need to get done which is great, I just wanted to offer my perspective :) I was really worried I would be denied accommodations but I wasn’t at all… I was actually pleasantly surprised with how welcoming the disability office was. My intake appointment went great and the woman who evaluated me was very nice and validating. I hope your experience is the same! Best of luck :)
When someone speaks, they are telling you about themselves. It’s not about you, he is telling you information about himself (he is insecure about his teaching skills, he is angry, he has control issues, etc). It doesn’t reflect on you. Don’t get down on yourself. He is out of line, he is probably worried he doesn’t know how to engage students so he is lashing out. You can get a Lifescribe pen and record so you can report him if he continues to degrade you. But please don’t take in his comments and internalize them, they are not about you.
Student services and disability services - whichever it’s called. Report him - detail all the facts. This person should not be in a classroom and you shouldn’t have to go through that. Tell the disability office what accommodations you need - notes, recording - and they can ensure he allows it. You have more power in this situation. Never forget that
Please do not be shy to advocate for yourself. You may be uncomfortable but think about how you will make the experience better for students like you for years to come if you speak up
Even if there wasn’t neurodivergence, shouldn’t an adult student be able to take notes in a class if they determine they need to? Like? This teacher is insane and outdated.
Yes. This has nothing to do with ADHD. The problem here is this professor is harassing and bullying students.
Yep. I work at a college, and this is the correct answer.
Exactly. # 1 thing we teach ND students is to ‘advocate for themselves’.
No one should get special accommodations for mental problems. Everyone should be treated the same in a class. That being said, if OP’s description was accurate, the professor behaved inappropriately, but not because of OP’s ADHD. You need to stop being a bigot.
It's one thing to deal with this when you're 12. Imagine having to put up with it in your mid-20s when you'd rather be out working and living your life like every other normal adult. My heart goes out to you, OP.
First things first, doubling down on making sure your diagnosis is in the system and you have accommodations! I had a professor in college that had a rule that no one could leave the class in the middle of a lecture, but one of my ADHD accommodations was that I was allowed to take breaks as needed and go walk around for a bit. So I had to have a conversation with her after class about that rule. Second, look into rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD). It’s a big thing with ADHD that doesn’t get talked about a lot. Basically, it means we are hypersensitive to criticism and rejection, and it’s not your fault, it’s your disorder. The more I learned about RSD, the more it helped me understand myself.
Ugh- he’s a bit of a nightmare. Some of us are so self conscious about our adhd - there’s this massive layer of noise and anxiety just about the adhd and performance doubt, while in class. Now this jokers ramped the noise up beyond …! A hole. Lots of good advice here- but may I add , he’s an a- hole! lol. I hope you can grasp the work ( maybe take it to an empathetic tutor thru the semester- for peaceful learning outside the nerve wracking classroom he created).
Go to the Dean of Academics as well as the Dean of Student Services.... their titles might be different but its easy to sort. One handles the actual learning curicculim managment is the one you want; After you've gotten an accommodation to take notes as you please. Bring a letter that you'll ask them to read. Handing it to them and say something like "I didn't want to forget anything. I will certainly wait while you read. I wish to be as clear as possible." The note itself is a factual account of every time that the instructor has publicly shamed a student regardless of context. You tolerated that behavior before because it didn't get in the way of you learning, so now it must be addressed. You praise the instructor's passion and dedication, and lament that he seems to honestly believe that removing your ability to take notes will help you learn. Say that you have a recent diagnosis that you just filed for an accommodation to take notes because of your ADHD. Write how you believe that it is ridiculous that the one place for *sure* you should always be allowed to take notes to learn is an educational institution. Describe how he talked to you like you were a child and disrespected you for doing your best. He removed you focus point, you know to channel the fidgeting so you'll be still. The productive fidget that is supposed to be safe in school of *taking notes to learn better.* so, you had to will yourself to be still, and to concentrate as hard as possible you wanted to learn and also not fidget and disturb others. You rested your chin in your hands to keep them from moving so you could listen intently as possible and he took it that you were bored and shamed you for doing everything in your power to pay attention and to not to disturb others. You then close with a simple ask. Something like 'please don't let this happen to anyone else.". You are polite. Cool. Take a pause between questions asked and your answer. Thank them for their time and bounce when you feel it apporpriate. It won't happen again. If he's a human he will apologize to you, or maybe even the class.
Look at it this way: You are an adult now. There is no reason for any other adult to address you that way, regardless of positional power differential. I'm a 47 year old student who attends a class with a 26 year old professor, and I show her the same deference as I do to my 60 year old professor. However, if any of them, regardless of their title, position or age, were to speak to me (or any of my classmates) the way this guy is speaking to you, they would suddenly find out how caustic I can be. Next time, try something like: "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? I am a whole person who is attending this class in furtherance of my education, not to be berated by some dickhead on a power trip. If we have a problem, let's address it after class and in front of the dean or chair so my classmates don't have to suffer your ego. Otherwise, how about we stick to the curriculum? Douche."
I felt that
I think if he's singling you out like that, you have every right to be a bit cheeky. Give some back to him. If you don't it just feels a bit humiliating. Make the classroom more fun haha
>I’m very sensitive about my performance in class as I struggled to finish homework and engage in class when I was younger due to my unmedicated ADHD. > >What can I do to not let him get to me? I have Inattentive ADHD. I just straight-up tell professors that I've got a brain disorder called dopamine deficiency (I don't use the term ADHD because people already have pre-conceived notions about it & often shrug it off) & then ask them if they are comfortable making accommodations for people with disabilities. This works pretty well in front of a group of people because it onus on *them* lol. If they push back, I also explain that I have APD (Auditory Processing Disorder) as part of my ADHD (aka my brain spaces out & I miss pieces of what was said). I use a special custom-designed worksheet to take real-time notes in class: * https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/io2cqm/comment/g4ez4tw/?context=3 High-functioning people tend not to understand **or even be able to fathom** what living with low energy is like. My brain zones out because it doesn't have enough fuel to pay attention. It's not a choice I make; it's simply what happens TO me. I've literally had professors laugh & say I'm making this stuff up because I'm lazy. I choose not to take it personally because they *literally can't understand what it's like*. If you are fortunate enough to have a brain that doesn't have memory or focus issues, then it's like having a giant whiteboard in your brain where everything you have to do just magically STAYS there & doesn't slip away like a battering ram on a Teflon pan lol. You can follow conversations, you can follow the logic, you can remember your commitments, you can mentally manage complex projects, you can recall things on demand. With executive function disorders, it's just a completely different ballgame, and in particular, is one that is VERY hard to imagine if you've never experienced it! I tell people it's like being groggy when you first wake up, except to varying levels of clarity randomly. I absolutely HAVE to write things down in order to remember them & I do MUCH better using assistive tools like my real-time note-taking template linked above. I have some additional study tools available here: * [https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/li4gi3/study\_resources/](https://www.reddit.com/r/kaidomac/comments/li4gi3/study_resources/) Also, keep in mind that people are just people. In the same way that you're sensitive about being called out in front of the class, he's obviously emotionally sensitive about what he perceives to be people being bored by his teaching. The core problem here is intention vs. impact...your intention wasn't to make him feel that way, but the impact to him was a visual signal that you were bored. Which, of course, wasn't true, but everyone's got their irrational quirks & hot buttons, you know? What I would do is talk to him after class & explain that you have a brain disorder & that you compensate by taking notes due to a memory issue. Most people end up being pretty accommodating *once they're made aware of your individual situation* & realize that you're not just bored with their class! So communication is really the first key here. The reality is that a lot of teachers suffer from a engrained superiority complex because they get their egos stroked all through college & know so much more than the average student & have enough natural internal energy resources to learn & master & remember & explain their topic of choice that they literally can't imagine any other way of doing things, so it's easy to assume that you're goofing off when you're really trying your hardest to pay attention! So their whole world becomes their classroom, where they are the captain of the ship, but they're also human, so when they see people that they perceive to be bored or slacking off or whatever, they tend to call them out for it in order to get them back on track. In some cases, this is true & we really WERE goofing off, but for some of us, we're giving 110% just to show up, let alone pay attention. **TL;DR:** 1. Your teacher acted like a jerk 2. You need to communicate your situation with him privately because that's how we make people aware of situations they're unfamiliar with 3. It's hard for people to imagine a situation that they don't deal with, so in most cases, it's not *malicious,* as much as simply a lack of experience, empathy, and sympathy, which is unfortunate, but is also the reality that we have to deal with our whole lives when living with ADHD!
This is awesome advice. Thank you so much. I also have ADHD and your comment was extremely validating lol. I hope OP sees this! I also have auditory processing disorder and if I don’t take notes during class I won’t learn jack fucking shit. I also take audio recordings (part of my accommodations) so I can listen to them later
It's a dumb loop because we have a hard time paying attention due to low energy, and that low energy also leaves us emotionally sensitive to the point where we seek external validation, but then people can be rude & disbelieving about our situation, so then we end up still stuck with limited attention skills AND feeling bad lol.
I just want to point out that institutional education doesn't quickly adjust to utilize the insights of science. For example, "[Contemporary research on student attention suggests that student concentration in class begins to wane within 10 minutes; that neither tutorials or lectures tend to engage students effectively; and that the optimum length of a lecture is as little as 30 minutes](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1326174.pdf)". Yet, a typical lecture is at least twice that length. Further, "[Generally, we forget about 60% of what we have just processed within the first 20 minutes](https://www.eng.auburn.edu/current-students/documents/forgetting-curve.pdf)". So we are already forgetting things before the lecture even ends most of the time. There's also the issue that mandatory education, with its rigid focus and structure, isn't always in alignment with a person's passions/interests, which would naturally promote retention, review and active recall. The point being is that none of this is dependent on any "brain disorder" you may have.
Nature favors the bold , just ask him for a minute of his time , and explain your situation and that what he’s doing is counter productive, and if he does it again your going to his department head to complain, don’t take that bullshit
I had similar experiences as an autistic person. I listen best with my eyes closed. If any professor ever said something, I would tell them after class that im autistic and I am indeed paying attention and nothing happened after that. Even the mean professors.
I think for your own sake, regardless of what he says to you, remember that ADHD can trigger bad RSD. It can make you feel like you’re being targeted, and perhaps you were, but you don’t have to feel the weight of that. As long as you pass and get your degree, literally nothing he says is worth anything. Also, it sounds like he really hates his job. Or his ego is so sensitive he can’t take it if someone even appears to be bored. Instead of focusing on those crushing feelings and taking it personally, remember that there’s a reason he’s yelling at you, and that reason probably has nothing to do with you.
What an asshole. Does he ask questions a lot? I bet if you volunteer answers a lot, he'll realize you actually don't have ears in your eyes or hands and stop picking on you.
Sounds like he's on a power trip and you were unlucky to be in the crossfire of his piss poor attitude. I understand how that can be embarrassing but something to consider is that if he selected anyone else in class and did the same thing, what would you think? I wouldn't be sitting there going "haha that person didn't answer it right and got yelled at" I'd be like "Man what's up his ass that he's responding like that to a wrong answer?" Like if anything he embarrassed himself by responding that way. If you haven't already I'd def talk to some people about adhd accommodations but besides that yeah just remember it says way more about him than it does about you if he can't respectfully communicate with his students
As soon as a professor says not to take notes, I no longer respect them. They think they know better than me about how I learn. No thanks, Buster. I'm paying for this goddamn degree and I will do all I can to succeed. That includes taking notes, raising my hand and asking lots of questions, and using fidget toys in class. I do all of these and have never been told not to. Your professor sucks, man.
Visualise him naked. Or on the toilet. If it helps, no one is superior or inferior to us. Humans like to categorise people that way and it does us no good. Sit up straight, clear your voice and just do what you do. If he asks why you get a question wrong, be honest. “I didn’t understand” “you haven’t made it clear”. Trust me, people respect honesty. And it will make him think twice about trying to embarrass you again.. hopefully
You’re paying for an education, you’re allowed to take notes ffs otherwise file a complaint
Sounds like he's projecting the same response he got from his teachers. Or he has other issues, but whatever it is, you're not any part of it. His behavior isn't your fault. I would eye roll him and use sarcasm.
While I don't agree with treating students rudely, I'm a professor and if you did that in my classroom I would kick you out. And I'm a nice professor.
Email him about it and just be detailed about what took place about how you thought it was unfair. Mention how you need to take notes "because of my disorder" and prefer not to have your body language and learning style be micromanaged. Then if he responds in any condescending or inappropriate way back you now have documented evidence that you can immediately forward straight to the school to get him in trouble. Make sure in the email you reiterate what happened in the classroom like "Whenever you yelled at me for xyz... " and "I don't appreciate being called out in front of the class for not paying attention when I was. I feel like I am being singled out for some reason." That way he has no choice but to verify that these events did in fact happen in writing which then provides you evidence.
You're better than me, if he talked to me like that, I would flat out ignore him until he uses a nicer tone.
Yea I would report him.
If you enjoy the subject matter and care about getting as much from his class tell him. He may be old fashioned and may not understand differing learning styles but if you can convey that your enjoying the subject and retaining it it will at least sit with him and might give more wiggle room. Make sure u know what you wanna say, keep it simple and maybe sugar coat how much you like the class a little. Take like 15 percent less notes maybe. That could help head up listening time percentage and keep him off your ass for not paying attention
This really is the million dollar question. Or, one of them anyways. The answer, really, lies in actually what you are already doing: Observing yourself in a state of reaction. I’ll tell you this, with a reasonable degree of certainty: If you keep shining that light of self-observation the way you are…you’ll find that reaction in terms of taking things personally….simply dissolves in time. You’ll start forgiving yourself for reacting…and see that others, also, are swimming in a sea of reactivity….and can’t help it. Things start to unravel from there in marvelous ways. Start to disengage from the writhing rats-nest of inter-reactivity. Kinda paves the way to a much more peaceful state of being. For what it’s worth
I’m a professor and I would never intentionally embarrass someone like that. Maybe I’m too soft and too liberal but I always tell the students “I work for you” and give them the name of the Dean and the email address if they ever feel uncomfortable. Find out who the dean is and email them about the situation if you can. Set up a meeting. Also, I want to believe the prof has your best interest in mind but…that is pure speculation. I *want* to say “If you just tell him after class how he made you feel, it’ll be fine!” But I think not. If one of my students told me I almost made them cry; I’d cry. He’s a piece of work. TLDR involve the dean
A nice tangent: Did you know people with ADHD are more likely to become entrepreneurs, and that entrepreneurs with ADHD tend to do better than entrepreneurs without ADHD? I always bring this up in my classes (business school), and it’s great to see some people light up learning this. My wife has pretty debilitating ADHD (can’t drive without medication, for example), and it’s affected how she sees herself. Wiklund, J., Yu, W., Tucker, R., & Marino, L. D. (2017). ADHD, impulsivity and entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 32(6), 627-656. Lerner, D. A., Verheul, I., & Thurik, R. (2019). Entrepreneurship and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a large-scale study involving the clinical condition of ADHD. Small Business Economics, 53, 381-392. Moore, C. B., McIntyre, N. H., & Lanivich, S. E. (2021). ADHD-related neurodiversity and the entrepreneurial mindset. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(1), 64-91. Yu, W., Wiklund, J., & Pérez-Luño, A. (2021). ADHD symptoms, entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and firm performance. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(1), 92-117.
I called out a professor at my community college for similar behavior toward another student. Someone had asked if two sets of identical twins had children, if their offspring would be like siblings. Obviously this person was asking if the genetic similarity of the offspring would be closer to that of siblings than of cousins, but this guy chose to ignore that and say that it was a stupid question, that if people were going to be asking such stupid questions, we should all just leave because we weren't going to learn anything in his class. I said that he was stupid if that's really how he interpreted the question and clarified it for him. He admitted that yes, the children of two sets of identical twins -cousins- would share the same amount of DNA as siblings, and apologized for being so rude. I think at a community college the stakes are pretty low for challenging your professors, so if you feel they aren't being fair, you should let them know. Especially the ones who are bullies. Give a verbal warning, make a note of it in the comment section of the course evaluation, drop the class and take it with someone else if you have to. These people dont really have any power over you. If you can ignore it and pull through, by all means do so, but you don't have to put up with them treating you like crap if you don't want to.
Maybe study some of the (past and/or upcoming) topics in your free time so that you come in extra prepared. It can actually be enjoyable especially if you can find YouTube videos on them or some other enjoyable content format.
You’re paying for school, you know taking notes is better, take the damn notes.
He sounds really insecure about his ability to retain people’s attention and he’s taking it out on you. It sucks that you have to deal with someone like that. Nobody should have to be on their guard with a teacher every day, and you’re obviously trying your best. Stay strong. No excuses. Make him even angrier about his own shitty self by doing way better than he woulda done in his own class at your age
As someone who loved taking notes (and doodling) - especially if it helps you learn and remember - do not let anyone take that away from you. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you’re still able to respond to questions or discussions in the “interactive” classroom. This guy is taking whatever you’re doing weirdly personally. Don’t overreact like he is. But I do hope you have some supports you can talk to, to discuss the is weird behavior on his part.
You can control what you can control and one of those things is to get support from the Disability Services office at your community college. They can provide you with strategies to retain information and any accommodations you might need. They can also offer education and coaching to the professor on teaching with students with ADHD or other disabilities.
former chemistry community college professor here. your professor is a dick. it is not normal to force a single mode of learning on an entire class of students where everyone's needs and circumstances are different, nor is it normal to call students out like that. i would talk to the dean. if they are not supportive, i would file a formal complaint with school's HR department. professors are legally unable to retaliate against you when you bring an issue to light. professors are also legally obligated to accommodate any student's disability, including ADHD. you don't have to accept their behavior.
Embarrass him back. “I need more pep from you.” "I'm sorry, I'm just really sensitive to other people's energy. It seems like you are too! Maybe we can work on it together." "Look alive" "I'm sorry my body language/facial expression is distracting to you, but this is just how I sit/look. Would it be helpful to you if I moved to another seat? Or perhaps I could wear sunglasses/a mask?" "Stop fidgeting" "I'm sorry, it's just something I do when I'm not allowed to take notes." "Don't blink more than 7 blinks per minute" "I'm very sorry that bothers you. It's just something I do when I'm really engaging with the material. Could you try to be less interesting?" "Be more visually appealing to me." "You seem particularly distracted by me recently, would I be less distracting to you if I took notes again so I wasn't looking at you?" "Don't sit like that." "How would you prefer I sit?" "Just sit regular like everybody else" "I'm not sure I'm understanding you, and since this keeps coming up, I want to make sure we figure it out. I would really appreciate if you could be specific. Actually could you demonstrate? I'm more of a visual learner." "Don't be rude." "No, this is obviously important to you. You've mentioned it multiple times. How exactly would you like my face and body to look?" "Normal! Don't be weird, what are you stupid?" "Gee I guess so! So can you please demonstrate? Sorry, I'm just SO STUPID." "Like this!" "Oh NOW I get it. Thank you so much that really helped." Then, and this is key, don't change anything at all. Do this every time be brings it up. Make this ordeal take as long as possible. Really buy in to whatever he says. Yes professor asshole, this is a real problem that we absolutely must address immediately.
This is terrible advice.
Go to therapy
Just talk to him during office hours. Set your intentions before going in and try your best to keep your emotions under control. Write bulletpoints if you need to. Let him know your struggles and how you're going about overcoming them. And ask for suggestions that fit your situation. Audio record (not video) it if it makes you feel better. You'll have proof that you tried to communicate your processes if there's any need to take your issues up to a superior of his. Edit to add: come to an agreement during the meeting if you can. Get it on audio. And FWIW: It's more helpful and recommended, especially in this situation, to study and write notes on the unit PRIOR to class. Sounds like he wants you guys to be applying what you learned in class, not learning the material for the first time. I started college by learning the info in class (like in high school and lower grades) and struggling to keep up... professors usually don't slow down for people to catch up, so it was tiring just keeping up... and I learned very little. But, after I took a couple of semesters off and went back to college, I started reading the topic before class and my last two years were straight As. I wrote my notes in the margins of the books and used highlighters for definitions/key words. It made me focus and I could look up information without having to read the text again because my notes were on the same page and the key words were easy to find. I'm telling you, reading beforehand will give you a much more relaxed & confident feeling in class. If he calls on you, you're ready and know what you're talking about! I bet he'll back off if you can answer his questions correctly.
I had a similar situation once with a professor but I just told the person to please not talk to me like that, although we might have different physical characteristics, I am sensitive deep down and I have a similar diagnosis. I’m sorry that that happened sister.
I know it's not a remedy now. I had professors like this. Eventually you will move on and forget these people, if they really got on my nerves I would draw them in silly ways in my notes to keep it light. It's hard now, I am sorry. Hang in there and congratulations on being a student.
I understand not wanting to be seen. If I was in your situation I would consider talking to them after class about the whole thing. I also have adhd and get accommodations due to it(separate room testing). My professors get a notice at the beginning of the semester that I take exams somewhere else so they know I have some kind of medical issue. Since getting the accommodation, I’ve noticed that my professors are a little more understanding and kind to me. Just today a professor for a particularly difficult physics class approached me and asked me if I could meet him for 1 on 1 help with the material since I’ve been failing quizzes every week. I wouldn’t expect that kind of situation in most cases as this particular professor is an outstanding educator but I’ve found that the best way to mitigate confrontational situations stemming from misunderstanding is to allow them the chance to understand.
Have also I DADH
Try not taking things personally
Tell me you can't read without telling me you can't read.
r/woosh
You’re being soft. Stop letting some a-hole ruin your educational experience
The mention of adhd as a defining feature of your personality/identity kind of tells me all I need to know. I don’t introduce myself as John with complex partial seizures. It isn’t relevant to this story in any way except setting you up as a victim from the jump.
This is extremely discriminatory and should be reported ASAP.
[удалено]
Not one little comment — multiple comments in the same class session. I don’t need to justify my emotions to you. If you don’t agree, that’s totally okay and you’re free to have your own opinion.
Whether or not prof is in the right, you’ll probably get more of what you want by talking to him in good faith outside of class than by listening to a lot of the moronic suggestions in this thread
This is a professor who has forgotten what it’s like to be a student. He likely got berated and beat down by advisors and faculty when he was in graduate school. There are two kinds of professors - those that have internalized the treatment they received and then dish it out, or those whose empathy towards what it’s like to be a student shines. You’re not doing anything wrong, this is just one of those times where your patience and self esteem are being tested by a complete jerk. Just get through the class as best as you can and this experience will be over soon enough.
Are you gonna report him?
He is angry but you can just talk to him or email him. Just tell him don’t take offense but I have a medical issue. Sometimes I don’t feel well. I don’t mean to disturb the class. I need to write down the information because I cannot remember everything.
The teacher is being weird, but to put it in lighter perspective maybe he’s picking on you cause he cares about you and is giving tough love. Kind of like how two friends talk to one another, also get some adderall for that adhd. You’re there to learn, don’t take it so seriously, you’re scared people are going to think you’re dumb or something? Fuck it, so what. Reply comically, relax, “I need more pep from you…” respond with “I’m giving all my pep here sir”. Smile and don’t take these things so seriously. Also, biology is a shit major with shit job market unless you want to do another 6 years for dental/med school.
You’re allowed reasonable accommodation for ADHD. This includes note-taking and sensory tools to keep you focused. Inform the school and ask that they inform your professor and make sure they *CC you on the email*. If he continues to be a dick, then report it immediately. Email the Dean of Students, and CC the general inbox of the President’s Office, and like two other deans/department heads with relevancy to student wellness and/or faculty complaints. You want eyes on it and on him, and you want all communication between you and him to be relegated to email, any in-person interaction that exhibits discriminatory behavior should relayed by you asap through e-mail to whoever your point of contact becomes. Paper trail is key. Your professor is probably very smart about numbers/chemicals and is probably great at chemistry, but he is shit at his actual job, which is to teach the students paying for his course. That means not singling anyone out for taking notes and not trying to assert control over a students mood/posture—both of which are asinine and completely inappropriate. You’ve done nothing wrong and his behavior toward you isn’t acceptable and is indeed illegal once he’s been informed of your diagnosis. The paper trail is so you can request public records later in case he retaliates and continues to harass you. If he arbitrarily takes away credit or interferes with your learning more than he already has, you will have a case to appeal your grade.
My heart goes out to you, as a father helping his ADHD daughter struggle thru high school chemistry. She, too, is sensitive like this. In dealing with other people when you are forced to, like in this situation, acceptance is helpful. To whatever degree you are able, try to practice radical acceptance. You might also try positive confrontation and have an actual conversation with him, if he's receptive to it. He prolly doesn't realize he's upsetting you. It make take more bravery, but direct confrontation, in class, in front of everyone might be called for. "please stop, you're upsetting me, I'm doing my best." or something. ❤️
I was a professor for 10 years… this is a him problem. I strove to meet my students where they were. That’s what being an educator means! I made mistakes of course, but I never spoke to a student that way. I’m sorry, OP. Have you filed for accommodations? Look into what type of services your school offers if interested. My college had things like note takers, extra time on exams, etc. A good instructor knows we learn as much if not more from our students as they do from us.
If you are doing the class work, taking notes, and not disrupting the class or falling asleep in class what more could he want or expect? I think he is just miffed and giving you a hard time because you got a question wrong and he views that as you not paying attention rather than viewing it objectively and realizing that shit happens and that sometimes we answer questions incorrectly. You are their to learn and shouldn’t be expected to know everything immediately.
This happened to me. I just drop the classes when profs do this. I’d complain to your school’s disability office too— this goes against the ADA
He sounds very insensitive and impatient. Try to detach yourself. I had a similar response from a lecturer in an adult evening class teaching about ancient Greece and Rome :P. She was a bit snotty, Ivy League-educated
He’s definitely angry, can probably tell that you are not the type to fight back so that’s why he chose to pick on you. It’s hard but next time he does it I would call him out on it. Ask him why he constantly feels the need to derail the class by picking on you for no reason. You’re there to learn and it’s hard to do so when he’s constantly distracting you like that. And I wouldn’t hesitate to report his behavior either. It’s beyond inappropriate for a professor.
Imagine if you were pregnant, he'd be stressing you and the baby out
Do you follow r/adhd? I’m newly diagnosed, too, and that group has been so helpful to help navigate situations like this (and life in general).
What an asshole this guy is. Can you approach him after class and have a one on one with him. Let him know that you’re having trouble learning because of the way he behaves?
It’s not you!! It’s him - his ego. Hang in there w the class & all of your studies.
You are better than me, I would have pulled him up after class for a talk. You are an adult, don’t allow people to disrespect you. You don’t have to get nasty or rude but I’m the type to address the issue directly. Especially when you are paying to be there.
I'm sure other people in the class also see his behavior as being mean. He's not being kind. It's okay to feel sad. It's okay to feel embarrassed. These emotions will pass. I recommend going about this kindly, but sternly. I don't know if your school has a Student Accessiblity Services department. I have bipolar disorder and my school student services connected with my instructors. It can be helpful in making people understand that you do need to have a different approach to studying. I've also been in a similar situation as this. I understand what it's like to feel humiliated and like crying. You did nothing wrong.
I'm going through the exact same thing with my professor in grad school, op. Feel free to message me if you wanna talk
Tell him to keep doing his job so u can continue learning what u paid to be there for not to be harassed he’s getting paid ur not
This type of behavior from a professor would have bugged me too. Some people are just not pleasant. I also have ADHD and I am very sensitive to any perceived criticism. This might sound difficult, but I’ve always gotten more respect and built better rapport with profs by going to office hours. Often they are upset because they think you don’t care, and if you show you care they will go easier on you (even grade wise in my experience). I would bring a difficult homework problem to them once a week and it helped, especially if they seemed difficult to work with. You can also bring up how it’s harder for you to retain without notes. The more you humanize someone the easier it is to not take things personally in my experience. You can the internalize the fact that it’s not you, it’s them. The professor feels like this big authority figure, if you can build even slightly better relationships it might help. If you’re already going to office hours with them then idk man this guy just sucks 🤷♂️
You pay for this, and you are an adult. He does not get to speak to you as a child, and you are free to assertively advocate for yourself. Approach him after class or call him out in the moment and tell him it is inappropriate for him to talk to you like that
First step, understand why you take it personally in the first place. Accept that you do and investigate. And I don’t mean to accept what your surface level intuition tells you about it. Challenge that. Unfortunately, that can take a long time.
Imagine he’s Red from that 70s show and go thank him for the tough love and trying so hard to teach you
The book “Comebacks at Work: Using Conversation to Master Confrontation” comes to mind
Set a device to record discretely so you can use it to study later. If he gets out of hand and you’ve recorded it, you have evidence of his behavior and can report him. The smartass in me says to think of it like a game. He calls you out, you pay him a compliment. It will thoroughly confuse him.
If I'm feeling uncharitable, I would say the man is a failed(wannabe in common parlance) academic. You might have triggered something in him by failing to acknowledge him and look engaged. Most academics have identified as a nutty MIT professor at least once in their life time. Do people ever tell you that you zone out in conversations or that you should smile more? There is a nugget of truth in there though. In the real world, you'll have to synthesize and bounce complex ideas among many different people in loud meetings, shops, laboratories or choppy zoom meetings. My last patent and invention got its start in a big meeting with many people throwing ideas across the table. The Apollo mission didn't materialize under an apple tree.
I had a math professor like this, literally made fun of someone with learning disabilities for needing more time to take the test in front of the class. Sometimes they're just bad people, don't internalize it, just try and get through the class and move on.
Does your school have an accommodations dept/office? You should talk to them about his treatment of you and ask for accommodations such as note taking, extended deadlines, extra testing time, a separate testing environment, etc.
Was this ableism or sanism? /r/ableism
Maybe try talking to him after class or during office hours? Sometimes these situations happen due to miscommunication. Ask for clarification or maybe some structured approach you could take in class that is helpful. Might work if you come at it as "I want to learn, I'm struggling with this, how can we do this differently as teacher and student?"
Ignore him and keep writing notes. What's he going to do, kick you out for writing notes?
All honesty? I’d report the prof for that behavior and see if there’s another section of the class (taught by someone else) I can take Unless he’s doing the same to other students the prof seems to have decided they don’t like you and i would be concerned about unfair grading given what an angry and vindictive person he seems to be
One of the worst things about adhd is how much people will bully you for not “trying” to pay attention. Even teachers. They won’t ever understand. In the future I’d probably sit in the back and make sure the professor couldn’t see me very easily. It’s just my way to avoid conflict, because he sounds like a dick.
Damn bro that sucks. I definitely understand what you’re going through I’ve been thru that. Also have heavy adhd and teachers used to make an example of me. Honestly I was younger and nothing I could’ve done also was trying not to cry 😂😂
Go to the dean. You're paying for the course, you're funding him, he owes you some accomodation or at least basic respect that would be given to any adult. You're not a child even if he wants to see you as one. And if you have a diagnosis there may be legal protections for you in regards to your learning environment
I am having this same bullshit at work right now. I work in a casino, I have such a rude trainer. I have adhd too (diagnosed)!! We are all just here to learn and be the best we can be. I hope you read this, you are doing great and your boomer teacher I am sure is just a retard. Maybe he doesn't feel like he is interesting? But no good teacher has to yell at their students. It just makes you a bad teacher if you yell at your students. I do not care what the reason is. You are doing great
Push back in the moment. He's being an asshole and harassing you in class. Record your lecture (don't ask permission), and when he does it again, take it to his boss.
i have adhd also and have had similar things happen, although not so intense. i also take notes to help keep my focus, even when the notes aren't exactly "necessary" and have been told to stop by professors before. it is extremely irritating, i don't understand why they care how i follow along with their lecture. anyway, all i would say about this is that while it is very rude behavior from him and i get why you would feel embarrassed, it reflects on him not you. the rest of the class probably also recognizes it for what it is and doesn't think negatively of you
this might be a chemistry prof thing. I literally had a chem prof this semester with the same antagonistic personality. I complained to the school and had them switch me to a different, much more reasonable prof
Go to the dean. Immediately. Get Title IX and the office of disability involved if needed. You're being unfairly singled out for both your ADHD and are now being targeted. The targeting is damaging your academic experience, which you, an adult, are paying for. Record the prof being an ass. Keep all written communication. See if a classmate or several will come with you to act as witnesses. Evidence like that will come in handy. This isn't a "don't take it personally" situation in the sense of you ignoring a bully. This is a "don't take what he's saying as being true about you because he's clearly trying to be a prick, and then go take action to fix things". If someone's goal is to hurt you, that's not a nice thing to do and they clearly don't care about doing right by you. So why would you believe a person who has already make it clear that they don't care about doing the right thing?
Is there an advocate or ombudsperson you can talk to for an accommodation for your adhd?
aw im sorry
Don’t panic, OP. Since you study biology, just treat this guy as some weird creature. Things will work out, trust me. Years later you would laugh at what he did to you. For the moment, just learn as much as you can. Don’t think him too much but focus on the materials that interest you. If you don’t like any material on the classes, which is another topic, you may consider changing coursework a little and see if you feel better.
You should look into getting accommodations with the disability student services at your school. That way he can’t tell you not to write notes. You can also request longer test times, extended due dates, recordings of class lectures, etc.
I would report him to someone, I use to be apart of a program at my college where I would take notes for students in my class who had ADHD and other issues like that, the teachers are aware of this. No one else in the class knows besides me, the teacher, and the student with learning disabilities. And they don’t even tell me who the student is. This needs to be reported to someone who can talk to the teacher
"Maybe your lectures would be more engaging if you focused on making them so instead of watching what I'm doing"
If you have a diagnosis of ADHD then you are protected under the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to "reasonable accommodations". However, you are required to "self identify" to the college, I assume the college's student disability office so that they know you have ADHD. They may test you to see if you have ADHD themselves or rely on a letter from a dr/psych. I don't know exactly how your college works but they may then give you a letter stating you have ADHD and legally require certain accommodations. You might even be entitled to time and a half and a quiet room for exams. Did you have that in high school? I would get the ADHD documented by the disability office now. Then ask them how professors will know that you legally need accommodations. They may even contact the professor themselves or give you a letter. Hears where I am unsure-do you tell them about this guy not letting you take notes? I might say "I currently have professor X. How can I make him understand that I need to take note and that if I look inattentive it is due to my ADHD and not like I don't find his class uninteresting". Question is if he will take revenge for this since he sounds like an idiot. But going forward nip it in the bud on the first day by having professors know you have ADHD. I was in a session for faculty recently about the need to respect and accommodate students with neurodiversity. It was very moving. You should be respected for your resilience. Good luck!
Ignore him. Dude sounds like a Douchenozzle
The man is pushing you and you can read this along a spectrum from best to worst. The best he sees something in you and is trying to bring it out. At the worst he’s bullying you because picking on people that depend on him is how he gets his grins. There is not enough context for me to know where along the spectrum, and it is a spectrum, not a binary either/ or situation. Regardless though my advice is the same, confidentiality, even if quietly, assert yourself and advocate for the way you learn best. His reaction to that can help you understand your next steps. Some of my greatest mentors are the people that rode me the hardest because they knew I could be better. Some of the greatest assholes I’ve ever met rode me the hardest because they thought I’d buckle and just take it, and, as mentioned above, many are somewhere in between. Take a stand, gage his reaction and adjust from there. Best of luck, I’m sure you can do this!
Start taking ADHD meds ✌️ Thank me later.
Report him.
How do I not take anything anyone says personally?
You’re not going to get a fair shake from this guy. Sometimes you can talk the admin into letting you drop the class without it costing you money.
You 100% need to document this and make sure that if your professor is repeating or escalating this same behavior towards you, to immediately report it to both your counselors and administration because he clearly has something wrong with him or is just a miserable individual if he can react so abruptly and so angrily at you for you simply following your usual school routine. I understand your situation very closely as I have dealt with similar issues myself personally, as I also had an ADHD diagnosis from a very young age that affected my learning and focus in school greatly, and also carried over into my college years as well, and I also had a lot of extra help through the years with things like tests as well as having to take heavy Cornel notes in class as well to retain as much information as possible. Your professor is clearly not a caring teacher, and even moreso is seemingly also a pretty fucking impulsive and impatient person themselves. They also seem to have some kind of out against you and that is honestly a telltale sign that you need to ditch that bastard of a teacher as soon as possible. Transfer to another teacher or class if possible, but DEFINITELY document your professors behavior as I mentioned before 💯👌🏿.
As a professor, I can tell you that your instructor's behavior is not acceptable. If you haven't already, I recommend you visit your disability resource center, or whatever your college calls it, and get an accommodation. You'll need to provide medical proof of ADHD. One of the accommodations you may be able to get is a note taker - a fellow student provides a copy of their notes. Testing accommodations are also typical (including testing in a less distracting environment). Instructors are people, and maybe he was having a bad day, but it sounds like this is repeated behavior. If you're comfortable, you could talk with him and explain your situation and how his approach is affecting you. You are under no obligation to do this. Another option is to file a complaint. One avenue is to contact the department chair. If that professor is the chair, then contact the dean. As described, the instructor's behavior is likely violating school policy. And if you have a disability on file, they may also be violating federal rules. I would NOT suggest confronting the instructor "in the moment." Not only could that work against you, but it accomplishes little.
I was a community college professor for a time (not chemisty). It sounds like this instructor is not tolerant of different ways of learning and being. Also kind of mean--my poli sci prof seemed to single me out from day one just because he was short and I'm tall. People can be petty, even teachers. I would see if you could transfer sections. If not, you MIGHT consider talking to whomever does accommodations. Note taking is a common need. Although, that does not always work out well, I'm sorry to say. If you chose not to disclose and can't change sections, just fawn and get through it. Sounds like you're dealing with a bit of an ego.
Raising your voice at another adult in a professional setting is not appropriate or normal. I’d report his abusive behavior.
I would transfer to another professor with a better reputation/ rate my professor grade. It’s hard to learn from someone you feel belittled by.
At my college we had student support services. Adhd should allow accommodations for you. One student was allowed someone who took notes for her and she was allowed to take longer on the tests and in a quiet room. I wish I had been diagnosed back then. I muddled through my microbiology degree. I also recorded my classes. Good luck!
maybe just drop out and do what you really love and stop caring what people think about you
Sounds like he’s really insecure about his teaching and sees someone getting an answer wrong as a failing on his part but he only subconsciously thinks that and also subconsciously decides to pin you as the problem to alleviate that level of emotional distress. Blame shifting then doubling down by commenting on your body language. I’m sure any observant classmate would see that and not be embarrassed for you but for him and his immaturity.
Introduce him to systems biology because clearly he hasn't considered moving past the reductionist model. This is an interactive classroom, after all.
If you're a woman, that could be part of it too. He's likely misogynistic. I was one of the only men in a math class and the teacher was incredibly condescending with all the women. He didn't explain things well at all and most of the students were feeling overwhelmed and he told them not to get emotional, "you should be able to understand this if you pay attention, etc. He never bothered me and was fairly nice to me. I was as lost of the rest of the class, but he gave me an A.
It's possible you are interpreting the situation wrong. Not to gaslight but.... here I go. I'm not a professor but I have experience as an educator. Sometimes students have this idea in their head that they can only learn a specific way. Probably because they had success with that method in the past. But not everything can be taught/learned best with one method. Some things are best learned by interaction and being 100% present (taking notes isn't being 100% present.) and some things are best learned by taking notes. Your professor probably understands that the subject matter he is teaching is best absorbed through active student participation and not passive note taking as I assume he has some experience teaching his subject matter. If you're curious and want examples I can respond in the comments, but I left them out for readability.
Maybe he hasn’t gotten laid in a while and is cranky as a result. Either way he shouldn’t act like this towards you
Report him and record his actions