this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2024
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Neurodivergence

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All things neurodivergent and relating to the broader neurodivergent community (and communities).

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[alt text: a 4-panel comic by @introvertdoodles, which is titled "Not 'Appropriate'". The first panel depicts a child wearing a very creative and unique outfit, and their parent is pointing at them and saying, "You can't wear that to church." The child is replying, "Why? All my bits are covered." In the second panel, the same child and a grandparent are eating dinner at a dining room table, and the grandparent is saying, "You aren't excused until you eat everything on your plate." The child is replying, "Why? I'm full." In the third panel, the same child is holding a stuff animal, and a different parent is telling them, "You're too old to be carrying that toy around." The child is replying, "Why? The tag just says 'ages 3 plus.'" In the fourth and final panel, the same child is sitting across from a school principal in the principal's office. The principal is saying, "You can't argue with the teacher." The child is replying, "Why? He was wrong."]

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago (12 children)

Never met a student who was actually smarter than their teachers. I sure have met a lot who thought they were though.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I grew up in a rural Utah town. Here are things I attempted to correct my teachers on while in elementary school with the result of them telling me if I continued to disagree with them I’d be sent to the principals office:

  • Evolution does in fact exist and “monkeys aren’t turning into humans today” because that’s not how evolution works.
  • There are different methods for multiplying numbers (lattice)
  • The amount of protons in an atom is equal to the number of electrons not neutrons. Yes for lighter elements they can be the same but isotopes are a thing (yes this actually happened and the next day we watched a bill nye that said exactly what I was saying. Of course bringing up the fact I was right and she was wrong was not a wise course of action.)
  • If the earth was a few feet closer to the sun we would not die. The earth actually is closer and further throughout the year on the scale of a few million miles. (Asserting that this was also not proof of god’s existence was similarly not a wise thing for elementary me to do)
  • “Foot zoning” has been debunked and you should tell people to see a real doctor when they feel sick
  • Those white homeopathic medicine pills don’t do anything
  • If we know how disease spreads and it’s due to human action/choices then it’s not gods punishment because he couldn’t control the spread unless he controls those people.

I’m sure there were more seeing as I frequently had to “pull a card” in nearly every class and most times had no idea why what I said was wrong. There were definitely some on global warming but I don’t remember the specifics.

Anyway, it is almost certain that I would argue some things that were wrong, after all, I was like < 12yo and surrounded by people who would constantly tell me the encyclopedias I read were wrong (I didn’t like chapter books and encyclopedias had pictures) but even then, there still definitely were things I was and still am right about.

And it probably would have been better for my mental health growing up if I hadn’t thought “wow if all these adults believe this thing then it must be true and I must just be an idiot” No past me, you were right, they were wrong. Essential oils are bullshit and definitely don’t cure cancer, animals do feel pain and deserve to be treated with respect, and yes the cult you were raised in makes no sense whatsoever. Basically the entirety of your hometown, and most of your family members are just delusional. You’re not wrong and they don’t just not believe you because you’re a kid, they just don’t believe in evidence, and there’s no evidence one can use to convince people who don’t believe in evidence.

Edit: to clarify, this was a legitimate public elementary school not some weird religious institution. Its just the typical education found in small Mormon towns in Utah.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago

I was smarter than my teachers regularly; looking back, some were impressed and wanted me to do well and some were threatened....guess which I remember as the good teachers.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 month ago

Someone I know failed an algebra exam for using calculus to get the vertex of a parabola. It'd be one thing if the reason was that it wasn't a method that was taught yet, but the teacher straight up didn't know any calculus and failed them by saying it was nonsense.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago

I wasn't smarter than all my teachers, but there were a select few that were very much not the sharpest rocks on the tree.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Had an argument with a teacher in primary school that a piece of paper itself is a 3D object, whilst the drawings on it are 2D. I pointed to a ream of paper across the room and enquired how it could be that thick if the pieces were 2D. She gave me lunchtime detention.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

A teacher gave us the definition of biotechnology in primary school, something like "using living organisms to make products or services".

I asked if ploughing a field with a horse-drawn plough is biotechnology and was told off for having a piss. It was a genuine question and I still don't know.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

there is for sure a lot of snarky students who believe they are too clever, but it does happen. There are tons of awful teachers out there. I had a science teacher who refused to acknowledge that heat and temperature were no the same

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

It happens in religious schools regularly.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

I don't know, my literature teacher couldn't stop bashing on how great Emmanuel Macron was. While the rest of the class was rightfully convinced that he is a wannabe dictator.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

This isn't about smarter, this is about teachers not communicating effectively with their AuDHD kids who think a completely different conversation is going on. By framing it as who's smarter, you're misunderstanding why the AuDHD kid is disoriented in the situation that's going on

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

In college a few years ago I had a instructor who believed arthritis was made up in a person's head.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

@Megaman_EXE I wonder how the instructor would react if told they are a figment of your imagination. 😂
@Lyre

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

@Lyre it could depend on the subject matter and material

I'm certain that my math skills were stronger than my math teacher in 7th grade given that she put me in detention for "questioning authority" when asking a valid question pertaining to the subject...

I somehow also remember that I was called dumb by the school superintendent and local special education organization by calling the figure made by putting the thumb and forefinger together a hexagon (count the sides)
@theangriestbird