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“ADHD is just an excuse.”
“She’s putting it on.”
“They’re just choosing to be naughty.”
I wish I could tell you these were comments I heard 25 years ago when I first started teaching. But the truth is, I still hear them. All the time. In schools and colleges, both in classrooms and staff rooms, understanding and tolerance vary widely. And not just toward pupils. Teachers, too, often bear the weight of misunderstanding. Teaching is a profession under immense pressure. I honestly can’t think of another job where, after years of training, you’re expected to spend your entire career proving you’re qualified to do it. That pressure shouldn't fall on the children being taught, but inevitably it does. Kindness is in short supply in many schools. Everyone suffers because of it.
Let’s rewind to 620 BC. Aesop told the fable of The North Wind and the Sun. In it, the wind and the sun argue about who is stronger. They decide to settle it by seeing who can get a man to remove his coat.
The North Wind blows and blows, fierce and relentless, but the man only pulls his coat tighter.
Then the Sun takes its turn. It shines gently, growing steadily warmer, until the man removes his coat on his own. The lesson? Gentleness and kind persuasion achieve what force and pressure never can. And in today’s classrooms, that lesson has never been more relevant.
If you’re ready to shift from force to understanding, whether you're a parent, teacher, or school leader -
can help. I offer coaching, academic mentoring, and training that supports neurodivergent students with compassion and practical strategies that work. Let’s bring more kindness into education, one conversation at a time. You can also purchase my study on undiagnosed girls in the classroom for £2.99 here.
“She’s putting it on.”
“They’re just choosing to be naughty.”
I wish I could tell you these were comments I heard 25 years ago when I first started teaching. But the truth is, I still hear them. All the time. In schools and colleges, both in classrooms and staff rooms, understanding and tolerance vary widely. And not just toward pupils. Teachers, too, often bear the weight of misunderstanding. Teaching is a profession under immense pressure. I honestly can’t think of another job where, after years of training, you’re expected to spend your entire career proving you’re qualified to do it. That pressure shouldn't fall on the children being taught, but inevitably it does. Kindness is in short supply in many schools. Everyone suffers because of it.
Let’s rewind to 620 BC. Aesop told the fable of The North Wind and the Sun. In it, the wind and the sun argue about who is stronger. They decide to settle it by seeing who can get a man to remove his coat.
The North Wind blows and blows, fierce and relentless, but the man only pulls his coat tighter.
Then the Sun takes its turn. It shines gently, growing steadily warmer, until the man removes his coat on his own. The lesson? Gentleness and kind persuasion achieve what force and pressure never can. And in today’s classrooms, that lesson has never been more relevant.
If you’re ready to shift from force to understanding, whether you're a parent, teacher, or school leader -
can help. I offer coaching, academic mentoring, and training that supports neurodivergent students with compassion and practical strategies that work. Let’s bring more kindness into education, one conversation at a time. You can also purchase my study on undiagnosed girls in the classroom for £2.99 here.
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