Coping with ADHD by Cheyenne

Coping with ADHD by Cheyenne - June 2019 Scholarship Essay

There have been many teachers I’ve found that were stellar and beyond. However, above all the others by far, Mrs. Kukahiko, my fifth grade teacher, had the most influence. As a child with ADHD I always did my best in school, but it was still difficult to deal with. My fifth grade teacher did her very best to have a curriculum that helped all of her students. She taught us how to study effectively, how to use mnemonic devices and songs to memorize, and how to have fun while learning about an otherwise dull subject.
My attention span as an ADHD being is especially short and Mrs. Kukahiko taught us how to maximize our study time. She first had us take breaks between particularly arduous or tedious things to learn about (e.g. math, science, etc.). We’d play a quick game or stand up and walk around the room. She would also have us do a quick five minute run in the morning to help get our brains awake and ready to go. I didn’t realize how much one’s ability to focus and study could be affected by physical exercise and habit. My ADHD was significantly more manageable after I started giving myself more breaks and particularly stimulating breaks. This increased the benefits of my studying for tests and helped me to perform better on my homework as I was able to focus for longer and more sustained periods of time.
Ever since I was first in school, memorization has been one of my most difficult tasks. Things flew out of my head the minute something more interesting came about. However, Mrs. Kukahiko taught us how to use mnemonic devices and songs to help things stick better. She’d use little pictures to help us remember things, such as the fact that the states, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana are the states that look like a chef. And to help remember where Kentucky was, she pointed out that it looked like Kentucky fried chicken in the frying pan of the chef which was Tennessee. Ever since then, memorization has become one of my least feared tasks in my education and studying has become much smoother.
Last but not least, she taught me that creativity could enhance learning. One of the most enjoyable examples was probably the time she made us apply what we’d learned about angles and polygons to create a zoo enclosure based on how much space every animal needed in the guidelines. Creativity was something she praised and wholeheartedly encouraged. I have found that adding a splash of creativity to most projects not only helps pique my interest but helps me learn the subject matter more effectively and it stays with me longer.
Mrs. Kukahiko taught me how taught me how to use my creativity and tendencies to my advantage as someone with ADHD so I could be more successful in a school environment, could enjoy learning and feel confident in my abilities. I will be forever grateful for how it helped me grow. It impacted my education so that I study better, remember the material longer, and overall enjoy school more due to the important lessons I learned about how to help myself to learn in a more successful and efficient manner. I have been able to excel in honors classes, AP classes, and concurrent enrollment classes with courage, confidence, and enthusiasm. As a result, I have developed a love for learning and become a student of life.