I've always had serious problems to socialize, when I meet new people I feel like trapped inside my body without able to mutter a single word, if I'm talked to I will at most respond awkwardly. Once I know people better I can talk more fluently and almost without problems.
Recently I was diagnosed with Asperger after some tests and sessions, before that I had been diagnosed by another doctor but I didn't want to believe it. Before that another doctor suspected it.
So anyway, I'm 22 years old and I'm two years and a half in college studying to be an english teacher, I live in a south american country, spanish is the main language here and the only one most people know. I learned English almost completely by immersion, watching shit in english, playing vidya, anime with english subtitles, etc so after failing Law school and because I suck at anything with numbers I decided to go for teaching the only skill I have.
The thing is, no matter how much you dominate your teaching subject, teaching is still a social job and thus it seems almost impossible for someone with my problems with people which seem to originate in my asperger. Should I pull out of this career? It's too late for me to go for yet another career, if I pull out of this I won't study anything else, I'll just look for a low wage job which would be like a little over 300 dollars a month here and is not even half of what's needed to live decently.
I once found a one week gig as a substitute teacher in a public school (in my country this ones have the worst of the youth) and I turned it down because I was afraid once I stepped in the class I wouldn't be able to say a word, crumble and simply lose the respect of the class or worse just leave right there.
Can someone overcome this? Can someone with asperger be a teacher?
Why don't you find out? I mean, I don't know how it is in your country, but here, prospective teachers are usually taken on as aides at first, with a more seasoned teacher there in case shit goes south. It'd give you an answer, and they'd make sure it wasn't a complete disaster.
Yes, especially if you're teaching physics or some other science class. It's not a big deal honestly.
Judging from the level of social interaction involved in the classes I've taken on all levels of education...
You'll be fine. No one expects you to actually get into the thing. You regurgitate some knowledge, give assignments, and you're done with it.
I've had a couple teachers in high school who I'm pretty sure were autistic, they were fucking phenomenal. Pretty sure being a sperglord helped them because they were so damn passionate about their given subjects and were great at putting emotion aside to assess students fairly and rationally. Having autism doesn't mean you can't socialize, it just impedes conventional socialization. Are you the type who lights up like a Christmas tree when you find yourself talking about a subject you're passionate about? Because teaching is basically that for five hours a day. Take any and every opportunity to try teaching to get over initial awkwardness as fast as you can and I assure you as long as you tell yourself that you're gonna do good you damn well will.
>I'm pretty sure I might be somewhat autistic and I'm studying education, constantly get praised for my classroom control and subject mastery just to mutter "you too" in return
English teacher here, and also south american, so I know how our school system works.
Maaaan, the first time I entered a class room I almost threw up before, during and after. I was nervous as fuck and I don't really have issues, just some higher level of anxiety. This continued for, like, the first 2 weeks of work. Now, flash forward 3 years, I walk through the school and classes like I own the shit.
My point is, the first few steps of being a teacher are hard as fuck. You might want to give point at any point, and to power through is the only way to know if you're suitable for it, or not. Try to work for a 6 month period, at least. I now the fear is gigantic, but try to face it. The kids my be terrible, but they won't throw shit at you (hopefully).
You can ask me some more if you want to.
>>17293969
>>17293985
>>17294003
But what do I do when I'm in front of one class? Like one I'm gonna teach for the first time? How will I utter the first couple of words that will get the ball rolling? When I said I feel trapped inside my body when I first meet with someone I mean it, I am trapped inside without being able to say a word and I am afraid that's what will happen when I'm in front of a classroom specially since I feel doubly awkward in front of young people due to heavy bullying I recieved (probably rightly so, being a sperglord doesn't really excuse from how annoying I was at times in elementary and first years of high school) .
Also I picked up this career as a last resort, I'm not really passionate about english as in, studying the grammar and stuff but I do like it and like writing and speaking in english more than in spanish, it probably has to do with my huge irrational boner for the glorious US of A.
Out of curiosity, how is my english? I'm really curious sometimes, sometimes I make shitty mistakes without realizing it.
>>17294033
We are obligated to do unpaid practices, I think around a couple of hundred hours or 6 to 8 months or something like that, it's shitty but I guess it'd be a way to find out.
>>17294033
What country? You worked with teenagers or kids? Or both? how fucked up are the teens? Like here we have serious problems with H (really shitty made heroin) and it's reaching the hands of a lot of public high chools, other shit like gangs stuff is a problem or simply "ñengosos" reggaeton loving fucks who by default will act like douches to the teachers.
Private high schools have less criminal-like problems but still douches can be found.
>>17294069
>sometimes, sometimes
Yeah, shitty mistakes like this one, although this would be retarded in any language.
>>17294069
Brazil. I would say the equivalent of middle school in America, so from kids to teens. I work in public schools, so I encountered everything you said, from drug dealers to drug users, people from rich families to the most absolutely broken families you can imagine. The douches here would be defined by "funk carioca" though, lmao.
The thing is, we're still kinda connected to them by age (I'm 25), we know what they like and it's appealing to them, and you got to use it to your advantage.
Like, it's easy for us to get closer to them than your average 40-year-old teacher.
Also, it helps if you speak openly about these subjects, just be careful, 'cause once they start talking about it, you're gonna hear everything and see how broken our society really is.
>>17294069
I started my shit unpaid as well, but I got a few projects around my uni that got me paid. It wasn't much, but I was at least getting money and experience together.
>>17293923
My Senior English teacher was like no doubt in my mind an autistic and he was the best teacher I've ever had
>>17294098
I don't know if I would be able to be as dynamic as a normal person and talk casually.
I'm still scared, I don't know if I can talk in public, in front of a classroom of thirty something students.
Thanks everyone though, I'm feeling a little less worried, even though you managed to be wrong and I can't teach, end up going through the next 3 years of career in vain and eventually an hero, at least tonight I'll be able to sleep.
>>17294107
What country are you from and what do you teach?
>>17294248
Just so I don't leaving you hanging, it's the same dude from Brazil, just saw your second question after I posted.
You will be fine OP, I believe in you.
>>17293923
>Just on page 6
Welp, I thought it'd be pruned by now. Does late night /adv/ have some sperglords or teachers or both around? I'd be cool with one or two more opinions.
I've got Aspergers and people always tell me I'd make a great teacher. Don't let a label limit you. People have behavioral patterns that they naturally gravitate to, yes, but you're not limited to those. With effort, you can work past your deficits.
Yes, you can be a teacher, or whatever the fuck else you want to be.
>>17294843
Well I'd rather work into programming or something where I don't have to talk in front of people and if I can be close tona computer to shitpost even better but I really can't into numbers. I like english though so it's fine.
In tests I took just a month ago I got an IQ of 143 according to my psychologist but have serious deficit with numbers, abstract intelligence and I process knowledge a little slower. I ranked high mostly in verbal.
How do you work through your deficits? Any social problem or attention deficit?
>>17294877
>How do you work through your deficits?
Blind overconfidence in my talents and experience. It's hard to have any issues with confidence or with worrying about your social whatever when everybody knows you're hot shit, even if they think you're weird. That, and my dad got me into theater and had me do speech and debate when I was younger, in addition to me being in a bunch of spelling bees, so I got used to being onstage and learned the ability to improvise my way through a conversation or a social "scene."
My biggest issues are all sensory ones, and I've developed a lot of strategies to cope with those, but that doesn't seem to be your primary issue.
>Any social problem or attention deficit?
My attention is the primary deficit between the two of those. They actually tried to put me on ritalin when I was a kid. I get around that by getting into the "zone" and carrying a set of small notebooks with me all the time.
>>17294889
The attention deficit is my second biggest problem, even watching anime is an issue and I can't study for shit unless I'm pressured. I hate it, I've considered ritalin but I heard you have to limit a lot your diet when you're on that and I reallu love coffee among other shit.
>>17294924
I've seen ritalin destroy souls. Fuck that. Behavioral therapy and a strong dose of harden-the-fuck-up-and-force-yourself-to-focus.
>>17293923
Asperger's is a handicap, not a death sentence. It does NOT mean that you CAN'T do certain things, just that you find it more difficult to do them than most people.
Handicaps and difficulties can be overcome. You may never be comfortable and at ease interacting with others, but you can force yourself to do it to the point of getting better at it, just through hard work and determination.
Asperger's means that you will always do consciously and with some effort what others can do naturally and without having to think about it. That's hard work, but far from impossible.
Meanwhile, the way you learned English is probably not the way you will teach it. Teaching it involves rules and exercises and memorization, all things you should be comfortable working with and teaching to others.
