Early “Performance Reviews” for the Young ADD Executive
In the mid-80s when I was in high school (a decade before my attention deficit disorder diagnosis), there were already clear signs that I would be a frustrated adult — full of talent, and fully challenged at putting those talents to use.
See if these teacher comments sound familiar:
Calculus: Phil is an enthusiastic member of this class. He participates freely in class discussion and has many good ideas. It is enjoyable to have him in class but also a frustration. For although he seems to understand new concepts when presented, he doesn’t appear to spend time studying so that these ideas and skills… become part of his general knowledge. Until he can discipline himself to do the hard work involved in the education process, he will not be recognized as the talented special person he wants to be. There will be times in Phil’s life when this will have a lasting impact on what he can achieve. [Emphasis added]
British Literature: Phil’s work is always imaginative and usually insightful. His quiz scores suggest that he might prepare his assignments a little more carefully. Attention to detail is sometimes tedious but always necessary in both analytical and creative writing and thinking.
Philosophy: Phil’s quite good performance in both class discussions and written assignments was marred only by his failure to hand in the mid-term exam on time.
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Report card illustration from the Discovery Channel’s Educator Resources.
