Episode Summary: "Last-Minute Magic: Why ADHD Teachers Shine Under Pressure"

Podcast: I Have ADHD Podcast
Host: Kristen Carder
Guest: Maddie Novy
Date: January 28, 2025
Episode #: 300

Overview

This episode of the I Have ADHD Podcast dives deep into the realities, challenges, and unique adaptive strengths of teachers with ADHD. Host Kristen Carder is joined by Maddie Novy, a young Chicago-based elementary music teacher and member of the FOCUSED coaching program. Together, they candidly explore the complexities of executive functioning in the classroom, the emotional toll of overstimulation and perfectionism, and why ADHD brains can actually thrive in the unpredictable world of teaching. The conversation is honest, practical, and full of camaraderie, offering encouragement and actionable insights for all professionals navigating life with ADHD.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Maddie's ADHD Journey & Teaching Background

• Maddie shares her diagnosis story (diagnosed at 16 with ADHD and anxiety), her experimentation with medication, and finding what works for her.
• Currently in her second year as an elementary music teacher, Maddie teaches 520 students weekly.
• Teaching at a bilingual school introduces additional challenges, often needing to problem-solve with students who speak little English.

Quote:
"Going into my junior year of high school, I left that psychiatrist office with ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder ... At 16, I'm like, all right, cool. I don't even know what this means because I wasn't told anything." — Maddie (04:00)

Timestamps:
Diagnosis & medication journey: 03:39–07:05
Teaching background: 02:34–03:06

2. Planning & Problem-Solving Challenges

Planning

• The lack of a set curriculum means Maddie has to create lesson plans from standards, requiring high-level organizational and scaffolding skills.
• Maddie struggles with knowing how to structure, pace, and sequence her lessons, largely due to ADHD’s impact on executive function.

Quote:
"I struggle with figuring out like how long should I spend on a specific concept, like what order, how should I scaffold this?" — Maddie (09:58)

Problem-Solving

• Daily life as a teacher involves constant “putting out fires,” from technological breakdowns to language barriers.
• Maddie details a formative experience handling a school-wide internet outage:
  "I think that day showed me that I can do it ... It just takes like maybe like a 5 to 10 minute freak out at the beginning and then I'm like, okay, we're fine. We can do this. We can do this." (08:54, 09:40)

3. Sensory Management & Burnout

• Classrooms are highly stimulating environments; Maddie uses discreet earplugs (“Loops”) to manage noise overstimulation and preserve her energy.
• She speaks candidly about ignoring her own needs (self-abandonment) in the face of family tragedy and how pushing through led to illness and burnout.

Notable Segment:
"If I don't take time to rest, my body is going to pick that time for me." — Maddie (15:22)

Timestamps:
Use of Loops and sensory management: 11:11–12:46
Burnout and self-abandonment: 13:14–15:22

4. Perfectionism & Letting Go

• Maddie’s perfectionism manifested as the drive to create “elaborate, beautiful” lesson plans—often at the expense of her own well-being.
• She has shifted to using pre-made resources, breaking the “myth” of having to do everything herself, and is learning to focus on delivery and connection over presentation.

Quote:
"I've realized that using pre-made stuff is fine. Using stuff that I get from other people is fine. Using your resources…It saved me so much time." — Maddie (18:42)

Timestamps:
Perfectionism and lesson planning: 15:49–19:23
Letting go of perfectionism: 22:32–24:35

5. Evidence Bank and Self-Trust

• Through coaching and self-reflection, Maddie has built a “bank of evidence” proving her competency, even when planning or execution isn’t perfect.
• Trusting her ability to improvise and adapt—long seen as an ADHD trait to “fix”—is reframed as a professional strength.

Notable Quote:
"I can even have nothing up there and still put on a pretty damn good lesson." — Maddie (24:32)

6. ADHD Strengths: Last-Minute Magic

• Maddie describes thriving on tight deadlines—often producing her best work last-minute.
• The guilt and shame once associated with this “procrastination” have lessened as she’s embraced her process and results.

Story Highlight:
Rewriting and acing a Spanish paper the day before it was due:
"That proved to be right there that I can do anything at the last minute if I just put my mind to it." — Maddie (36:54)

7. Emotional Regulation in the Classroom

• Emotional regulation is a daily challenge, especially when overstimulated by noise and student demands.
• Maddie has learned tricks like giving students short YouTube activities to create a buffer, allowing her a moment to breathe and regroup.

Quote:
"My body is a pot of boiling water that's about to spill over ... Normally when I'm in a dysregulated state, I need to get myself out of that environment and you know, when I'm teaching, I can't do that." — Maddie (30:08)

Timestamps:
Depletion after school: 28:03
Emotional regulation and strategies: 30:08–32:45

8. The Messy Reality & Words of Encouragement

• Maddie normalizes feeling like you’re floundering, underscoring that it’s possible to find your own systems—even if it doesn’t look like what everyone else is doing.
• She emphasizes persistence and customizing tools to one's own needs, not to those of neurotypical teachers.

Encouragement:
"It's normal. It's very normal. But it's okay. It makes sense. We have a hard job ... It might take time to figure out what works for you. But it's possible. Just be persistent." — Maddie (38:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Why am I the one that has to keep re-trying? ... It was definitely tedious, but it was most definitely worth the time.” — Maddie (06:41, 06:58)
• “Figuring out like, planning to plan, like that's the step before the step is even difficult.” — Kristen (16:27)
• “I don't have to function like some neurotypical robot to still be able to be good at what I do.” — Maddie (37:35)
• “When we ADHDers allow ourselves to just lean into our strengths … when we can really capitalize on that strength, so much of the drama behind the scenes and the planning behind the scenes, we can just, like, take a deep breath and let that go.” — Kristen (24:35)

Important Timestamps

• 03:39 – Maddie’s diagnosis and early medication trials
• 07:45 – Planning and problem-solving as a teacher
• 09:58 – ADHD and lesson planning without curriculum structure
• 11:11 – Coping with overstimulation (Loops earplugs)
• 13:14 – Burnout and not prioritizing self-care
• 15:49 – Perfectionism in lesson planning
• 18:42 – Transitioning to using pre-made resources
• 24:35 – Building confidence and self-trust
• 28:03 – End-of-day depletion and emotional impact
• 30:08 – Emotional regulation strategies
• 36:38 – Prioritizing urgent tasks and "last-minute magic"
• 38:09 – Encouragement for fellow ADHD teachers

Tone & Feel

Friendly, validating, open, and supportive—full of humor about the messiness of ADHD and teaching, but grounded in real, personal insights. The conversation blends practical advice with empathy, and there’s a persistent theme of self-acceptance and resilience.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Teachers and adults with ADHD face unique executive function challenges, especially in high-stimulation, low-structure environments.
• Self-accommodation, resourcefulness, and improvisation under pressure can be superpowers.
• Persistence in finding what strategies work for you is key—it might not look like what works for others.
• It’s okay not to plan or perform like neurotypical colleagues; embracing your ADHD strengths is both valid and productive.

For more encouragement and coaching for adults with ADHD, check out Kristen Carder’s FOCUSED program.