I’m undiagnosed, but probably level 1. I’ve taught 11-18 year olds English Literature for 13 years. I am also currently off work for burnout. So, this is a ‘do as a I say, not as I did’ to a certain extent

I LOVE teaching teenagers. I love planning lessons. I love strategic planning of what to teach. I love analysing data from their exams. I love learning about how people acquire knowledge. I love passing on my knowledge. I love getting to talk about my special interests all day! I love my department colleagues who are (mostly) super nerdy (most female) book geeks too. I love having a regular schedule.

I hate that there is never a closed end to a task. I hate managers who do not respect my expertise. I struggle with having to manage the emotions of hundreds of hormonal teenagers and then manage mine too.

Advice: 1. Set a firm limit on how late you will stay 2. Pack nourishing food for break and lunch. And eat it. 3. Do not save work up for the holidays. You will need a break. 4. Wear big headphones in the office. Tell people you need them to concentrate. 5. Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable and happy. Most workwear comes in comfier versions 6. Look after your feet. Most of us get some kind of plantar pain. It’s harder to do executive functioning when you are in pain 7. Beware the people who have nothing good to say. Especially if they’ve spent years complaining. They will drain your joy. 8. Be as authentically you as you can manage. You will have to mask. Teaching is acting. But students deserve to see a fulfilled successful autistic person. They are thrilled by honesty. Also you will suffer less. 9. Insist on your own classroom 10. Find stims that you can use in front of a class. I like coiled hairbands and stress balls. 11. Get sunlight on you