One kid would not shut up or sit down but asked me my pronouns 🤨

Any other teachers experience “Schrodinger’s Disrespect”?

Today I was supporting a new class, and I was both respected as an authority figure yet disrespected by flagrant refusal to sit down and stop talking??

I’m perplexed.

Harpy eagle stands on branch. It has clumps of feathers sticking out at three places on its head. Its wings and tail feathers are navy blue, with a white chest.

May I introduce you to one of the most ridiculous birds? This is the Harpy Eagle, and it is, in fact, real.
Happy unexpected fun facts from biology class.

I don’t have a beginning of school year photo of me, but this drawing by my student of me with my bow tie is a good substitute

I have severe POTS so I often have to sit (or lay) in public spaces

I can appear disheveled because it’s disorienting when you’re overwhelmed by a fainting spell

I’ve been mistaken for a homeless person twice and “ordered” to move

Scoffed at when I said it was medical & threatened with police 🧵

Interesting.

Stay safe, and consult with a lawyer for actual legal advice.

5. Record what you can. Check NOW to see if you live in a two-party consent state (requires telling others if you record a conversation). Even if you don’t get an audio recording, write down everything that you remember as soon as you leave. This documentation is important.

4. Interrogators want you talking. They’ll pause and wait for you to fill the silence. They’ll ask leading questions that cause you to say things that could be misconstrued. If you find yourself getting frazzled, find a way out of the conversation as quickly as possible.

3. When people start asking questions, say that you’ll need more time to develop thoughtful responses. Ask if you can reschedule and invite someone to the meeting who will back you up.

2. We should all know by now to shut up and ask for a lawyer when the police are involved. But for non-legal situations? You should still shut up but it might look different. Say NOTHING MORE THAN REQUIRED. (Especially if you’re unprepared for the conversation.)

Growing up with a parent who’s a lawyer, I learned that it’s important to know when/how to shut up when being interrogated.
1. Interrogations aren’t just about interactions with police. Any time you’re in the hot seat with someone in a position of authority, your alarm bells should be ringing.

Show people your fantastic self.

Sometimes you don’t even realize the work you’re doing everyday is extraordinary, until a fresh set of eyes sees you doing your thing.

Invite people in. Believe them when they see strengths. Accept the compliments. Keep being great.

* a description of how you pick out what clothes are acceptable and why
* a questionnaire from your childhood classmates who quantify how “weird” you were
* the age when you actually stopped playing with [child-associated activity]
* an explanation why [x] is obviously the best of its kind

*A list of samefoods
* Name and describe two social rules that don’t make sense and/or explain why you don’t follow them
* 4 quotes/lyrics/expressions that you use way too often (echolalia)
* a calculation of how many of your close friends are already diagnosed as some flavor of neurodivergent
(2/3)

Instead of parental questionnaires for autism, I propose the following “community-reviewed” diagnosis (/s)

* 3 special interests (past or present) with photo evidence
* 5 photos from a friend where you have T-Rex arms, sit awkwardly on a seat, or other contorting body movements
(1/3)

New Year Resolution for 2025: Pull @fereael.bsky.social out of their hermit writing cave at least three times to play games with friends… because if they had it their way, they wouldn’t leave until they finished writing the whole #TheHexium series…

No WORK.

Tweet from @Updating on Rome: “-reading Aristotle. -no idea what he’s talking about. -check footnote. Oh.” Footnote: “ no one knows what this paragraph means.”

*squints at students’ work*

I don’t know how you got a percentage when we’re talking about prices of tacos but ok…

How Did We Get Here and What Comes Next? Disabled people have been warning others for nearly 5 years that eugenicist Covid policies would lead to a rise of fascist, racist, bigoted, misogynistic hatred. It's here now. So what’s next?

This Thanksgiving - be thankful for your good health (if you have it) and spare a thought for the disabled & chronically ill people who’ve been tossed aside for years so that everyone else can go “back to normal”.

This “othering” of people - this desire to see them as less than - has consequences

Um. Yes!
Integration is not inclusion.

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Don't arrive late to the party and ignore a bunch of people.

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Thanks!