Aspergers and teaching

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If I do turn out to be on the spectrum can someone with Aspergers teach?

I want to train to be a music teacher unless I can finish my Archaeology degree and go into research or teaching in that field instead.

I would like to share any brain power I have so others can benefit from it.

There are many people on the Spectrum who could teach. Some of them do it well, some of them do it awfully. I've had many teachers whom I sensed were on the Spectrum.

I am not teacher-material myself, despite the fact that I, DEARLY, want to teach and to convey knowledge to students.

The good thing is, in education courses, they provide you with the opportunity to student-teach; this will determine whether teaching is right for you.

Or else, you could get the archaeology degree and do research.

Just curious: what is your special interest in archaeology? I just got my answer: Paleolithic nutrition! I'm interested in it as well. They certainly weren't vegans! LOL

Mine is: the descent of man. Others include the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic cultures.

To Sum: Having an Asperger's diagnosis does not preclude one from teaching--whatsoever!

I'm on a university faculty, and I've taught at a few other places.

It's really important to stay tuned in to your class and not just drone on, also to stay aware of what's useful for them to know. It's a nicely controlled situation -- you're the main talker, and you're time-limited, so they expect you to talk at them for a certain period of time -- but you have to make sure they're awake, engaged, understanding new things. It helps greatly if you care about them as people (certainly not all professors do -- many regard students as a necessary, bill-paying annoyance that stands between them and their research). It also helps if you don't disappear up your own arse as you're teaching, just amusing yourself with your special interest as they watch. I survey my class midway through the semester to find out whether they feel like they're learning anything worthwhile, are comfortable, etc.

You also have to be tuned in to what other teachers/faculty are teaching them - what knowledge they're showing up with, what's useful in their curriculum, what other faculty hope your course will do (for them). It can become highly political. I teach science writing to undergrads, for instance, but few faculty in science depts really care about that, so it's a bit of an orphan course there. Otoh, journalism likes it enough to make it part of a major. All of which makes a senior English professor very, very touchy, because he teaches a literary sciwriting course that he regards as important to whatever it is he's doing, and he hasn't any science background -- I have both literary and science backgrounds, and more credibility than he has in this subject. The meetings-that-aren't-meetings can become quite waspish, and I will not be surprised to find my course slammed into the wall at some point.

I love teaching, but will admit I find it very exhausting. It's a highly social activity, and it doesn't end in the classroom -- you're always grading papers, responding to student email, sending out notes on the course website, thinking of things to show them, etc. The kids at university level are always needy in some way -- I imagine that's even more true of K12 students -- and you have to be very careful with boundaries. And I've just remembered, I have to write a letter of recommendation for one of them.

My partner taught high school history before she had a nervous breakdown. There is a surprising lot of administration involved in teaching public school: creating lesson plans, coordinating "standards" with your lesson plan, dealing with troublesome students, and dealing with unsupportive principals & assistant principals. This is in the US. You have to have certain stuff posted in your classroom and updated daily (syllabi and those annoying standards). She was in a needs-improvement school so in a better school you might not have to deal with all that.

So, depends on your chosen subject, the age group of the students, the school, the country, and the state if you are in the US. But I don't think Aspergers automatically makes you unfit for the job.

As an aspie there's no way I would consider a career in teaching. The thought of standing in front of the students then trying to transfer the knowledge from me to them just terrifies me. I do however like the idea of an academic life, slow steady research and maybe publishing a paper now and again is a lifestyle that appeals.

I was a sports (technical swimming) teacher for a long time and I did it very very well, extremely well in fact. It was the only job I ended up being able to do well. I also taught elementary piano a tiny bit and the parents were amazed at how well the kids did with me. I also taught skiing for a year and the place I taught begged me to come back and teach again. In fact the reason I started teaching there is that they asked me to and would not take "no" for an answer. But I am an excellent teacher and have been told that many times and have proven it many times. I was also one of the best Children's Ministry teachers in the church I had once attended. I would still be teaching swimming and skiing now but I had to stop teaching swimming because of pool private contractor insurances. That can be a nightmare. And I stopped teaching skiing because I could not commit to the schedule they wanted.

But the only thing about teaching that made it really intolerable for me was the bureaucracy and having to deal with all the politics that have nothing to do with teaching. Other than that I did great.

And I know that there is another member here who is a very successful art teacher and there are several music teachers as well. So yes, people on the Spectrum can be great teachers.

For most of my school life I was coaching younger/worse students with math, biology, English and IT and I was pretty successful. All my "students" were passing the exams from the material I helped them study. They were also telling me I got a lot of patience telling them one thing over and over and they were experiencing a feeling "that I am sure they will understand it sooner or later". I must say I had a lot of fun while explaining them stuff. I like learning and I like to share my knowledge, I like the feeling when someone learns something thanks to me.

So go ahead!
I bet you will be a good teacher if thats what you want to do! Aspies can be great teachers due to their patience and passion.