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Masking is one of the most exhausting parts of living with ADHD (and other forms of neurodivergence). On the surface, it looks like we’re “functioning.” Underneath, it feels like running a marathon in a costume that doesn’t fit.

The Top Benefits of One-to-One Education for Middle and High School Students

One-to-one instruction is custom, flexible, and supportive for middle school and high school students. Since success looks different for every family, understanding how quality educational support can impact outcomes is essential. In this article, I’ll explore the top five benefits of one-to-one instruction and how it supports long-term student success. One: Immediate Feedback and Support Teens are diverse learners with individual personalities; they need feedback and support. Wins are celebrated and mistakes become opportunities to grow. The latest research compiled, for The International Journal of Technology and Higher Education, with over a century of data states “Additionally, effective feedback should be personalized to meet individual learners’ needs and formative, delivered while students can still act on it to improve their performance.”(Weidlich et. al., 2025). Achievement becomes attainable through discussion, questions, and reteaching strategies.  Highly informative feedback using learning analytics: how feedback literacy moderates student perceptions of feedback | International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education Two: Mastery-Based Progression

The Invisible Load of Teachers

It’s 8:15 a.m. on a Monday morning, and Teresa makes her way into her classroom at Brightmont Academy in Phoenix . The school is one of 20 campuses located throughout the country.  Unlike teachers in other school systems, Teresa will only have to manage one student during each hour of her day. Boring? Repetitive? Hardly! A day in the life of Teresa proves her time at Brightmont is just as dynamic and interesting—if not more so—for teachers and students alike… 8:30 a.m. - English 12 with Natalie Teresa’s first class of the morning is English 12 with a high schooler named Natalie. Natalie is a full-time student at Brightmont who has been attending since seventh grade. Large groups and noise trigger Natalie’s anxiety, so Brightmont is the perfect solution to help her demonstrate her full potential. A straight-A student, Natalie is enjoying her current English unit on Frankenstein through which she and Teresa are discussing the characteristics of sympathetic characters and the nuances of what makes a monster. Natalie is so engaged in the curriculum that she is using Frankenstein as inspiration for penning some poetry outside of class.

When I think back to elementary, middle, and high school, one word comes to mind: survival . I was impulsive, unfocused, forgetful. I often missed assignments—not because I didn’t care, but because I literally couldn’t keep track. I struggled socially, too. I had a few close friends, but for some reason, I always felt like I was on the outside looking in—trying to fit in, but never quite belonging. I got bullied between classes, especially in middle school, and many mornings I was too sick with anxiety to move. I had to fake being sick just to stay home.  At the time (this was the 70's and 80's) there wasn’t language like “neurodivergent” to help me make sense of it all. ADHD was the only word people used—and it came with stigma, side-eyes, and medication warnings. I didn’t want to be that kid, so I put on the mask. No one wants to be that kid—the one who's too much, too loud, too forgetful, too weird. It’s a lonely place, and over time, you start to lose your own sense of self—becoming what you think everyone needs instead of who you actually are and end up being a “social chameleon.”

Beyond Good Grades: Strategies for Mastery

A Smooth Transition into the New School Year

Understanding Neurodivergence in a New Light