Whenever a person is ready to learn in childhood or adulthood it should be met with
openness on the path that they need to take to embrace what they study, and to enjoy the
process.
I can't help but reflect on the future of learning - not just for those who find
ourselves following a different path as we tune into the needs of our neurodiverse children, but for all of our children, young adults and us! When is the time for change in the system going to
come? In addition, we also have to fortify workplaces to be ready for us, and our children
who have learned differently.
“The key to this transformation is not to standardise education, but to personalise it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.”
Sir Ken Robinson (Check out his TED talk from 2006! Bring on the learning revolution!)
What can flexible education mean
Tailored learning in a setting, and in a style that brings out the very best in that person. It
sounds idyllic but it does exist, it is possible, and we should be aware that it is available, and that we can create it!
Starting School - the traditional way,
I remember with our first born child, that starting school felt like just a natural part of a
persons timeline which she would follow alongside her peers. I had spent time focusing on
how I was going to parent but not so much on what would happen when they began official
schooling. It wasn’t really until we had our second child who was born with Downs
Syndrome, later progressing to Downs Autism that we were exposed to different ways of
learning and engaging. As a result of her journey all three of our children experienced a
sensory setting for pre-school but as our other two didn’t have any conditions nor a
diagnosis we didn’t know how to continue this further into their own schooling. As our
daughters education progressed so did our awareness and skills to approach learning
differently. We saw her receive a very rounded education that embraced her as an
individual, and was also preparing her with life skills for independence and enjoyable experiences. I wondered how we could achieve the same for our other two children. While talking to other parents about our daughters education I could see them starting to question the education their child was receiving.
Grading alternative education
It's not that one type of teaching rules over the other, it's about creating a toolkit, and
pulling upon that kit to create a space for learning that nurtures the individual learner. This is a
respectful way to inclusively teach everyone. To answer the question I started with 'but how do we grade this kind of learning?' My response to this is that 'we don't need to'. We've all heard
of entrepreneurs with Dyslexia, not finishing school, or leaving with low or no grades at all.
I had my own personal experiences where I left school with an E grade in GCSE Maths, yet in my
first job I was the only one who was able to add a bill up in my head, and subtract percentages yet all of my colleagues were graded A's and B’s and couldn’t do this work-based Maths?
I've had my own business and worked in sales too! Yet I received a D in Business
Studies. How is this so, and why do we think the current grading system is working? I also
got a B in English Language and a C in English Literature, yet I've published a book,
written numerous blogs, written courses for a variety of companies, created, and edited learning courses, have articles in professional publications, and have just had an article
published in a parenting magazine, and now have my own podcast show. The current grading system is not a reflection of what someone is capable of, especially if exams and pressure to perform affects a person. Only last week on my podcast 'Women who should be famous' I spoke with Bodhini Hridaya who at school had been told she could not sing, yet now has a career in sound therapy!
Letting our grades determine our future
I actually imagined I would be a Marine Researcher and because of my low grades in
Science I thought I couldn't do it. In hindsight I should've strived for it and sought a
different way to make it happen - reading around the subject, perhaps retaking Science, an
apprenticeship, or even volunteering. I think the fact that I went for a practical-focused
area of study in Beauty Therapy brought out the entrepreneur/can do attitude in me. I don’t
regret anything as I am a lifelong learner but not becoming a Marine Researcher is the
only ‘what if’ I have in my life journey, and the entrepreneur in me now wonders if I still
can!
The cost of a different kind of education
We have three children in three different educational settings, one in mainstream, another
in a special needs school, and the third at home following her curiosity with self-managed
learning. They are all in the right place for themselves as individuals and we are open to
change if that’s what they need. In fact our middle daughter started in mainstream, and
transitioned to a special needs setting purely for social balance as her peers
communication and play had become so vastly different. Our eldest spent longer in
mainstream, was labelled the quiet, well-behaved student amongst her peers and as a
result it was assumed she was academic, or at least listening. She is now navigating
learning through self-led approaches, picking up an instrument and teaching herself how to
play, choosing a language to explore, or an art style to practice.
What fascinates me most is that if you choose to educate outside of a setting, the support ,
understanding, and acceptance decreases. However, the monetary cost increases, why is
that? It’s almost like doing the right thing by the learner is somehow breaking a rule, and
becoming rebellious! As well as a system, in our century we also have access to a variety
of learning settings from Montessori and Steiner Schools to Self-Managed Learning
Colleges but the fees for us mean that we haven’t been able to enrol. We have taken what
we have learned from them and integrated them into our own home education - engaging
with nature, expanding upon a curiosity, and acknowledging the way our children get to
their answers and responses in topics. We do our best and I strive with all my own work
projects to be able to afford the costs one day. What does making it expensive teach our
children? Will it affect their self-worth, feeling valued in society, or will it help them to aim
big and even if they fall short they still learned something. A bit like aiming for the moon,
and if you fall you’ll land among the stars.
The cost of not changing the educational system
How many people like me may not follow the path they’d like to simply because their
grades told them otherwise. By not broadening the curriculum to encompass diversity such
as a wider variety of languages, and the arts we are holding kids back from nurturing what
they love, and to find joy in their careers. We could also say that it is okay to excel in one
subject, and make it our mastery, rather than be simply graded in more subjects. Currently
we are asking children to follow the same path, and see where you land, and that it’s okay
if you don’t enjoy the journey. We are also opening up the floodgates to crime, rebellion,
unhappiness, and disappointment. However, if we teach determination that no matter what
grades you have your path towards your dream can take on a different route and that it is
okay then we have at least a bit of recovery. It’s not about being academic or not, smart or not,
intelligent or not, it’s about embracing the individual and supporting them to create their
happiest adventures. School isn’t worn they just need to flex.
The traditional way to apply for a job is to provide your CV (a Curriculum Vitae) - for some it
will be a list of all your credentials in education but very few will share the life lessons they
have gained and what brings them the most joy.
In recent times I have managed to engage people with a different style. I’ve shared a life
map of where I’ve lived, and my journey through life. I describe how people describe me,
how I describe myself, and I tell them about my approach to the career I am journeying in.
I apply for jobs even if I don’t have the pre-requisites especially if the job description and
company light me up with their mission. Workplaces - I invite you to be open to finding the
right people who will find joy in what they do and as a result this vibrancy will brighten any
team.
Be open to neurodiversity, and those who have learned a craft in a very special way so
unique that it could be just what you’re looking for!
Learning that taps into values and strengths
If we want people to believe in themselves, and feel supported in their mental health then
we have to encourage learning to be flexible and to go hand in hand with their values, and
hone in on their natural strengths.
Being flexible may mean a blend of settings, it may mean one but rest in the knowledge
that there is choice and one day there will be freedom to move in whatever direction is
needed.
Picture: This was one of four Forest School lessons I conducted at a primary school for Year 5 students. Engaging them with Aromatherapy - I taught the whole curriculum through this one topic, connecting what they could smell with how they feel. The creativity and enthusiasm from the children was magical.
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