24/08/2026
Sometimes, itโs okay to be the ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ
Sometimes, itโs okay to be the triangle.
Sometimes, itโs okay to be slightly oval and not perfectly round too! ๐ถ
We spend so much time trying to help children ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ง โ fit into classrooms, fit into curriculums, fit into expectations, fit into social situations, fit into a version of education that we have decided is โnormalโ.
But perhaps we need to ask a different question:
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐?
Not every child can cope in a mainstream environment. And this isnโt only true for neurodivergent children.
There are children sitting in classrooms every day who are ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ฑ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ, ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ โ and even those who have little interest in what the curriculum has to offer.
Children who are capable of so much more than their marks, behaviour or ability to sit quietly at a desk might suggest. ๐ง
๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ซ.
Education should give children a foundation โ but it should also give them ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ.
Room to discover what theyโre good at.
Room to pursue the things that make them come alive and be happy.
Room to learn differently.
Room to make mistakes.
Room to ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ.๐๏ธ๐จ
A curriculum should be a ๐ญ๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ . It should never become something so rigid that the individual child disappears behind it.
Teach the maths. Teach the language. Teach the science.
But also notice the child who can build incredible things with their hands. The child who comes alive when they draw. The gamer who is fascinated by coding. The child who daydreams about chartering a boat or studying sharks. The child who loves animals, music, engines, sport, baking, nature or technology.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐...
..๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ญ. ๐บ๏ธ
We need to become better at recognising that ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐.
Be mindful of the child in front of you.
Support the curriculum. ๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ .
Make space for different minds, different strengths and different paths.
๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ.
Teach differently when differently is what they need.
๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ.
๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ.
