What was an unconventional way you learned something that shaped your thinking?

Book Week would have been difficult for Year 1 Jay. Or more likely, for my parents.

Some kids loved Dogman. Others got lost in Harry Potter. Me? Nothing beats a freshly printed map book. I was, and still am, a cartophile.

• The AA Annual Road Map of Great Britain? A classic.
• London A-Z? A masterpiece.
• Ordnance Survey maps? Sublime.
• The Michelin French Roadmap, with its crazy orange and yellow autoroutes? Mind-blowing.

While other kids read about wizards and superheroes, I was plotting imaginary road trips, tracing routes, and devouring geography like a page-turning thriller. For a brain wired for big-picture thinking, spatial problem-solving, and the freedom to explore beyond the lines of a story, maps weren’t just paper. They were portals.

Not All Brains Learn the Same Way

Traditional education, with its structured lessons, standardised tests, and rigid curriculum, is built for linear thinkers, those who thrive on predictable A-to-B learning paths.

But not everyone learns that way.

For neurodivergent minds, by which I mean those with ADHD, dyslexia, or a natural inclination toward nonlinear thinking, learning happens in bursts, deep dives, hands-on experiences, and unconventional sources.

Maps taught me more about the world than any geography textbook ever could.

Some people learn through music, associating melodies with memories.

Others thrive in hands-on environments, figuring things out by doing rather than reading.

For many, school feels like an endurance test, while real learning happens in curiosity-driven rabbit holes outside the classroom.

Yet, intelligence and potential are still measured by how well someone sits through structured lessons, regurgitates information in exams, and conforms to a rigid system.

What If We Flipped the Education Model?

What if education, and lifelong learning, was built around strengths, curiosity, and adaptability rather than compliance and memorisation?

Self-directed learning models that allow students to explore subjects they’re passionate about rather than forcing them through a one-size-fits-all syllabus.

Micro-credentialing and skill-based certifications that value applied knowledge over rote memorisation.

Apprenticeships, hands-on learning, and mentorship programs that acknowledge that people learn best by doing.

Technology-driven adaptive learning, where AI tailors education to each learner’s strengths and pace.

Because education should not be about forcing people to fit into a system. It should be about building systems that help people unlock their potential.

And maybe that’s the real lesson: not all learning looks the same.

Sometimes, the best book isn’t a novel.

It’s a map of endless possibilities.

#ADHD #Neurodiversity #EducationReform #LifelongLearning #Maps #DifferentBrainsDifferentStrengths