I never liked school.
Sure, some subjects were very interesting to learn, but as soon as the teacher hit the “ Is this the way you will write your exam ?!!!!” line, the entire vibe of me is “ Great. Here we go again.”
I am sure this is the situation for every kid who goes to a normal school, sitting down in the same place, cramming stuff in their head, and go with absolutely no knowledge of how it helps us in the future. Like genuinely, I’m pretty sure that the students in 11th grade don’t know how to do taxes, but they sure do know that the "Mitochondria is the powerhouse of a cell".
This is when we realize that the current school system is just Input…. **Recall**…. Output ( or more like we come to school, warm the seat and go). We, the ever-poor souls, are expected to learn something, and as soon as the exam season hits, all the teachers have to correct are crocodile tears.
It’s on these taxing, mundane neurotypical days that I start thinking about how things are taught at home. You see, I am the “typical” older sibling to a younger brother who is **a complete villainous brat,** but needless to say, neurodivergent smarty pants.
These days, I am glad that he doesn’t go to a normal school because - my brother is a kid who has an insane imagination and has a lot of talents**,** and he deserves the Non-linear learning my mom initiated at home to develop it. Each lesson broke all the rules of convention, gave space to explore and experiment – and it all began with a lesson on Post it note.
The Subject was the same, “ A post-it note, “ but we started with History, followed by reading comprehension, English grammar exercises, Math, Science, Geography and even Art. I felt like I was living a story rather than learning, and it was fascinating.
The Web vs. The Ladder.
My mom explained to me that in traditional schools like mine, they assume a ladder kind of position to learning- conquer step 1, then move to step 2. Non-linear learning throws the rulebook away and operates more on a web model- connecting seemingly unrelated ideas and diving into “ deep rabbit holes “, and making sudden, brilliant leaps in understanding.
If I could differentiate features, it would look like this
Often the best parts of a linear learning environment are the predictability, strength and efficiency…. but those are very things that can also play the negative role by being rigid, irrelevant, and something that suppresses creativity and human ingenuity.
The ladder is "efficient," sure. But it’s also a total creativity killer. My brother doesn't go to a "normal" school because those big halls of education haven't caught up to Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
The concept is simple: What’s necessary for some is actually better for everyone
I’m a huge movie buff, so if I had to explain the 3 Pillars of UDL to my friends, I’d just use scenes and quotes from the classics to illustrate my point
- Taare Zameen Par (2007)
The Sand, the paint, and the Walkman Scene: Nikumbh Sir( Aamir Khan’s character) doesn’t force Ishaan to write in a notebook. Instead, he has Ishaan trace letters in a tray of sand, paint on a large canvas, mold out of clay, and learn lessons out of a Walkman. Nikumbh sir recognizes and changes the road that the learner needs to take to learn
- 3 Idiots ( 2009)
The “Machine Definition” Scene: Rancho (Aamir Khan’s character) defines a machine as anything that reduces human effort (like a zipper). At the same time, the professor demands the rigid textbook definition, which a rote learner provides - Chatur. Chatur succeeds in navigating a rigid system that rewards recall, but he truly lacks understanding. While Rancho learns by doing, dismantling, and connecting ideas to the real world
- Chillar Party (2011)
The Chaddi March Scene: To save their friends' Fatka’s dog, the children realize that a standard petition isn’t going to work. Instead, they take a unique, bold action that gets an entire city’s attention. When the traditional “adult “ way of communicating (letters/meetings) failed, the children used a different “language” to express their dissent and achieve their goal.
The Spark of Wonder
The biggest difference between the ladder and the web isn't just how we learn—it’s how we feel. On the ladder, you’re just looking at the next rung, hoping you don't fall. But on the web, there is Wonder.
Wonder is that "aha!" moment when two random ideas finally click. It’s the curiosity that makes you forget what time it is. And my brother (the lucky brat) gets to live in a state of constant discovery because he isn't afraid of rules of discipline and timelines to sit in a question or ask "why" or look at a Post-it note like it’s the coolest invention on earth. In a world obsessed with the "right" output, we’ve forgotten that the most important part of being human is the input of awe.
The Ending
As I look back, I learnt that I might still have to listen to lectures, but I don’t need to follow the rulebook…. I could follow my own web and make my subjects ( yes, even Maths) interesting. There are some things in life you can’t see unless you change your standing, and right now, we should move away from the ladder and see how our lives are a massive glowing web of connections.
I used to think I was the one “helping” my brother navigate the world, but honestly? I found out that in the 14 years I lived through, he showed me how to actually see clearly.
“Life is like a pencil that will surely run out, but will leave the beautiful writing of life”.
My brother taught me that I didn’t have to write my life by the rulebook; instead, he taught me to write it with a sense of wonder ( Don’t tell him I said that, though).
And that’s a fact- I’ll never need to hit the rewind button to remember.
