Member-only story
PENNY PUB
A New Hobby Rewired My Brain
And helped me to get my dream job
Growing up, I had a propensity to daydream. I had a lot going on in my head for a little person.
It became obvious as I grew that I thrived in those moments left alone with my thoughts, disappearing off into a world that existed only in my notebooks.
My artistic talents were nurtured, and I understood perfectly that although I could “do maths,” I wasn’t strong in this area, so I focused on my sketches and scribbles instead.
Eventually, I hit a hurdle with mathematics.
The chalk and talk delivery didn’t help much. Stood at the blackboard, writing out endless examples, talking at us in monotone for half of the lesson, the teacher would then expect us to work independently through an ancient textbook — in silence.
I wasn’t the only sixteen-year-old that left that class completely clueless.
Nevertheless, I was proficient with pen-and-paper calculation methods and strong in mental maths, and this secured me a Saturday job in the village store. This led to a range of other retail roles whilst at college.
The hurdle re-emerged when I realised that I wanted to become a teacher.
