HJ VOICENOTES

Educator and Content Creator, Conor James Doyle, is on a mission to highlight the importance of education that reflects the neurodiverse needs of the hairdressing industry

“I know I’m not alone when I say that I wasn't inspired by school education. For many of us in the industry, the traditional teacher/ student relationship of being told what to learn isn't enough. Now, through experience and research, I know that I need to feel and create to retain information.

Hairdressing is full of creative, neurodiverse individuals, but the majority of industry education is taught in a typical classroom setting. I have conducted research polls with my 200,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok and found that 55% of our industry is diagnosed with, or can relate to, neurodiversity. As someone that has been diagnosed with ADHD, I wonder why education hasn’t progressed to facilitate this.

I HAVE CONDUCTED RESEARCH POLLS WITH MY 200,000 FOLLOWERS ACROSS INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK AND FOUND THAT 55% OF OUR INDUSTRY IS DIAGNOSED WITH, OR CAN RELATE TO, NEURODIVERSITY

A neurodiverse brain requires regular dopamine. Yet we continue to structure learning around sitting, watching and reading, or long periods over a mannequin head or model. Hairdressers, artists and people in creative industries receive information visually and through connection - they therefore rely heavily on dopamine. Education needs to be redesigned to connect with different types of students in mind, including both the neurodiverse and practical minds. My research also highlighted that a high number of hairdressers didn’t have a positive school experience, some of which may have been through the potentially missed opportunity for a diagnosis of neurodiversity. I find it frustrating that education is stuck in a system that still resembles a traditional school environment, when studies show this does not work. This type of setting can cause anxiety, hampering the purpose of the learning. I appreciate that awareness is still growing and a lot of people can be lost in the black hole of the self-diagnosed, it is, however, a crucial area of inclusivity and accessibility.

I am making it my mission to learn and implement educational styles that work for and inspire everyone. This includes educational styles such as the Pomodoro Technique, where once a task has been confirmed, students work in 25 minute blocks before taking a five-minute break. After three or four 25 minute blocks have been achieved a longer 30 minute break occurs. I also incorporate creative structure, micro achievements, sequenced learning, movement and injections of dopamine throughout the learning. There is lots of work to be done, but I’m really proud to be starting a more inclusive conversation.”