The black sheep
Every child enters school as a black sheep: curious, creative, uniquely wired for learning. So why do so many leave as part of an indistinguishable flock?
The answer lies in a 150-year-old system designed for a world that no longer exists. While we now face the realities of artificial intelligence, climate change, and unprecedented global uncertainty, our schools still operate like 19th‑century factories: standardized, rigid, and misaligned with what our world now demands.
But what if there’s another way?
The Black Sheep is a call to redefine education as human flourishing, challenges the norm, place students at the center and redefine success by growth and contribution.Drawing on insights from neuroscience and examples from classrooms around the world, it shows how schools can nurture the unique gifts of every child and prepare them to lead a life of purpose and impact.
This book is for every educational leader—policymakers, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and students. It’s for all who believe, as the book argues “it’s our responsibility to start now, where we are, with what we have. To be the generation that refused to pass this burden to our children. The generation who acted with courage, worked together, and created a new model of education; one that starts with the student.”
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Peg Mishler
Director of Research and Education
This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who cares about where education is headed. It exposes why change can’t wait—and reminds us that real learning happens when teaching is driven by purpose, not pressure. Blending neuroscience with practical educational insight, it delivers a powerful, eye-opening roadmap for parents, educators, and policymakers. Most of all, it dares us to redefine success—moving beyond test scores to focus on the skills, habits, and mindsets that truly shape a fulfilling life. This isn’t just a book that changes how you think about education—it equips you with the insight and confidence to take meaningful steps toward creating the schools and learning experiences students truly deserve.
I don’t say this lightly—The Black Sheep is one of those books that makes you stop, reflect, and quietly say, “Yes… this is it.”
As I read Myriam Da Silva’s words, I felt like she was sitting across from me, sharing her story with honesty, courage, and heart. She weaves her own childhood experiences and struggles into powerful insights about education and brain research in a way that feels deeply human, not clinical or academic. It’s real. It’s relatable. And it’s incredibly meaningful.
What struck me most is how this book challenges the systems we’ve grown used to—systems that often place people into boxes, labels, or numbers—without ever truly seeing them. Myriam reminds us that when we take the time to understand the brain, when we nurture it instead of managing it, something remarkable happens. Relationships deepen. Learning improves. People begin to feel seen.
This book helped me think differently—not just about education, but about life. It reinforced the idea that behavior is communication, that struggle often signals unmet needs, and that real growth comes from connection, not comparison. Myriam has a beautiful way of taking complex brain science and turning it into something practical, hopeful, and deeply compassionate.
The Black Sheep is for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood, underestimated, or confined by a system that missed their potential. It’s for educators, parents, leaders, and humans who care about doing better—about seeing people for who they are, not how they perform on paper.
This is the kind of book that doesn’t just inform you—it changes how you look at others. And once you read it, you can’t unsee what truly matters. Thank you kindly Myriam.
My very best,
Ben Rudrud
National Award Winning Keynote Speaker pending picture.
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