Make New Friends and Do 20 Push-ups: Adventures at a New School
“Learning stuff is less important than learning about oneself. Exploration is not just a whimsical luxury of education; it is a central benefit.”
― David Epstein, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
With the start of school, Ben and Emory assumed the roles of two academic explorers on a journey from the familiar halls of their U.S. school to the uncharted territory of Westwood International School in Botswana.
It’s been both a shift in routines and culture – a global education both by syllabus and experience.
They’re now immersed in an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, where one of the core tenets is how to apply knowledge to real life. For kids like Ben – who has often (fairly) challenged how spending hours on long division will help him in any way – this could prove helpful.
Their lessons stress that knowledge is not confined to the four walls of a classroom; it's a toolkit for life's challenges. The idea is that the curriculum doesn't just teach subjects; it equips students with the skills to navigate the complexities of our interconnected world.
There are loads of great IB descriptions on the web, but it’s much more fun to listen to Emory’s teacher, Miss Caroline describe it.
School days begin early, with a shuttle that operates on a tighter schedule than a Swiss watch. Rise and shine at 5:35 am, or risk missing the educational express.
Physical education has taken on a new meaning, where traditional games make way for fitness challenges that would make a CrossFit trainer proud. Forget about leisurely laps; it's all about wind sprints, push-up perfection, and swimming as a life skill rather than a recreational activity.
“It’s hard for me. Back home, gym class was just easy and fun,” laments Ben. “Here it’s like you have to run wind sprints, pass the baton races…and if you don’t pass the baton just right you have to do 20 push-ups!”
Homework has become a formidable opponent, a constant companion demanding attention. “There is a lot of homework! Back home teachers were a bit more lenient and forgiving,” says Ben.
Emory has jumped in with both feet and earned student of the month at the start of the year here for upholding the IB tenets of being a principled and risk-taking learner. He’s been hard at work on a presentation for his unit on exploration (an apt lesson!). At this point he may know more about Captain James Cook than the Royal Geographic Society.
Despite the David Goggins-style workouts and hours of homework, both boys are finding many bright spots in the school day.
As an international school familiar with new students, the Westwood staff, teachers and students are great at welcoming newcomers. Ben and Emory felt at home after just a few days. And for the first time, they are the minority. They’ve bonded with new pals from Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, the UK, and Botswana to name a few.
Both boys are learning how to make beautiful music with Marimbas, mastering their skills at archery, and looking forward to every Tuesday in the tuck shop (aka cafeteria) where they can gobble up the daily special of fat cakes – a Southern African fried doughnut.
At the end of the day, they hop off the shuttle after school in great spirits. It’s hard to believe how well they’ve adapted to this challenge. That may be the best lesson of all.
