Hi guys..

What an eventful month 😂 Where to start..? Everything was going grand; I’m working outdoor instructor, came back from some wholesome work one day mid-month, next morning my throat was sore.. Uhu 😭

My housemate (Bella) accepted our fate and ordered covid test kits 😂 Chile it wasn’t funny, but it was funny 🤣 When we entered the kitchen with masks on later that day we just:

Anyway, doggo, adding to my 2021 achievements that I beat COVID-19 😂 Going to sleep was funny though, like imagine if I don’t wake up 😂😂😂.. But short story:

My brain couldn’t function cz I just slept all the time, so I tried to sketch this.. It’s not great, but it’s not too horrible, I think? focus.

Anyway.. Work is interesting, and interacting with young kids in that setting took me down memory lane and musing.. I’ve always kind of embodied a multitalented nature: athletic, sport and clubs girl, ‘high performing student’, master of mischief [1], crafty, engineer – see [1]; I could go on. In learning more about myself, I realise just how important the concept of balance has always been for me, and still is.

Of course, in starting the journey of rediscovering who you are, it’s always a good start taking a look at your childhood.. As we grow up, the world tells us who we are and dictates a lot of our future direction, which can many times be misdirection. You don’t know your passions? I’m just in charge of the outfits in my life.. But who you were in your most pure essence and what you liked doing then may show where your true passions lie. It’s important to remember to be open to trying out different things to find out what you’re good at and where your interests lie. More equally very important for parents to play a role in passion development from a young age. The things kids like doing tell a tale of their most natural interests. Kids should be encouraged to try out different things and given support. If you find a child’s passion, you know which areas to focus on and cheerlead them on, so when they’re older they can more easily know their path (or already be attuned with it.)

Additionally, our talents are different, and not everyone is academically gifted. There’s so much for everyone to do, however I don’t think our education system in Botswana necessarily captures  that entirely or in the right manner. In my time in school, sciences were (still are) prioritised and respected over other subjects. It was quite sad to realise there were kids, many friends of mine, however, who got A*s for Art and/or D’n’T (Design and Technology) and did terribly in other subjects. It doesn’t say anything about their intelligence, but rather even goes to show you what can come out of passion. With the extremely harsh words often used though for the terrible grades in other subjects, I question what kind of adults the system breeds that grow up being told they’re not good enough for such reasons?

And if a teacher saw you drop the pilot on your head, or break into dance, it’s 👋🤣 There’s so much conservatism in the system, [which I recognise might be the starting point difference between private and public institutions] starting a lot with the teachers, and it really doesn’t build our ability to truly and freely express or find ourselves and our interests in our teens. I read something about a famous ballet dancer who as a child couldn’t stay still and was almost written off as disruptive, only for them to later realise she was just a dancer. And considering dance wouldn’t even naturally be considered a career to aspire to, you can see, the system doesn’t favour the fish being put left to fry on dry land.. It kills many dreams, talents and spirits.

Additionally, a lot of focus goes towards what might be the wrong things: ‘disciplining’ children, making sure girls don’t entice boys, making sure strict adherence to time and that students know their place. Students aren’t really allowed to have thoughts, and I believe there’s an inferiority complex that gets instilled into students. There’s really no focus on talent creation, really grooming children for their paths and giving them critical thinking skills or a true focus on confidence, the one thing that dooms most for life.

In a public school in Botswana, there will be at least 60 students in a class, which means no individualised learning, nor any ability to note down individual capabilities and provide the proper guidance. Of course, it also boils down to lack of resources and motivation which shows an incredibly great defect in the system and quality of education being really provided.  We could do better moving away from traditional learning towards more progressive systems of learning.

In recognising art, a real move away from STEM to STEAM, and making it important to have easy access to different types of schools encompassing the different types of talents possible, could take us a few steps to where we want to be in respecting all trades.

And lets recognise, creativity involves free expression.

Are students being built to be creative, truly, freely express themselves? In every manner? I don’t think so. Some of these strict rules are a barrier to the self-expression that encompasses creativity 🧍‍♀️ Nor do I think most teachers embody/model what an educator should be – many are very angry, and too many don’t realise and recognise the impact of hurtful words on children. I met one of my mums at GSS though, bless her soul 🥺 Some teachers though sat down and said ‘at the end of the month I’m getting my salary, le tla ipona’ and looked away 🤣 Next thing they’re cussing and it’s T for tense 🤣 I mean I get it 🤣 kids man, but in the grand scheme of things, are we really producing educators or just filling positions?  

Lastly, do we recognise learning disabilities in Botswana in the manner they should be?
Let’s bring a light to them this month:

Cute Mental Note: There was an adorable lil girl with tiny feet, the cutest most bubbly wittle thing ever, who kept asking me to hold her hand, and on the day I was leaving, she pulled me down for a hug (she’s about as tall as my knee) and screamed ‘Fifi I’m going to miss you’ 🥺 🥺 🥺 I almost wept 🥺