走出舒适区 | Being in the discomfort zone

8年级的学生Hugh Lowther要去瑞士探险的前一天对他的妈妈说自己也不知道是不是真的想去。Hugh的妈妈Kara Lebihan说：“要去那么远的地方，他非常紧张。他去过一些比较近的地方，都在亚洲，比如中国的长城。但对于他而言是走出了舒适区，回来之后变化很大，他非常自豪，觉得自己完成了件了不起的事情，变得自信而又开心。”

通过在阿尔卑斯山区顺利完成2天的徒步任务，Hugh已经具备了成功完成具有挑战性的任务的能力，而且变得更加自信。

诺德安达教育集团全球探险项目负责人David Wall说，瑞士Les Martinets个人挑战探险绝不只是学习如何通过艰苦跋涉穿越标志性的阿尔卑斯山。选择探险的学生要面对各种各样的挑战，从而让他们在体能上得到提高，在精神上和情感上获得成长。

Wall先生说：“很多学生从来没有做过个人管理，所以更大的挑战往往是学生是否能够按照要求把装备打包好，然后早上9点穿好靴子准时出现，并且为未来两天的徒步活动做好了准备。”

而对于另一些学生，自我管理是旅途中面临的挑战。Wall先生回忆起他与一些缺乏锻炼的学生一起艰苦跋涉的经历，这些学生家里有家政服务人员，他们在这样的环境下长大，不会做饭，也不会打扫卫生。Wall先生说，看着他们眼前的任务，他怀疑这些学生是否能够按要求完成这次探险，他意识到必须改变计划。

Wall先生说：“我们让他们重新规划路线，并告诉我们更合适的选择。”这个决定是一个转折点，让他们能够顺利完成探险活动，并且收获良好的户外运动体验。Wall先生说：“这是我组织的最佳探险活动之一。很多学生很少运动，也不喜欢体育，因为不擅长；而且也不喜欢竞争，因为恐惧。在这里他们能够得到锻炼，并且不用与他人竞争。此外，他们还是一个强大的团体，互帮互助，完成他们以前从来没有进行过的挑战。

对于另一些学生而言，这次徒步在体能和自我管理方面的挑战相对于他们的目标而言就显得不那么重要了。比如,很多中国学生在瑞士美丽的自然风光中获得了难忘的学习体验。

Wall先生说：“如果我们去阿尔卑斯山，可以看到冰川。我们可以探讨冰川作用、动植物以及一些课堂上学过但是很难理解的概念。很多孩子从来没见过松果，在这里学生们可以突然间明白这些东西究竟是什么。”有些学生只是想充分体验那种独特而又奇妙的异域文化。他补充说道：“很多学生以前从没去过欧洲，他们想要看看那里到底是什么样子。我们习以为常的东西，如raclette干酪，他们却觉得这是天下最好吃的东西。我们想要帮助学生发现机会、创造机会，并且完成挑战。这才是户外教学的关键。”

A day before he was scheduled leave for an expedition to Switzerland Year 8 student Hugh Lowther told his mum he wasn’t sure he wanted to go.“He was nervous with having to fly so far,” Hugh’s mother Kara Lebihan said.“He’s done short trips within Asia, including several expeditions to the Great Wall of China, but this was him going outside of his comfort zone. But when Hugh returned from his trip he had significantly changed. When he came back his chest was puffed out, like he’d achieved something big. He was confident and happy.”

By successfully completing a two-day trek around the Alps, Hugh was able to overcome a challenging task successfully and as a result gained a lot of self-confidence.

Hugh’s transformation is not uncommon. David Wall, who runs Nord Anglia Education’s (NAE) global expeditions programme said the Personal Challenge expedition in Les Martinets, Switzerland went well beyond learning about the physical rigours of trekking through the iconic Alps. Students who choose the expedition were faced with a variety of challenges that grow them physically, mentally and emotionally.

“Some of them have never done their own personal admin,” Mr Wall said.“Often the bigger challenge is can you get the equipment that you’ve been asked to pack into your bag and turn up at 9am ready to depart for the next two days – with your boots on.”For other students, organising themselves is one of several challenges they will have to face during the trip. Mr Wall recalls a trek he ran for students who on top of being physically unfit, had grown up with domestic helpers, therefore they did not know how to cook or clean. Looking at the tasks ahead of them, Mr Wall said he was doubtful whether the students would complete the trek due to its demands. He realised, the plan had to change.    

“We got them to redesign the route and tell us what they thought would be a better option,” Mr Wall said. That decision became a turning point, enabling them to successfully complete their new route and gain a positive physical outdoor experience.“It’s one of the best treks I’ve led,” Mr Wall said.“Many of them hardly exercised and they didn’t like PE because they struggled with it and they didn’t like the competition element because they found it intimidating. Here they learned how to engage in exercise without being competitive. Also, they were a socially strong group and supported each other to do something they had never done before.”

For other students, the physical and organisational challenges of the expedition are secondary to what they want to achieve. For example, students from China gain a powerful learning experience with the sheer natural environment that Switzerland offers.

“If we’re in the Alps we can see glaciers,” Mr Wall said.“We can talk about glaciation, flora and fauna, concepts they learn in class but find it difficult to be passionate about. Some of them had never seen pine cones before. By being here suddenly these things start to make sense.”And some students just want to make the most of a unique and often magical cultural experience.

“Many of them haven’t been to Europe before, they want to see what it’s really like,” he said.“To eat a raclette. We take our culture for granted but they think it’s the best thing since sliced bread We want to identify and create opportunities for them to complete their challenge. That’s the whole point about an outdoor education.”