I don't know how others feel, but I don't think
competition is encouraged in the classroom at all (as your question suggests) and I
think most teachers have been so discouraged from doing this (by parents,
administrators, etc.) that it isn't common.
I have mixed
feelings about this. The real world is highly competitive, in almost everything. The
job market is competitive, the quest for acceptance into college is competitive. Even
once degrees are obtained and jobs secured, there is competition IN the workplace to be
better than others or always improving. We won't even get in to the competition that
exists in the dating world...
A healthy amount of
competition is a good thing in my mind. This is why athletics (and music, marching
band, speech/debate, etc.) are so great for high school students. It means more to work
for something that says "You are better than all of these people." In the classroom
however, I often am dismayed at how public schools in America fail to prepare students
for many real world social issues, competition included. I think we are largely too
soft and too easy on students with chances for success. In North Carolina, failure is
ALMOST not an option - and I think this is wrong.
On the
flip side, I also think that too much competition can be unhealthy. High school does
still need to be a place where every student has an opportunity for success, so there
still needs to be a buffer before the real world hits.
I
think there is a very delicate balance that can be struck - and if done well, can be
very healthy. In our classrooms today however, I actually think we've fallen too far on
the non-competitive side, and are teaching kids that everyone is a winner just for
playing. I understand participation awards, but I certainly do not think everyone
should be made to feel like the winner.
No comments:
Post a Comment