I can not, for the life of me, understand why schools would prefer a culture of academic competition over one of collaboration and celebration.
There are so many difficult things to get better at. This isn’t one of them. Just stop pitting them against each other so much. Create structures that encourage celebrating each other. Not complex.
@MattRKay Next week, our entire school is doing a gallery writing walk. We are leaving words of encouragement on student writing, throughout the building. #shiftourthinking
@MattRKay Individualism strikes again. This is where we must focus, the world needs us as a collective. We must show our students how to collaborate, the value in it - and we must ensure that all students feel safe when we ask them to practice.👀group projects… the groundwork must be laid
@MattRKay In my ECE course I had a full evening's discussion about competition & how damaging it is to children in school. They argued that it's natural: animals compete to the death. And they remembered LOVING class competitions (the strong, multitalented students!). They didn't buy it.
@MattRKay Unfortunately schools are pressured at times in certain locales to mirror the community or society they are in. Creates academic competition, lack of risk taking in true new learning and simply “staying within the lines” when looking at school long term planning and goal setting.