Teaching the "Right Kind" of Competition
We can teach children the "right kind" of competition. But modern educators seldom do so.
Competition can be subverted and distorted. Or, it can be downplayed and drained of the educational value that our students can derive.
So, what is this "competition done right?"
The Purpose of Competition
The purpose of competition is self-improvement, skill improvement, self-mastery.
The subversion of this learning process is "winning."
The subversion process might include any the following:
- Winning at all cost
- Winning through any means
- Winning without caring about others
- Building "super stars" instead of everyone's "personal best"
- Focusing upon outcomes instead of processes
- Focusing so much on winning that self-improvement is neglected
Of course, sports come to mind when we study this catalog of "ms-aligned" competition. But, competition for grades, competition on projects, and competition for girlfriends/ boyfriends also fit the definition of "competition gone wrong."
On a less personal level, there is the competition between corporations where one tries to win by putting the other out of business. Or, in the software business, there is the competition of Open Source software in trying to put Microsoft™ out of business by giving their product away for free.
Another example is the competition of countries, with spying, market domination, foreign aid, colonization; and in the worst case scenario…war.
Religions also practice subverted competition with missionary zeal, proselytizing, domination of governments, swinging the election process "their way," jihad, and smug, "one-up" arrogance.
All these examples are called "Zero Sum Games." That is winners and losers.
Positive competition makes "winners" out of everyone.
Who Should We Compete Against? — The Problem is in the Question
We should ask "How we can improve everyone" instead of asking "Who we should compete against."
The answers show competition as a noble quality, or as a degrading enterprise.
For example, two siblings can vie for their parents' attention, praise and reward
Their efforts can be positive…
- Support the efforts of one another
- Teach skills and tactics to one another
- Share resources
- Encourage and praise one another
- Learn from their shortcomings
- Celebrate each other's successes
Or negative…
- Out do the other
- Sabotage
- Undercut, spread lies, distort accomplishments
- Create positive spin about themselves and negative spin about their sibling
- Moving into the other sibling field of endeavor (game) instead of sticking to their own
- Utilizing each opportunity to "beat" the other with higher scores, more winnings, better friends, more money; or any number of other subversions
A Level Playing Field: "No Such Animal"
Nature invents people with unique skills, talents and abilities. And if nature invents people this way, perhaps their is wisdom in coming into harmony with nature's process.
What would this harmony be? Developing, improving, elaborating, expressing those unique gifts?
And education should focus upon helping each student to grow and blossom in their own way, rather than funneling skills and talents into rigid, "pretend" challenges.
Idealism Under the Radar Screen
Of course you cannot keep your job with such educational idealism, even if the learning principles behind the approach are sound.
You career survival depends upon "playing the part" of "test-prep-extrordinaire" for all to see.
But, behind the scenes, you can foster the ideals of cooperation and mutual support; and you can let these ideals leak out at times when everyone is distracted by high-stakes testing and bureaucratic "hullabaloo
Become a Remembered, High-Impact Teacher
Surveys of the teacher that adults remember and appreciate most often turn up memories of that certain special teacher that demanded that every student lived up to their personal best.
What this trip down memory lane fails to place in perspective is that the right kind of competition, the competition of bettering your skills and abilities and reaching your personal best is the innate, correct competition.
Rather than besting someone else, the student does better than their previous best. And a few iterations of this competition with past personal best increases self-concept and self-esteem. This "correct competition" also anchors the memory of the teacher who "broke the mold" and helped students "break free" of the herd.
Help each of your students focus upon "besting their personal best" and become that most influential someone in many of your students lives.
