Rock, Paper, Scissors

My team's homeroom classes are about to embark on some March Madness in the shape of a RPS tournament. I'm due to send two representatives out to compete against other champions in neighboring classrooms. It involves a bracket, of course, which the kids are coordinating 100%.

Years ago, I was on a team that competed in a similar fashion, but the game was Challenge 24. More recently, we've engaged our kids in annual Academic Bowl competitions, complete with trivia questions and buzzers. I was always proud to be a teacher on the victorious team, time after time. It goes against my approach in the classroom--my educational philosophy is mainly focused on personal growth. But to see the kids' alert attention to "who's best", I'm reminded that a lot of them are paying attention to the subtle (and not so subtle) cues that we give...that they give each other. 

Contests are a big part of our culture. Awards are a major goal in any field. However, I'll borrow a page from my dog-walking friend and fan of Alfie Kohn. About his book, No Contest, "[Contests] do not motivate us to do our best (in fact, the reason our workplaces and schools are in trouble is that they value competitiveness instead of excellence.) Rather than building character, competition sabotages self-esteem and ruins relationships. It even warps recreation by turning the playing field into a battlefield." Of course, the trouble is that on the immediate surface, plenty of kids appear to thrive on contests. They want to win fabulous prizes. They want to be the best. What about the other kids?

Meanwhile, I'm as much a part of my culture as the kids. I like to win, too, and I'll be rooting for my own kids all the way to the final four and beyond.