competition
competition gets the emotions involved in the learning proccess. Before being an instructor I was a tennis pro. I ran a tennis facility in Orlando, fl for 8 years and know the value of competition. It really works with the student
Bevin,
Well said. Thank you for these comments. The key is to develop the necessary self discipline as well as knowledge and skills to be successful in one's chosen career. This is when the rewards will start to come.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It's true that so much of life and learning revolves around competition. I think it's good to note different levels of competition, groups were mentioned in the forum, as well as games, which are both excellent means of competition in the learning environment.
I personally feel that it's good to reference to what others are doing, but Instead of feeling down about the comparison of someone else’s progress, I learned to be inspired. It's better to have honest understanding of strengths and weaknesses, then make sure you practice challenging yourself. I tell students not to wait until someone else motivates them by challenging them. You really need to be self-motivated and a self-competitor. To play competitively against other people is only an illusion in the end.
Hi Nathan,
I agree with you. I think the students need to learn how to excel at their career area so they will be competitive out in the workplace. Excellence is what employers are looking for so we need to promote that with our students.
Gary
There is definatly value in competition! In the past I raced automobiles. I learned early on in my experience greatness becomes greatness, as all parties involved improve their "game" to be victorious. Some freindly competition in the classroom definatly will improve the effectiveness.
Hi Darla,
It is in how you set the competition up. I use teams so everyone on the team can contribute but in their own way. This way no one student is singled out to the point that they would feel uncomfortable during the team activities.
Gary
I feel that competition is a motivator but can also bring down otehr students because not everybody can learn by same pace.
Hi Keith,
I agree with you about competition. This is why I use games in my classes for review and student interaction. Helps them to get ramped up and excited about what we are studying.
Gary
I believe that competition is a great motivator to help the students learn skills and techniques. They become more focused on what tasks they have to accomplish and try to work on their errors to become better at what they do.
