As I have moved throughout this journey that is my practicum, something has become increasingly clear for me: the ability to adapt is critical. Much like in the process of evolution where those with the capability to change to fit into their surroundings, teachers that can adjust on the fly to fit the needs of the present situation, to “make it work”, are the ones who will survive (I know this is a dramatic analogy but I am one for theatricality, so I believe it still applies). Something that I have been mindful about throughout this process is finding ways to weave my inquiry topic into my daily routine. Setting up lessons that will bring my class together collaboratively but keep them engaged in a competitive sense. Therefore, when I reflect back upon my process (as I am doing now), I will have ample fodder for my ever-hungry blog. Was it a good plan? Yes. Are these careful sculpted lessons where I have witnessed some of the most insightful interaction to connection to my inquiry topic? No.
The reality is that “stuff” happens. And it is in those moments where a teacher is forced to adapt to a situation that you find connections to things like, in my case collaborative competition, where you didn’t see it before. An example of this was over the past weeks, my SA (who has been organizing the majority of the badminton games between our school and others) was given the task of picking 9 students to send to an upcoming badminton tournament from the over 60 who had originally signed up to play the sport. He elected to create a bracket-style tournament to pick who would go and during the course of the 3 days when the games occurred, you could see the students participate in the classic style of competition, which engaged the students with the extrinsic motivator of representing out school in this tournament. As the students were playing doubles, they did, in one way, engage in my concept of collaborative competition when the connected with their partners, supporting each other to achieve the task. This is noteworthy but something I could have predicted before the games began as it also is the classic style of teamwork and collaboration. However, it was after the games were all played out that the true, and unintended form of collaborative competition came out.
The gym was packed with teams that had finished playing, and other students who were there just to support their friends and spectate. After congratulating the winning team and noting there was time remaining at lunchtime, we proposed to have a friendly game of the winning team vs. us (the teachers). They said they would love to and the frantic excitement among the rest of the students was palpable. As the game began, something very interesting happened, the entire gym rallied behind these two players, supporting them, cheering them on, and bonding together as one. It wasn’t them vs. just another team, it was them vs. an external force (in this case us). As I have referred to in the past, this environment where the students, and not only those participating but spectating as well, can act as one against an external force (ex. a timer, another school, and yes in this scenario, the two of us). The long and short of it is that the students won a very close and exciting game, and everyone went away smiling. In conversation with the two students after, the noted as the game went on they played better and better, and they referred to the support of their peers as a driving factor behind this. They were unified and through this they felt they could achieve the goal better than if they didn’t have the collaborative force behind them.
This wasn’t intended. It wasn’t in the plan. It was spontaneous. Finding moments such as that, but more importantly taking advantage of them, is vital for a teacher to make connections to their students. I am not saying that teachers do not need to be planned or that lessons can just shift as if influenced by the tides. No. Anyone who has spent time with me knows that I am very organized and that isn’t my MO. However, what I am advocating is that rigidity and inflexibility is limiting. It limits your students and also limits your own potential as an educator. The ability to, in a structured and thought out way, ease off of the reins from time to time is one that I wish to possess and will work towards in the future.
“It is in the chaos that we find teachable moments.”
– Me