Friday, May 30, 2014

Winners, Losers and the American Way - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Winners, Losers and the American Way - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:



Winners, Losers and the American Way

By Nancy Flanagan on May 30, 2014 1:18 PM


It looks--at first glance--like something most American parents would be familiar with: a note from school, outlining the purpose and activities of an end-of-school Field Day.
"The purpose of the day is for our school to get together for an enjoyable two hours of activities and provide an opportunity for students, teachers and parents to interact cooperatively. Since we believe that all of our children are winners, the need for athletic ability and the competitive 'urge to win' will be kept to a minimum. The real reward will be the enjoyment and good feelings of participation."
Been there, planned that, got the wet sponge and tug-of-war rope burns to show for it. And can tell you that "all of our children are winners" is a wall-poster ideal that most schools try (often unsuccessfully) to live up to.
I get it: let's just have a good time, together. Make a happy memory. Spend a couple of hours outdoors in healthy physical activity. End the year on a fun and upbeat note. And so on.
But that's not what happened. This little memo from school was re-interpreted as evidence of the wussification of American children--courtesy of your hometown school district. One mother was "speechless" over this note. Speechless!
Bennett Staph, the "speechless" woman referenced in the headline, reportedly found the words to express her outrage on Facebook. "The 'urge to win' will be kept at a minimum," she reportedly posted, questioning, "What are we teaching our kids? Everyone isn't a winner, there are winners and losers. The kids that win and get awards drive those that don't to do better."
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