COMMUNITY OVER COMPETITION
It’s hard when you get into student competitions to remember what’s important.
Between things like SkillsUSA, STN, FSPA, and student Emmy’s, it can honestly be a bit overwhelming and very easy to feel a sense of envy of some other programs. Seeing some schools win award after award, especially when you’re just starting to stay afloat, can be a little bit discouraging. But, my students have gone on to win 31 awards over the last 7 years, and I can tell you it gets easier - and the mounting pressure you may feel tends to fade - albeit slightly, over time.
There tends to be a couple different camps when it comes to competition. You have a few schools who like competing but are just in it for fun and a learning experience, and are excited when they win, but were ultimately just happy to be there.
You have some schools who are competitive, but aren’t fully committed (this is where I’m at).
And there’s some schools that run like a professional sports team.
In case you haven’t heard - there’s no right or wrong way to be when it comes to competitions. And in fact, your school or administration may dictate how or when you can participate.
There’s plenty of studies and even research that shows the impact healthy rivalry and competitions can have. Plus, things like developing ambition, enhancing lifelong skills, and overcoming adversity are all huge reasons to get involved. Sometimes competition not only helps our students to rise to the occasion, but also to help students learn how to win, and lose, with respect.
But something I want to suggest is using these opportunities as ways to help build a community. Not just for yourself as a teacher, but for your students to build their community as well. I’ve said it before, but I live in a rural area, and so any opportunity I can get to talk shop with industry professionals and other teachers, the better.
For example this past year was my first year at STN’s flagship convention, and my first time at SkillsUSAs National Competitions. Both of which were life changing experiences, and ones that I met so many awesome people with vast arrays of knowledge. I’ve stepped up my game and learned a ton since then, and my hope is for that to continue for years to come.
But also, and arguably more importantly, it’s an opportunity for your students to grow. To meet others doing the same thing as them is huge, but to be able to be inspired by others work is truly invigorating. You’d be surprised the amount of times my kids see something and say “how’d they do that?” Before figuring it out on their own.
Lastly - many competitions require some form of travel, whether it be in your town, region, city or beyond, this can be a life changing and ultimately radical experience for our students. Two of the competitions we do each year happen on college campuses, and for many of our students, it’s their first time being on a college campus.
Even more so, many students in our programs have never left their hometown. So for them to have the opportunity to go to Syracuse, or Atlanta is a life altering experience.
Allowing our students to grow and be better than they were before is an award on its own.
So for me, I’ve established a new mantra for competition season that I hope resonates with you too.
Progress over perfection, and outcomes over accolades - but most important yet, community over competition.
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As summer winds down, the familiar rhythm of a new school year approaches. For educators like James Peach, the weeks leading up to students' return aren't just about shuffling papers; they're a strategic dance of preparation, aiming to ignite inspiration and cultivate self-sufficiency.