As soon as I read that the common topic for our #CompelledTribe blog posts this week would be competition vs. collaboration , I was on high alert. I flinched. I bit my tongue. I was on the defensive. Collaboration, yes. Competition, no. This has been my mantra. Nevertheless, I decided to set aside my gut reaction long enough to really think about this. So, here's the monologue I carried out with myself: Me: Is there such a thing as healthy competition? Me: Yes, I think so. For example, team sports are competitive because you're competing against another team. At the same, it's an example of healthy competition because there's a lot of teamwork and collaboration involved in order to win. Me: So, I can imagine how collaboration can work to make an institution, organization or workplace competitive in its field. (Pregnant pause right about now.) Me: And, what about toxic c...
This blog is a place to ruminate on the problems of teaching. If I am thinking thoughtfully, my posts will hopefully raise more questions than answers. By problematizing teaching we reflect on those questions that are constantly behind, in front, and at center of everything we do in the classroom. Feel free to comment. I'd love to hear what other teachers are thinking about on these and other issues. Cheers! Elisa