Competition

Does anyone feel like we work in a constant state of competition?  I don't understand it.  Aren't we all working toward the same goal?  Our kids are different, our teaching styles are different, our lifestyles are different, so shouldn't we be okay with diversity in teaching methods?

I see teachers who do not want to share or who pick on others just to make themselves look better.  Can't we all work harder, find more ways to challenge our students, and have a little more passion?  When we beat each other up, it only tears down our passion and individualism.

I don't know one teacher who doesn't care about their students.  She/he may teach differently or learn at a different pace, but that doesn't mean we have to say negative things to hurt their credibility or teaching style.  A big thing right now is brain breaks.  I think they are great to use.  One current rift is what is a brain break.  If a teacher dances 3x a day for 5 minutes a time, that is 15 minutes a day.  If another teacher decides to show a movie for 15 minutes straight as her brain break, she is criticized. What makes a difference?  Is it educational?  Is it helpful to the students?  Do we need to meddle in our colleagues teaching style?

As educators, we need to build each other up and strive to find the best in each other.  Stakeholders do enough tearing down of the educational field. My goal for the future is for teachers to unite and build strong bridges with each other.