The Classroom Can Learn a Lot from the Racetrack
The Classroom Can Learn a Lot from the RacetrackThe Classroom Can Learn a Lot from the Racetrack
As years pass, more and more students are putting school on a lower and lower priority. School just doesn’t seem that important anymore. Students feel as if they don’t need to try as hard. Students have lost their zeal for schoolwork for a variety of reasons. The first is that they see little or no benefit or cost to not trying. Others just don’t care. There are many ways for the school system to help all of these aspects.
First, let’s look at something that does work. In sports, athletes try their very best and put great amounts of time and effort into the game. Why does this happen? The environment in athletics is a lot different from the environment in the classroom. Coaches have a passion for the sport they are in and they show it. When athletes do well, the coach lets them know it and constantly pushes them to do better. In a sport the coach would give comments such as “Wow! A 12:14 for that two-miler? Keep going like that and you could break twelve minutes by the end of the season!” Other athletes are quick to follow to praise the athlete. The athletes also receive recognition, through bulletin boards, medals, even plaques at times. Through these methods, much importance is put into doing well.
The classroom, however, is much different. Too many times do I see teachers with the “Here’s the work. Here’s how to do it. Now do it,” method. Teachers show no passion for what they are teaching, so why should students do the same for what they are learning? When students do not turn in the work, the same thing happens to students who do: nothing. Nothing is done either way. How many times have teachers said, “Great job! You got a B on that last test! Keep going like that and you could make an A on the next one!” How many times have teachers let students know that they expect better than what they’re getting from the student? Whether the student does good or bad, there is very little benefit or consequence that they see. For over two months of working hard or over two months of doing absolutely nothing, for one day, students will only see a quarter report card. Compare that to the amount of praise and pep talks a coach gives an athlete in just a season. What kind of recognition do the students get for months of hard work? A sheet of paper, compared to the trophies and medals that athletes get. Now, which one gets more emphasis: school or sports? Which one should get...
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