Some things hurt more than others. Stubbed toes are overshadowed by volleyballs to the nose which are eclipsed by bees in the urethra. But watching a child lose hope in her own skills and passions because the work she did was either not fully appreciated or was "out-shined" by that of another leaves those physical pains in the dust.
Except maybe the last one - I'm hesitant to compare.
A group of students from my school this past weekend competed at the Moldovan Odyssey of the Mind competition and did not score as well as their competitors. Thusly they were not given an initial invitation to go to Slovakia to participate in the Eurofestival. Trying to explain to them that they had won before they even walked in the doors of the competition just based upon their love and passion for what they prepared was met with a (possibly appropriate response to the perceived BS), "Yea, Matt, that's great, but we still ain't going to Slovakia."
Teachers and developmental organizations across the planet will lament the impossibility of objectively measuring the growth in character of youth when they have poured themselves into their work in a loving way. The youth themselves have learned to value grades far more highly than taking the chance to produce something interesting and possibly not pleasing to the teacher. Swimming against the current is only possible for so long and so we curl up in an innertube, grab a beer and sing the Top 40 while we sun burn along with all the other tubers. Swimming in a different pond entirely is a good way to get labeled insane (which is somewhat detrimental to one's standing in the fragile teenage social scene).
Watching a group of kids you worked with for three years throw in the towel because they are still too young to understand (as are most of us) that doing good work after one's passion is reward in itself regardless of whether or not it is recognized falls somewhere in between the pain caused by a bee hive finding its way into one's urethra and getting through this entire sentence.
And that's why I do not quite know how to express my happiness or gratitude to those OM organizers who fought for the team to get them the chance to travel to Slovakia and compete.
The inner strength will come, we hope, with time. Until then, a little recognition can really help a person swim in the right direction.
Thanks, CUC, and all you folks at OM.
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Throughout the entire OM competition, I've watched or heard from my students similar stories. Several of my students were justifiably upset and let down, either through some overt corruption or through a lack of honest, constructive recognition from event organizers and teachers.
I try to explain to them that their achievement lies not in an award or a trip to Slovakia, but rather in their demonstrated abilities and growth. But, as teenagers, that award or that trip to Slovakia really does mean a lot.
It's difficult to see, but if nothing else we can at least be the teacher who never ceases to appreciate the real accomplishments of our students.
(For the record, I'm a fan of your improbably complicated and indomitably long sentences.)
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