The last day of camp was filled with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. People were busily working on their robots getting ready to take on the Warrior course. There was an air of jubilation all around, no sense of panic or frustration, just eagerness to get going. There were last minute adjustments and the one last practice run. It all looked like it would run smoothly!! Our cohort, 13 of 12, went first. Robot one was successful in its run but didn't get the "warrior" passed to two. Robot two was somewhat successful but again the pass didn't go well. Robot three that had performed all week without issues, fell off the teeter-totter. Robot four climbed to the top of the tower with no problem. We wanted a re-do.
When I watched Robot three fall of the teeter-totter, I was heart broken; all that work and testing came to naught! How could that happen? We checked and re-checked!! What was going on? Now that I have had time to digest the happenings of that fateful, July day, I find that the robot falling off the teeter-totter, mimics life: No matter what we plan, no matter how we practice, sometimes things just don't work out the way we expect! This program is like that for me. I am a traditional type of student, the teacher speaks, I take notes, and then produce the product: a solo event. This program, relies on the ability to work together as a group, a community united for one purpose. I have to say that in all honestly this is tough for me. Here's why: All my educational life, I have striven to do the best I possibly could. My drive was to achieve those A's. Due to that drive, I found that group work was often not for me. When I was in school and group work was assigned, there were always those that didn't have the same values as far as grade that I did. This lead to them not buying in fully to the project the group was to work on and that left those of us that were "grade driven" to pick up the slack. I know that all those within this program are hard workers that are dedicated to the jobs ahead of us. Yet even knowing that in my heart of hearts, I have this area of anxiety that roams around in the back of my mind.
I am looking forward to working with all the Cadre 12 members and moving beyond the self-imposed educational box that I have created for myself. The challenge is in looking to the group first (there is soooo much collective knowledge there) then the instructors. (traditional way was instructor first and only!!) There is no doubt that by opening myself up to this I will improve my abilities to assist my students to learn!! I look forward to the journey and the many revelations it holds!!
