Lessons from the World Cup.

For most part of the past month, I did not have a good night's rest...thanks to the World Cup fever.
Now, I am past the age of being soccer crazy, for I had more than my fill in my salad days. The men in my house have taken sides on which teams to root for, and have gone to a point to make everyone in the family choose their favoured teams.  I was left with many of the 'default' sides...but to my amazement, at least 4 moved on to the quarterfinals...but then, that is a different story.

The matches are played at an unearthly hour, and I am in no mood to be awakened by frantic yells of 'Gooooal'. Nor do I appreciate the amount of expletives exploded for the missed opportunities.  But my biggest bugbear today must be the vuvuzela...that 'thingy' which I deem fit for the pipe-pipers of dengue mosquitoes.  The endless, mindless drone buzz incessantly in my head, and because I have always been tuned in to the slightest sounds, lets say it has been hard to even get a wink of rest. The result?....ggggrrrrr!

But when I am in one of my saner moods, I do try to reflect about the things I learnt.
a) There is something about men and balls (ooops...that sounds so wrong! Sorry)

No, lets make comparisons with teaching.
From the Pepsi ad:
a)  As the players get closer to the target...the goal posts get shifted.  Have I, as a teacher, done that to my students? I know the aim is to keep pushing them to aim higher...yet even before they can actually score a goal, I make the posts more elusive?  Have I forgotten that many will get demoralised by it?

b) Stars do not make a team.
How the mighty fall fallen....Some of these stars earn more than many of the African nations annual GDP.  Inflated pockets and egos do not necessary be the ingredients to victory.  And it has been proven again and again, how tantrums, and diva-like behaviour are magnified at the World Cup. What has happened to the idea of team spirit and shared responsibilities?  There is no 'I' in team.

c) Hopes and dreams
Some of the teams were lifted by their never-ending dream of achieving success.  I have been impressed by the passion of the African teams, who, without the big names and sponsorship, gave their heart and soul into the games they played.  It is not so much about winning, but about trying to make their dream come true.  It is about the love for the game, played in the true spirit of sportsmanship, without the drama and theatrics.  I hope that my students will never lose sight of their goals. Yes, we will stumble along the way, but do not give up. Try and try again.

d) The coach.
He is the main playmaker...and somehow, the victory and defeat of the teams are attributed to him.  When a team wins, he is great.  When a team loses, the trend seems to be that he gets sacked.  Then, there are teams who mutineed, and go against his orders. The older players take the lead, and try to oust what they deem as an 'ineffective coach.'  And when a favoured team loses, the entire nation calls for an excution of the coach. His head must roll.

What is the point here?
I see that the coach is not much different than that of a teacher.  Sometimes, students wonder why we push them so hard, and 'make their lives miserable'.  It goes back to that word 'responsibility'.  A teacher is obligated to make sure the students do well.  It is not a matter about results alone...though in most cases, we know that a teacher's worth is measured by the academic success of her charges.  In terms of accountability, yes, our heads will roll when the performance is poor.

But then again...
What about other factors?
What about the condition of the pitch, the weather, short-sighted linesmen and refs?
What about distractions from the vuvuzelas?
What about the new unpredictable ball used?
What about the attitude of the players and team?
What about luck?

At the end, quantity seems to count...the team that scored the most goal in the match, wins.
The coach...his fate lies in that.
So is how an educator too, seems to be judged.  (If my team is not even in the major league, what does it say of me?)
Hmmmmmm......