PlusOne's team, The Global Defenders, did not do very well. The groups have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to complete as many challenges as they can. Their were too many programs in the robot so PlusOne's teammate had to search for the program he wanted, wasting valuable time. After the second match, they had 5 points and were 17th out of 18. The high scores were 150 - 170 per match!
They finally got the robot to work better for the third and final match. But it still didn't complete many challenges, if any.
The presentation went over on time and for the teamwork presentation PlusOne said the group really did not work as a team. The robot presentation went okay except for a couple of not so gracious comments. Mom does not know the scores of the individual presentations, so they could have been good. Each presentation was worth 25%, as were the matches.
Mom was disappointed because she expected to see everyone working on something, instead of two people doing everything and not talking to anyone else. Mom asked the coach if there was a team leader and she said that she discouraged that because they were supposed to work as a team. She was very hands off. It drove mom nuts. Mom understands that on competition day the kids are supposed to do everything themselves, but how can they be a team if the coach is hands off, solve it yourself and never taught them how to be a team. (Earlier in the year, one of the students kept laying hands on PlusOne, going so far as to choke him, and when PlusOne told the coach he got hit, her response was "then stay away from him.He finally stopped right when mom said if he does it again I am calling the principal.) When mom discussed this with her she said she never knew there was an issue. She knew there was one with the boy's younger brother, but not with him. She also talked about the boy's leadership abilities, which mom thought were non existent. He did, however, have a foul mouth and liked to talk about his girlfriend, sex and other inappropriate subjects. He is in 8th grade, so this is his last year. Mom also didn't know that the laptop was old, that the computers were old (mom could have seen if she could rebuilt them, and got a donated laptop from her computer guy) that they needed tee shirts, and sponsors, if any parent could have gotten them. So all in all, mom was very disappointed in how it went, especially when she saw how other teams worked. Memere was there for a bit and her take on it was "there were 6 kids hanging around and 2 doing all the work."
Mom knows about teamwork. When she went for her black belt, she was the team leader, but they were a TEAM! Everyone worked together for the goal. Mom felt the goals weren't spelled out, that one kid decided what was going to be done and that was it, but he wasn't the leader. The coach would "comment" on something, or "talk" to them about something, but mom didn't feel that they listened. If they were a team, why didn't they decide as a group what to do about the too many programs in the robot? Arrrrggggg. Sorry, mom needed to vent.
Mom is not sure if she will let PlusOne join next year.
11 comments:
I can see why your Mom is bummed!! Group activities like this should be a fun,informative way to learn. You learn about the project and how to work together. Guidance from the Coach should help them achieve their goals.
That coach sounds like a dork! Obviously not qualified as it appeared she did not have a clue as to what was going on and did nothing to 'guide' them.
Anytime a child comes away with a less than positive experience, is bad, as we may lose future great scientists. I hope PlusOne is not put off about teams and science due to this coaches incompetence as a "leader"
Mickey's Mom
That sucks!!! Momma wuz gettin' fired up about it heer. Maybe yur Mom should take ofur as coach??
::Purrs::
~Meeko & Kiara
Dangit!! Momma furgotted to sign off her blog last night....that's reely us!! Silly Momma!
~M&K
That is bloomin' frustratin'! So, what the kids really learned was that "teamwork" (as they were taught it) doesn't accomplish anything and they'll continue an "every man for himself" mentality. And the two who did put forth considerable effort, amid much frustration and active sabotage, learned that hard work DOES NOT pay...I'd be frustrated, too! And the teacher-HAH...do you get to write an eval on her? You should anyway!
Anyway, just commiseratin' with you, Roxy's mom.
Roxy, maybe your mom can be the coach next year?? She sounds like she would know how to handle this much much better and give the kids a much better experience. What do you think she would say about that??
That sounds like a very disappointing ending to something that could have been very fun.
Ok...not to be disrespectful...but **LOL**!!!!!!!!!
You sound just like me (Laura). We've gone through the same crap with so many of Holden's activities and it is frustrating beyond belief. I just tell Holden that it's a good life lesson because he's unfortunately going to have to deal with stupidity and incompetence for the rest of his life and the best course of action is to take the reins and lead as best he can. I'm kind of proud to have a 9 year old world class cynic!
At least you had a kid with a foul mouth for some comic relief though!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry...I'm not laughing AT you at all and please tell Plus One better luck with the next hurdle.
(FOUL MOUTH! LOL!)
Happy Monday before Turkey Day!
Laura (Salinger's mom)
We were laughing too hard and need to clarify the above comment...
We know it wasn't Plus One with the foul mouth.......it was the other kid.
Our comment didn't read like Mom had it in her head. Goofball!
S-Dog.
We can see why your Mom was SO upset! I have always disagreed with the 'no one should be a leader- you should work as a team' theory. In theory, it sounds fine. But in reality, that's not how our world works!
In successful organizations, and in ALL work places, there is a heirarchy of power. Not because anyone is better than anyone else, but because leadership is necessary in order to accomplish things! This CAN be conveyed to kids in a healthy way.
Sorry to blabber on. But yeah, I understand your frustration! And I am sorry for PlusOne! :(
OMD! I'm sorry that happened! Your Mommy is a great Mommy standing up for PlusOne she must be very protective! I can't believe that coach didn't do anything about that boy putting his hands on Plusone! You need teamwork for anything, & it's always good to have a team leader
It sounds like your Mom person needs that lady's job because she would do a better job at organizing these kids and getting work done!!
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