Interesting question. Speaking as a reformed "talkohoic," I'm not sure
there is a time when collaborative, cooperative, team, or whatever the
going term is out of line. I am lucky in that I can move chairs around,
but that makes it easier. I'm not sure bolted chairs are really the
obstacle people use as an excuse. What that saying about where there is a
will, there is......?
Normally when I am confronted with a student who doesn't "want to depend
on anyone" for his or her grade, I tell that student to go out and find
one professional, just one, who isn't dependent on someone else for his or
her success. If one could be found, I would teach that student personally
in any manner he or she wishes. Hasn't happened yet. I had a student
challenge the triad arrangement of the class, and I asked her what her
parents did for a living. Her father was a surgeon and her mother was an
accountant. I told her to talk to them about not depending on others.
She quietly came into the next class and joined her triad.,
You know, one of my childhood heroes is gone. The Lone Ranger, alias
Clayton Moore, died recently at the age of 85. I used to stay glued to
the radio and then the television listening and watching. I'd go to the
Saturday movies to see the Masked Man do in the crooks. The William Tell
Overture, his theme, was my first introduction to classical music. I used
to run down to the corner newstand each Thursday to get the latest comic
book. I ate Cheerios because I knew he did. I sent away for silver
bullets, black masks, and goodness knows what. I wore costumes. When we
played cowboys and indians, someone always wanted to sing out: "Hi-yo
Silverrrrrrrr, Awayyyyyy"
The lone hero, the single trail blazer is the idol in our
American society. It's that individual thing. We place the goals of the
individual ahead of the group. Community harmony is not a particular
cardinal value. It's a socialist thing.
If the truth be told, political and social philosophy not withstanding,
even if you are accustomed to working alone in a competitive rather
cooperative environment, you can learn the advantages
of teamwork, of people skills, of communication skills.
I have to do it myself and I can't do it alone. Need to support each
other, to encourage each other, to help each other. You need to be
willing to ask for help which is difficult for some intellectual macho
types as well as some shy types. But, when people work together, they get
that help. It wields a team. Three people cooperating on a project
allows them to reach much higher than they expected they would ever be
able to do.
A close-knit team, drawing on particular strength, talents, abilities,
skills, of each member. What one person lacks can be made up by another
member; one person's talent and abilities is shared by all.
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis Schmier [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of History http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA 31698 /~\ /\ /\
912-333-5947 /^\ / \ / /~\ \ /~\__/\
/ \__/ \/ / /\ /~\/ \
/\/\-/ /^\_____\____________/__/_______/^\
-_~ / "If you want to climb mountains, \ /^\
_ _ / don't practice on mole hills" - \____
