Beating the Odds

I recently attended a fundraiser at a racetrack, and it was my first time watching a live horse race. As I sat in the crowd, I was intrigued by the jockey’s approach in each race. One race, in particular, required the horses to circle one full lap around the track. At the start of the race, the fans all rose to their feet in order to cheer on their favorite horse; however, I kept a close watch on the horse that started off the slowest from the starting line. He was the horse I was cheering for, as I always love when the underdog wins.

As the horses approached the first turn, this particular horse was multiple strides behind the pack. As the jockey and horse rounded the first corner, they inched closer to the next opponent. By the time they were halfway around the track, they had passed up three other horses. I felt a glimmer of hope for this horse as he continued to pass more and more opponents. Around the next corner, the horse and jockey were in the top three, trailing the two horses that had been in the lead since the beginning of the race. As they flew closer and closer to the finish line, the horse and jockey passed up the horse in second and caught up to the leading horse and jockey. As they approached the finish line, the horse and jockey, who took the slow and steady approach, were triumphant.The crowd was shocked as the underdog beat the odds and won the race.

The slow and steady approach taken by the jockey and horse allowed them to conserve energy, assess the situation, and gradually improve as they continued around the track. At their own pace, the horse and jockey attained success. As with the racetrack, it is important to emphasize the slow and steady approach in our classrooms.  Teachers tend to push through lessons quickly in order to get through all aspects of a jam-packed curriculum. In addition, our students are constantly looking for quick ways to complete activities and homework. While it is important to be efficient, are teaching and learning as effective if teachers and students continuously race towards the finish line without taking a breath for air? Is the process as memorable if we race through the motions?

Instead, it may be beneficial at times to take the slow and steady approach towards teaching and learning in order to get the best results. Why should we force ourselves or our students to be the leaders of the pack? Instead, teachers should take the most impacting approach in order to provide a productive classroom environment; students should take the most beneficial approach in order to master the material and grow as learners.

Everyone doesn't run at the same pace; however, once teachers and students cross the finish line, they have beat the odds.