Chief Delphi - FLL Core Values as a factory?

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FLL Core Values as a factory?

I found this segment in 2012's FLL manual for coaches, in the Core Values section:

Quote:

COACH-TO-COACH

As we prepared for the tournament, we were working with the kids to remember examples that support the FLL Core Values. We realized that the Core Values describe powerful behavior that should be embraced on a daily basis and in our weekly sessions – not just for the tournaments.

We developed our own Core Values award for our team. This way each team member consciously works on demonstrating Core Values in each category with specific examples. When we get to the competition, talking about the Core Values happens naturally and each kid has examples of how they demonstrated Core Values on a weekly basis.

At 1 meeting per week, each team member gives a specific example of how he or she demonstrated 1 of the Core Values. Every team member is allowed to be recognised for each Core Value only once every month, so they can't focus on just one value. Then team members either agree or they tell their own stories about how that team member demonstrated the Core Values in other ways.

While I like the idea of activities to stress the importance of the Core Values, this section gave me an industrial feeling. This feels a little too award-oriented than I think is right.

Thoughts?

Re: FLL Core Values as a factory?

I don't think that handing out an award as a prize for good behavior is a bad idea. FLL students are still young, and in the upper half of elementary school, are still motivated by the idea of getting a prize. This encourages excellent behaviors, and can help the kids in the future with working in a group, as well as all of the other core values.

Starting them working at a younger age to be able to get along, help each other, and to be able to step up even as a 4th grader to teach themselves how to do things is fantastic, and, I feel, is the thing that LL should be teaching them. When I mentored teams, I told the students that its fun to win, but it is a lot more fun to have fun and learn and get along.

I think it is great that they hand out some sort of award [I wish I knew what kind, hopefully not full blown trophies or anything] to encourage the kids to act in a way that is beneficial to the team as well as to the students when they grow up and move on from Lego League to either another competition, or even through work.