Value in Failure vs. Value in Success

[sanddrag]

While there is definite value in each style of teaching and learning, I prefer to take an approach where I demonstrate and teach successful methods before allowing students to proceed down a road of failure. In FRC specifically, failure can be disastrous, and there is often limited time in which success cannot be realized after a catastrophic failure. In the workshop, failure can be expensive, and even life-threatening.

A problematic dynamic and culture becomes apparent when failure persists for such a duration and reoccurs so frequently that students begin to accept it as the norm, and never learn the proper way to do things.

If you look at Team 696 pre-2012 and post-2012, you'll see a clear difference. That was the year in which we decided as a team, we are going to do things the right way, and learn how to do things the right way, and teach each other how to do things the right way, and take some sense of pride in our work and hold high standards of quality in everything we do. It has drastically transformed our robots, our students, our lab, and the way we work. Whodathunk?