# teens coach elementary robotics - team won award!



## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

It was the teamwork award. They won over 39 other teams. They are judged by a definite grading rubric over specific behaviors while completing a task that they are given once they walk into the room (having to do with robotics). They are graded on organization and planning, how each member participates, their ability to complete the task without input from the coaches etc... Then they are jugded on their behavior toward each other and the other teams all day as they are observed from afar. 

They did great. It was their first competition year. I was proud of them, and of my teens who handled 10 elementary school kids from 8 am to 5 pm in a room full of 390 other elementary school kids, and who helped them learn to program their robot, do projects, and create a team identity over this school year. And yea... there is a part of me that thinks it's a little funny that all of the kids are homeschooled kids, and they won the teamwork award over 39 public school teams, seeing how we homeschoolers all so unsocialized and socially inept and all. :heh:

Anyway, I am proud of my teens, and proud of the team. Just sharing a proud mama moment. =0)


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

cindy-e said:


> And yea... there is a part of me that thinks it's a little funny that all of the kids are homeschooled kids, and they won the teamwork award over 39 public school teams, seeing how we homeschoolers all so unsocialized and socially inept and all. :heh:
> 
> Anyway, I am proud of my teens, and proud of the team. Just sharing a proud mama moment. =0)


Congratulations!!!

Haha, yes, our "unsocialized" kids working together....what a concept!

Our co-op kids have participated in the Science Olympiad for several years - a middle school science competition. We are very small, so we have had kids as young as 2nd grade partner with an older kid for the competition, and yet we are fairly competitive. When asked how we could be competitive, even with "little" kids, we had to think about it....but one thing that is different is that our kids are used to working with their parents and sometimes other kids to "figure stuff out"...they don't just sit in class and have it delivered to them. 

So I think our kids get a lot more "coaching" to figure out how to find the answers and how to study for something - because every one of them has a coach at home. Unlike the public school kids who might not even tell their parents what subjects they are studying.

Interesting differences in dynamics, for sure. 

Congrats on your great achievement!!


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