Getting Into the Spirit: The Value of Competition

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Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

I’ve always said that success breeds success. It’s a mantra I’ve come to appreciate more deeply as I’ve waded through the waters of my teaching career.

For the longest time, I was the guy who stuck to his classroom like glue, wary of venturing out into the wider school ecosystem. Maybe it was a bit of imposter syndrome, or maybe I just didn’t want to be the one left holding the bag if our projects flopped when put under the microscope.

But then there was this friend of mine, an architecture teacher who had this knack for seeing the potential in what looked like chaos. He kept nudging me towards SkillsUSA, convinced it would be a game-changer for my students.

I won’t lie; I dragged my feet. The last thing I needed was another item on my already overflowing to-do list.

But he was persistent, and eventually, I caved.

Talk about a steep learning curve. I wasn’t just teaching these kids how to splice film or frame a shot; I was grooming them for the real world—resumes, interviews, the whole nine yards.

We didn’t exactly set the world on fire that first year. I can’t even remember if we snagged any awards. But we treated it like a trial run, testing the waters without diving headfirst into the deep end.

And you know what? We did it. We took a bunch of kids to the SkillsUSA Georgia State Leadership and Skills Conference, and they had a blast.

They got a kick out of being in the “wilds” of Atlanta, which, let’s be honest, was just a stone’s throw from our school. But it was different, it was new, and it gave them a chance to bond over something that wasn’t just another school day.

That bonding? It’s magic.

Throwing your students into the competitive ring lets them forge relationships they wouldn’t normally have. They learn to think on their feet, to lean on each other, and to pull through challenges together.

You’d be surprised at the friendships that come out of the woodwork when you’re in the thick of it. It’s like a sports team—you sweat together, you struggle together, and you grow together.

Now, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It wasn’t all roses and sunshine. There were bumps along the way, and not just with the competitions themselves.

I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with the folks running the show. I’m that guy—the one who can’t help but speak up when something doesn’t sit right.

Sure, those moments might not have been my finest, but I wouldn’t take them back. Standing up for my students showed them that I had their backs, that I was in their corner. I still remember the buzz after I went toe-to-toe with one of the organizers. The kids saw that I was fighting for them, and that’s when they really started to believe in what we were doing.

As teachers we have limited options for our students, but if we put in the effort, we can find something for our kids to do to test themselves. Competition allows students to validate what they are learning in the class, and the more they do, the better they will become. And when they win, they will come back and tell their friends, and their success will breed more success.

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Meet the Author, Josh Dempsey

Josh Dempsey is a video and film teacher at Marietta High School in Marietta, Georgia. With nearly 20  years of experience in the classroom, Josh is just as excited as his students to keep learning about the power and possibilities of this visual medium. He invites you to follow his students and their work online by following them on social media @bdn_marietta.

Josh loves traveling with his wife, Megan, and their two kids, and more pets than should be allowed. If you want to follow their adventure and get some tips and tricks for RV travel and epic road trips, check them out on Instagram at @eastrollswest .

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