ABSTRACT
Should classrooms encourage cooperation or competition? What does your classroom look like? The difference is quite important. Imagine a boat sinking and only one lifejacket is available to the two passengers. In competition the boaters fight over who wears the life jacket; in cooperation they both hold onto a side of the jacket and float together. That is not to say that competition is bad. There is a place for it, and having both competition and cooperation in the classroom establishes balance.
