GOOOOLLLLLLLLL! ARGENTINA ES CAMPEON DEL MUNDO!
Yesterday, the Fifa World Cup ended. It’s been an exciting ride these past few weeks. Game after game, I have been loving the conversations that I have been having with my students. I asked my students to tell me what they learned from watching the World Cup this year. These life lessons are the types of things that teachers hope their students learn about when we have Social Emotional Learning lessons in the classroom.
Handwritten poster that hangs in my classroom showing the World Cup Bracket.
1. Don’t assume you know others and don’t overlook the underdogs.
Morocco came out of nowhere to beat some of the big countries in futbol. They historically made it to the semi-final. They finished 4th but it was a testament to how they did their country proud.
2. It doesn’t matter how good you are if you don’t surround yourself with a good team. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Messi has been trying to get a World Cup trophy for many years. Even when he’s considered a GOAT (greatest of all time), in the past, he didn’t have the team to help get him to his dream. You can be the best at whatever you do but if you don’t surround yourself with others that are also good at what they do, you won’t get as far.
3. Take time out to celebrate wins and your friends.
In life, we have to take time to celebrate the wins! When you accomplish something big, take the time out to celebrate. And if your friend scores a goal, go celebrate with them! Don’t be jealous that you weren’t the one to make that goal. When you do make a goal, those friends will celebrate with you as well.
4. Participate in things for the experience, even if you think you don’t like them.
Several of my students commented that they don’t really like soccer but they enjoyed coming to lunch to view the games with a big group. They enjoyed being part of the experience and sharing with others. When we participate for the experience, we learn more about ourselves along the way.
5. Energy is contagious. Community and heritage are important.
Going off of the previous lesson, students mentioned that the energy was contagious. But others said that it brought them closer to their family members because their family was very into the games. We also talked about how in other countries futbol is a huge piece of their culture. When you are connected to your community and heritage, you have a sense of belonging that no one can take away.
6. You win some, you lose some. Things don’t always go the way we want them to.
When poor Portugal and Brazil lost, my students shared that it’s a lesson in that you don’t always win or things don’t go the way we want them to. When that happens, we go through so many different emotions, including heartbreak, embarrassment, and even anger. But it’s important to know how to deal with those emotions in a healthy way.
7. It’s okay to be dramatic at times.
My students LOVED commenting on how dramatic soccer players are, especially compared to our American football players. And we talked about how it’s okay to be dramatic at times but not all the time.
Students watching a game during their lunch period.
8. Sometimes you will get feedback that you won’t like. And how you are perceived by others is powerful and out of your control, but shouldn’t stop you.
When Cristiano Ronaldo was benched, we talked about how you will receive feedback for the work you produce. Whether it’s positive or negative feedback, you should take it in and reflect on your performance and behavior. My students were convinced that he was benched for having a bad attitude for being subbed out of a game. I tried to tell them we don’t necessarily know if that’s true or not because we weren’t there. But that did lead us to talk about sometimes you can’t change how others perceive you. It’s out of your control but it shouldn’t stop you. You continue to be true to who you are.
9. Perseverance is admirable.
In the Netherlands vs Argentina game, Argentina was winning until almost the last minute. But the Netherlands persevered until the end! They didn’t give up, even though they might have felt the desire to give up. But it was an amazing example of giving it your all until the ref says that there is no time for more! (If you watch the games in Spanish, the announcer always would share that the game was over by saying “El Árbitro dice que no hay tiempo para mas!”)
10. Dreams do come true.
Messi made his dream come true. Because he is an example of all the lessons mentioned above.
These conversations and lessons make me so proud to get to interact with and teach these students every day. My students are amazing. I’m not a huge sports fan. I do love soccer because my husband is from South America and because my son now plays. I have grown to love soccer and the world cup allowed me to connect with my students on a human level. Building relationships is a key ingredient of student success.
What lessons did you take away from watching the World Cup? What did your students take away from it? In what ways, do you build relationships with your students?
Sara Mora
Sara Mora has been living her dream of being a teacher for the last 12 years. She studied Elementary Education at the University of Arizona and was selected as a Rodel Oustanding Student Teacher. Sara taught 1st grade in Nogales for 3 years before moving to 2nd grade in the Sahuarita Unified School District to be closer to home. In 2017, she obtained her Master’s in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University. This degree opened the door for her to move into a brand new position at the newest K-8 in Sahuarita. Sara was tasked with designing and implementing a middle school Career and Technical Education program geared towards college and career exploration. And though not required, Sara worked towards getting certified in Career and Technical Education so that she could do justice to her position. After her first year in this position, she was selected as an Arizona Education Foundation Ambassador of Excellence Teacher of the Year for 2021. When she’s not teaching, she’s advising her Video Production Club and facilitating Technology Professional Development for her district. In her spare time, Sara also works as a health coach, enjoys volunteering her tech skills at church, traveling with her husband and son, reading, and making Tik Tok videos.