"Work that kills"

I squirm every time I hear it. My breathing becomes irregular, forehead veins perk up, my face always reddens. What do you all think could elicit this type of reaction from a normally even-tempered customer such as myself? A Steelers' loss, maybe? The latest shooting incident involving a Pacers' player? Thinning hair on the left side of my head?

How about when a teacher announces a group project as part of the curriculum for a class? Better yet an upper-level college course?

Let's move away from sports for a moment and address what I consider the most pointless teaching method issued by teachers today; group work.

Don't get me wrong, group work has its benefits. I remember it being the perfect ploy to socialize with friends during class or a non-intrusive way of introducing yourself to a guy or girl you might fancy. But that was high school. I'm talking about college now. Some of our most skilled and innovative educators are not only issuing it to their students, but they're lauding it and justifying it as a meaningful teaching tool.

What's funny is their attempts to hide it behind a cloak of professionalism. How many of you have heard this before, "I understand group work can be difficult, but it really helps to prepare you for real-life work scenarios."

Ugh. You'd think it's a joke, but it's not. Watching a flaky group member knock my grade down a few notches because of indifference does little to prepare me for "real-life" group scenarios.

You see, in the real world, the ultimate motivator is on the line; money. Livelihoods are at stake. Career growth or career stagnation is your path. Most are going to choose the former.

School, on the other hand, is a subjective pursuit. Students' motivation levels vary at inestimable rates. Some care about A's, some B's and some couldn't care less just as long as they pass.

School should be about individual performance, not how hard you work on someone else's behalf. Otherwise, provide group majors for those incapable of self-motivation. Am I being harsh? Probably. Am I speaking the truth? I'll let you, as individuals, decide for yourselves.