Throughout my life, I've always enjoyed competition. In a past life (Read: before kids) I was a sponsored mountain bike racer. While I was never the fastest of my friends, I could hold my own against most of the competition.
The best advice my friend and mentor taught me was to remember that everyone gets tired on the climbs, so that is the time to crush the competition. When they see you dropping a gear and hammering away, it destroys their psyche. You win.
I now apply that mentality in all competition. Whether riding my bike or playing another sport, I look for the time when the competition is the hardest and my competitors are most tired. That's when I take it up a notch. Yes, I get tired. Yes, I need to find the will to not quit (or puke). But, I usually win. And, if I don't, I know I gave it my all.
The thing is, as much as I absolutely LOVE the feeling of dominating in competition (There's something energizing and fulfilling about hearing a worthy opponent's wheezing fade to silence.) there is a time to prove one's self, and there is a time to set aside your own genetic drive to win for the greater good and other people.
Being an educator is that time. As educators, it is our responsibility to strive, solely, for the growth of students. All students. If you have a great idea that was successful in your room, share it. If you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for your kids, invite someone else's kids to join. If you see another educator struggling, connect with them and offer a hand. If you see another educator doing amazing things, connect with them and take notes.
Sure, it feels nice to be recognized for the countless hours we put in before the kids come in and after they leave, and receiving an award that says your work is noticed gives you validation. However, that stuff should not be the drive behind an educator. That's only the result of our hard work and noble intentions. When you stop working for those goals, you'll have actually earned them.
There is nothing more repulsive than an educator unwilling to connect and share, as though ideas are non-renewable resources and their students lose out because the idea was used by another teacher; the only thing lost tends to be the singular recognition the teacher receives. Don't be that teacher. If you know that teacher, no matter how good it would feel to hammer it and watch them fall away as you blow by them, swallow your pride and continue sharing. After all, it's the students we're in this for, and they're the ones losing when teachers look to compete.
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