One of the most valuable things we can teach children is how to cope with making mistakes. Making mistakes is a human quality that all students need be comfortable with. They need to know that if we didn’t make mistakes, there would be nothing to learn.
However, most all students strive for the recognition of a perfect score on assignments and tests. Even a single mistake can create anxiety and disappointment. Unfortunately, perfect scores continue to be rewarded and mistakes frowned upon.
So what can we all do to help? Here are ten suggestions:
1) Be comfortable admitting when you make a mistake. Show students that it is okay to be wrong and that you can use it as an opportunity to learn.
2) Make sure to point out what a student has done right on an assignment as well as what was incorrect.
3) Always give your students the opportunity to fix mistakes so that they can learn from them and correct any misconceptions.
4) Communicate to your students that their mistakes can help …
So what can we all do to help? Here are ten suggestions:
1) Be comfortable admitting when you make a mistake. Show students that it is okay to be wrong and that you can use it as an opportunity to learn.
2) Make sure to point out what a student has done right on an assignment as well as what was incorrect.
3) Always give your students the opportunity to fix mistakes so that they can learn from them and correct any misconceptions.
4) Communicate to your students that their mistakes can help …