Making Mistakes

“A man who never makes a mistake is unlikely to make anything.” –Anonymous

Today is Less Than Perfect Day–a day to discuss how we’re all less than perfect and tend to make mistakes. As a child, I was terrified to make mistakes, particularly in front of my peers. That’s a pretty common feeling among all children. That’s why it’s so important to encourage a classroom culture that values a growth mindset and realizes the value of mistakes. It can make all the difference to a student who cringes at the thought of saying or doing something “wrong.” Here are some tips for creating a classroom that celebrates mistakes:

• Show students how you appreciate mistakes by saying things like:
  • “Mistakes help us learn.”
  • “I learned so much from that mistake.”
  • “Let’s share the mistakes we made.”
  • “I made a mistake–I can feel my brain growing!”
  • “Who can tell me about the best mistake they made today?”
    

• Tell stories about times you made mistakes and what you learned from them.

• Make a classroom rule that classmates aren’t to be teased or ridiculed for making mistakes. When mistakes are valued, there’s no reason for teasing.

• Talk about famous individuals who made mistakes. Check out this article on Thomas Edison and Michael Jordan.
  

Here’s a super activity sheet that encourages students to write about a mistake they made. It goes with Cookies Week by Cindy Ward!