It is hard to believe that we have concluded the first marking period already!
This milepost can be cause for great celebration or can incite a mix of anxiety and dread. The end of the marking period means that students will be receiving scores for the work they have produced thus far in the school year. This practice is a standard component of how we chart students’ progress towards grade level skills and knowledge. Although a valuable part of setting and determining goals, this formal measure of progress is less relevant to student growth than the feedback that occurs between students and teachers or between students and their peers each day in the classroom.
These daily interactions allow teachers to track the progress of their students regularly and often. They are designed for the purpose of adjusting instruction by determining whether students are learning what is being taught. By using informal assessment methods, teachers can target students’ specific problem areas, adapt instruction, and intervene earlier.
These opportunities for feedback allow us to recognize and embrace the human condition, specifically the reality that we all make mistakes. Too often we try to shield our children from making mistakes. This intention emerges from our own need to keep our kids safe. How often have we claimed that we do not want our youngsters to make the same mistakes that we made? Personal experience often compels us to override opportunities for our children to learn life lessons. This does not imply that we encourage reckless behavior or poor judgment. We do, however, believe in the adage that our mistakes can be our best teachers.
Too often grown-ups send mixed messages to kids about mistake making. Although we talk about the importance of making and learning from mistakes, we also communicate disappointment when they occur. We have all heard students claim that “I am just not good in math” or “I will never be successful in school.” Our responsibility as parents and educators is to shift this habit of limited thinking and grow confident and self-reliant learners motivated to work hard and appreciate the effort that leads to satisfaction and, ultimately, beyond our mistakes to success.
Learning by mistake encourages children to take risks as they explore alternative solutions to a problem, think in new ways, develop new perspectives and discover what works and what doesn’t. Mistakes help break down our misconceptions and deepen learning.
Learning by mistake develops resilience. Sometimes a solution seems impossible. During these times we are forced to simply accept that things are not working out. These moments provide invaluable opportunities for us to help our kids develop coping skills. It is our responsibility to help them normalize the struggle and to understand that mistakes are expected and accepted. This way of thinking strengthens the ability to bounce back from difficulty.
Learning by mistake inspires forgiveness. What would our lives, as grown-ups, be like if we were defined only by the mistakes we’ve made? What if we were never reassured that it would be OK in spite of the fact that we may have mishandled a situation? As others have forgiven us for our mistakes it is up to us to forgive others for theirs. Especially our children.
As you talk with your children about their day, I encourage you to ask them what, if any, mistakes they made? This question when asked regularly can generate a habit of growth mindset and open avenues for discussion. Imagine sharing with your child a similar mistake that you made at her age. And imagine what it might be like for her to realize that mom or dad isn’t perfect either.
As you talk over supper or at bedtime, remind your children of the wise words of Thomas Edison: “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”
from the schools,
