Why I Encourage My Students To Make Mistakes

I am one of those teachers who does not allow erasers in my classroom. Instead, I encourage my students to make mistakes.

I want them to discover that making mistakes helps us to learn. I hope they make see their mistakes as something to work on and use them as an incentive.

I teach my students that nobody is perfect. No one is an expert including me as the teacher. We are all on this learning journey together.

Making mistakes can help your students to;

• build their resilience

• see it as a ‘muck up’

• learn from the mistakes they make

• work on themselves

• get new insight every time they make a mistake

• become a risk-taker with their learning

• use it as an opportunity to learn more about themselves – what they need help in, what they need to consider first, or next time

• realise a change is needed - they may need to change the way their approach something, or their behaviour or attitude

If I say it once, I say it at least five times a day. It's okay to make mistakes. It is good to learn that early in life. I don’t like to see students upset when they make a mistake instead we talk it through and even celebrate it. Students need permission to make mistakes before they will even try.

As a result of students making mistakes;

• they will appreciate the feeling of empowerment when they are successful

• they learn not to compare themselves to others but focus on their own game

• they develop a growth mindset “I can’t do …. yet’ and are more willing to give things a go

Our students are not meant to be good at everything. They are learners. They are learning. If they knew everything then they would not be in the class, they would be in another year, ready to learn more challenging things.

Learning is challenging. It is meant to be. So encourage your students to make mistakes!

Do you agree? Is it good to make mistakes? We would love it if you joined the conversation and left a comment below.