From mistakes are to be avoided or immediately corrected…
To mistakes and alternative ideas should be expected, respected, and inspected as a valuable part of the learning journey
Mistakes are a valuable part of the learning process and can be used strategically to increase understanding. We have started taking a public stance in our classrooms that mistakes are often productive and this has led our students to be more forthcoming about their thinking.
Students tend to feel that mistakes are bad, that mistakes point toward failure. Teachers often reinforce that view (sometimes quite unintentionally) and tend to plan lessons that avoid or prevent student mistakes. However, recent research is finding that cultivating a culture in the classroom that fosters a “growth mindset” (Dweck, 2006) is valuable for students development. As Dweck says, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work…” When students see that mistakes and incorrect ideas contribute to learning instead of detracting from it, they may come around to thinking about learning as a journey.
Like finding their way through a maze, a student needs to explore and experiment, try, fall down, and try again. Each wrong turn could be a learning experience, a chance for a student to ask, “Why didn’t this work? What should I try next?” If mistakes are treated as a valuable part of the learning process, these experiences can…
1. Bring to the surface a student’s current thinking
2. Provide opportunities to confront a range of student ideas and figure out which ones are more useful/productive for our particular sense-making goals
3. Build student’s confidence in solving challenging problems and increase perseverance
For many students, school trains them to value the correct answer, not examine what they may learn from a wrong one. Students get into the habit of hiding their work or their thinking when they don’t trust their answer. The negative culture around making mistakes prevents students from taking risks in the classroom.
As teachers we benefit by retraining students (and ourselves) that ideas are valuable and worth investigating, even ideas that might turn out to be a simple mistake, a misconception or misunderstanding. Students will need patience and a lot of encouragement/confidence-building. They need to know it is safe to try, safe to wonder out loud, and safe to take a risk. It is our role to provide an environment and experience where this can happen.
Taking risks or making mistakes is necessary for building confidence, resilience, and perseverance in learning. When students don't fear the negative stigma of making mistakes they are more willing and likely to take the more active role promoted by the practices. They are more willing to share and try out their own ideas even when they are unsure, consider and critique the ideas of others, and ask questions that will push learning without fearing ridicule. The importance of establishing and maintaining positive norms around "mistakes" cannot be over-emphasized.
When a student makes a mistake (not a careless error) there is likely a reason that makes sense to the student. Asking students, “What makes you say or think that?” can reveal the reasons for their ideas and provide insight for how to respond.
Consider how prior learning experiences students might lead to a range of thinking about a subject. For example, in math, with whole numbers, longer numbers are larger numbers. This can lead to mistakes with decimals and integers. In science applying a concept to an unrelated phenomenon can lead down an unproductive path of thinking. When mistakes do occur avoid rushing in to correct them. Instead, consider asking...
1. "Why does it make sense that this would be true?"
2. "Why would it make sense for someone to think that?"
3. "It sure seems like it makes sense. Why is it not right/true in this case?"
4. “How does your idea compare with the other one we’ve been discussing?”
Examples:
1. "Why would it make sense for someone to think that an eighth is bigger than a fifth? Why does it make sense that it is actually smaller?"
2. "Why would it make sense to some people that air has no mass?"
3. "Why would it make sense to some people that the earth is flat?"
Anticipating mistakes makes it easier to plan a meaningful response when students make a mistake. When planning lessons, ask yourself:
1. "What mistakes might students make?"
2. "What are the range of ideas students may have about this?"
3. "Why might some of these ideas make sense to the student?"
4. "What is it that the student understands (both correctly and not)?"
Pose problems/questions that bring complexity and a variety of ideas/approaches to the surface, or that focus on the explanation or justification rather than the answer. During lesson planning ask yourself, “What experience/discussion would help the student confront and revise their thinking?”
Create a safe environment for students to take academic risks
Engage students in discussions about mistakes – this helps students confront assumptions and leads to conceptual shifts. It also fosters a safe environment in which students feel more comfortable taking academic risks. Ask “What is it that is challenging about this?”, “What parts makes sense and what parts are still confusing?”
Beat them to the mistake and make them a part of your normal classroom routine. Display an anticipated common error for the class to discuss. Why might the mistake make sense to someone? What would you tell them?
When responding to mistakes try to avoid language or tone that conveys surprise, judgment, or impatience. Thank students for sharing their thinking and point out the fact that mistakes can be tools for learning saying things like “Look what we learned because of the mistake.”