Mistakes

This morning I've been listening to more of the material from the How to Learn Math course. The focus today has been on the importance of making mistakes in the process of learning. Too often, students are afraid of making mistakes and not looking or feeling smart.  We teachers have not done enough to create an environment where students feel safe to muck about in learning. We have given them the deadly impression that you've got to get that answer right the first time and you'd better be quick about it as well! This takes more than "think time" before answering. In math, it means spending lots of time digging into challenging problems that require students to persist in the face of wrong turns and dead ends.  That's where the real brain growth and learning takes place! The culture of testing and results has put us on a speeding train to nowhere with our students. It's time to slow down, dig deeper, enjoy the process, and really learn. Thanks, Joan, for offering this course. Here is my poster I've made to remind me and my students that there is great value in those mistakes!