Classroom Discussion about Mistakes

Sometimes it’s important to simply tell students that you love mistakes because  that’s how students learn. Start the class with a lesson on why you like mistakes and what students can learn from them. Lead a discussion on how students feel  about making a mistake and why. 

Here are a few discussion points to get you started: 

• How do you feel when you make a mistake? Why?
• How do you think other people see you when you make a mistake?
• Have you ever discovered something new from making a mistake?
• Have you ever felt proud of making a mistake?
• Has a mistake ever made you think deeply about a problem? (You can start by talking about a non-academic setting, and then talk about how the lessons apply to academics).

Additional Resources: Mistake Activity Ideas from the Growth Mindset for Educators Course