Mistakes Help Me Learn!
Discipline: Applicable in all subjects as warm up or reflection activity when students are struggling to stretch themselves and are showing signs of being worried about making mistakes.
Age level: Grade 3-12
Time: 20 minutes
Materials: Mistakes Help Me Learn! (Reflection Sheet)
Human beings learn by doing and trying new things. When you try something for the first time, or even the 20th time, you might make a mistake. That’s okay. No need to cry over spilt milk; you get to learn something new! But do our students understand this? So much of schooling tells us to focus on “getting things right,” and that can sometimes get in the way of learning from mistakes. This short reflection activity is designed to spark conversation with your students around mistakes and open up space for more curiosity about the lessons we learn when we fail.
What To Do:
Begin by asking the class the following questions which they can discuss as a whole or in partners:
- When is it worth taking a risk?
- How do you feel about making mistakes?
- When is it good to fail?
If possible, share a personal anecdote about a time when you tried something new and learned through trial and error how to do it better. Examples might include:
- Cooking with an ingredient you’d never tried before, having the recipe not turn out but trying a second time and finding it delicious.
- Trying a sport that is new to you and doing poorly at it at first but getting better with practice.
- Meeting a new friend for the first time and having trouble getting the conversation going but then learning new information that makes future conversations much better.
- Driving with the gas light on in the car for the first time and running out of fuel…then learning that the tank can only go for a certain number of miles when that light comes on.
- Waiting until the last minute to do an assignment and having the power go out, learning that when you procrastinate you have to take into account unexpected factors that can delay you even further.
Have students close their eyes and think through their own life experiences so far to identify a time when they tried something, made a mistake, and learned from that mistake.
Pass out the reflection sheets. Have students fill in their own reflection.
Debrief:
In small groups or pairs have students share what they wrote on their reflection sheets. Ask the class as a whole:
- What did you notice about your own reflection?
- What did you notice about those of your peers?
- What do these reflections have to do with the work we are doing in this class?
Possible Extensions:
- Write a short story or essay based on the reflection on your sheet.
- Write a letter to your younger self giving them a pep talk about why they should embrace mistakes.
- Create a public service announcement specifically for this class about why mistakes are a beneficial part of learning this subject area.
- Think about a message you wish you had received to help you feel better about a past mistake. Tell a partner and listen to the message they wish they had received. Each partner writes that message for the other person and gives it to them to keep in a notebook for future reference.
- Create a bulletin board in the classroom with the heading “magnificent mistakes” where students can post short explanations of mistakes they have made in class and what they learned from them. This can help to create a classroom culture in which these are applauded as learning moments and not hidden as failures.
Standards Addressed by this Activity
Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language
Knowledge of Language:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
Comprehension and Collaboration:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3 Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. They make conjectures and build a logical progression of statements to explore the truth of their conjectures. They are able to analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use counterexamples. They justify their conclusions, communicate them to others, and respond to the arguments of others. They reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the context from which the data arose. Mathematically proficient students are also able to compare the effectiveness of two plausible arguments, distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed, and—if there is a flaw in an argument—explain what it is. Elementary students can construct arguments using concrete referents such as objects, drawings, diagrams, and actions. Such arguments can make sense and be correct, even though they are not generalized or made formal until later grades. Later, students learn to determine domains to which an argument applies. Students at all grades can listen or read the arguments of others, decide whether they make sense, and ask useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Competencies
Self-Awareness: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.
Self-management: The abilities to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals.
Social awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
Responsible decision-making: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.
Relationship skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards
| Dimension 3: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence | Dimension 4: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action | |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering and Evaluating Sources | Communicating and Critiquing Conclusions | |
| Developing Claims and Using Evidence | Taking Informed Action |
