A classroom can become a rather hostile place if someone makes a mistake. Surely we can all evoke an image of a classmate, or ourselves, making a mistake and receiving as a result laughter and even a misplaced comment by a teacher . Punishing mistakes is something we have always taken for granted.
The logical consequence of these situations is that next time that student does not dare to answer. He prefers simply to remain silent, to take notes, or even to disconnect completely from the class. In addition, an unfortunate comment or peer pressure can severely damage the student’s self-esteem. A single error brings with it all these negative consequences. That is why it is necessary to stop punishing the mistakes of your students and start using them to learn. Today, on behelf of Abu Dhabi Preschool want to show you how.
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Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn
The latest studies in cognitive psychology suggest that making mistakes is crucial in learning. Outside of academia, every time we make a mistake, our brain is able to collect information about the situation and create a new strategy for the next attempt. This same process is what we want to develop in the class .
You must stop punishing mistakes and encourage students to experiment . Thanks to that experimentation they will be able to change the point of view and find the answer. In addition, this way you create a valuable problem-solving ability that will be useful forever.
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You can also learn from the mistakes of your students
Where and how students make mistakes offers you invaluable information that you should take advantage of. If you observe their errors, you will know what part of the subject has not been clear, what explanation is necessary to repeat or what methodology works better than another. But if you do not stop punishing the mistakes of your students, you will continue to commit yours, putting more and more obstacles to the learning process.
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Work self-esteem
Self-esteem is an area that we consider to belong to the home and the family. Maybe that’s why we work very little in the classrooms. But no person is able to develop properly without a healthy self-esteem . That’s why it’s so vital to work on it and help students build theirs.
Stop punishing the mistakes of your students is a great step to improve their self-esteem. Transmit them that your class is a safe place . It is a place where you can say the things you think, even if they are crazy, without being judged. Create a climate of trust and the students themselves will learn to correct themselves until they find the right answer.
We hope this advice will help you change your approach to classroom errors. Now it’s your turn . Tell us in a comment why you think that students’ mistakes should be punished or why it is better not to do so. We await your opinion!