Everyone makes mistakes.  Unless you go through life never trying anything new, you are bound to make a mistake.  In addition, the more responsibility you take on, the more apt you are to make mistakes. The trick is to use those mistakes to propel you forward.

But this is easier said than done.  You can only learn from a mistake after you admit to making it.  An average person’s first instinct is to blame someone else or ask, “Why me?”  But doing this just distances yourself from any possible lesson you can learn from the mistake.

In my classroom, mistakes happen all the time.  Erasers on the ends of pencils are worn down to the metal.  A Cheeze-it falls to the ground and within seconds gets stomped into the carpet.  A raised hand answers a question incorrectly.  Papers are handed in with worn down spots where a thought has been scribbled, erased, and scribbled again.  Extra or too few copies are made.  We forget to turn out our lights and get busted by Watt Watchers.

It’s hard to focus on the good that can come from mistakes even as an adult, so challenging my students to see the benefits is even more difficult.  However, if a student can say, “This is my mistake and I am responsible,” even if only privately to themselves, they can start to understand what they can do to prevent it from happening again.

The “mistake jar” is a place in my classroom where we collect proof that we are taking risks.  Teachers and students fill the jar with a marble each time we identify and take responsibility for a mistake we make.  When the jar is full, we celebrate.  We celebrate because we put ourselves in situations where we can make interesting mistakes.   We celebrate because we have the self-confidence to admit to them.  We celebrate because we have the courage to make changes according to what we learn.

It’s not easy to admit you’ve made a mistake, but it’s an essential step in growing, learning, and improving yourself.

Learner, Thinker, Writer:  Kathy Bruyn serves the Trinity School Community as a Second Grade Teacher.