The Art of Failing without Failing
Making mistakes is a major part of learning. Helping students develop the right mindset towards making mistakes is also key to creating a culture for learning. As teachers we need to promote the idea that making mistakes is synonymous with success, rather than to the contrary. Some students will often avoid tackling a piece of work for fear of failure, or worse, disrupt the learning of others to draw attention away from being seen as a failure. The idea that getting something wrong is synonymous with being stupid should be vanquished from all classrooms. Instead we should focus on the meaning we ascribe to these words - change the meaning and you help change a student's mindset. No longer should the words mistake and failure have negative connotations, instead teachers should actively promote attaching a positive meaning to them. If students are afraid of mistakes, then they're afraid of trying something new, of being creative, of taking a risk.
There are some educational approaches that place making mistakes at the core of their curriculum, such as the International Baccalaureate. The notion of failing well is an Approaches to Learning (ATL) skill. Furthermore, one of the 10 Learner Profile attributes to be developed in students is risk-taking. Unfortunately, many sound educational philosophies are often left at the wayside due to the amount of high stakes testing that is rife in many education systems worldwide. Instead, approaches that focus on students passing the test become the norm. As a consequence, a fear of failure culture can often emerge in schools as we demand students get things right first time. When they don't, understandably so, our own angst and anxiety begin driving our actions, strengthening that fear of failure culture.
I appreciate the approach I am advocating is easier said than done, but I kindly request that you, as the teacher, be bold, be brave, take a risk, and create your own micro-culture in your classroom. A culture that does not focus on short term results, but one that helps students develop positive lifelong learning habits that will ensure enduring success. For the sceptics out there, I know (through practice) that the short term gains of creating such a culture are staggering. Surely students will make huge strides in their learning if they throw themselves into their work without fear of failure. Remember fortune favours the brave.
