Hi! In another online community to which I belong, someone told the story of a botched lesson. It was early in her teaching career, and of of those moments when even the kids you can depend on to understand pretty much everything you say are looking at you in consternation because they just don't get it. She said that all of a sudden she stopped, told the kids "None of you seem to understand this, including myself. I want a do-over!" It became a defining moment for the year, as it gave kids permission to stop when they could tell they were on the wrong track and ask for a do-over; it made it clear that mistakes are just a part of life.
We know that research says students learn best when they feel safe, and certainly feeling okay about making mistakes is part of that. How do we help kids understand the value (inevitability, acceptability, ...) of mistakes? Take care, Bill Ivey Stoneleigh-Burnham School _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
