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The Importance of Failure in the Classroom - Ms Jaki Jalin
October 12, 2018, 2:29 pm

“We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet, using technologies that haven’t yet been invented, in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.” - Richard Riley

I think Mr Riley encapsulates the importance of education beautifully in this quote, especially as technology advances so rapidly in such a short amount of time. But how do we, as teachers, possibly teach children to prepare for a future that can offer so much? One of the most important traits I believe we should be building in our children is resilience. A crucial characteristic to instill in young learners is that to succeed one might have to fail first. I like to tell my children that, “Failing means finding a way that does not work.” Learning is about the journey rather than the destination and, to discredit the lead up to their outcomes, might discourage eventual success. I am always amazed at how determined and optimistic the children at ISC are. They face challenges head on and are not afraid to try anything. I enjoy seeing the ‘quizzical’ looks on their faces when something they thought would work does not go to plan. At ISC, when something ‘fails’ it presents an opportunity to reflect, improve and eventually succeed.

In Year 2, we have been attempting to make the perfect bottle rocket using Mentos and coke. At first, we took on the challenge head on. The children, not really knowing what to expect, waited in anticipation as we attempted to make our bottles rocket into the sky! Suffice to say, our first attempt was not successful in the least. We did not leave disheartened, however. With a little encouragement, the children immediately began to analyze why our experiment failed and what we would need to improve upon for
next time.

Here at ISC, we want to develop our children into forward-thinking, positive members of the community. To do this we must first develop resilience and teach children that failure is nothing to be afraid of. I want to ensure that the children in my class understand that failure is a necessary component to learning and improving, that failure is a sign of trying something new and different. The children understand that it is not a negative trait and that it is not, “I can not” but “I did not, this time.” It is this attitude that makes the children at ISC so very special!

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