The Power of Mistakes: Learning on the Road to Success

Thomas Edison said that he did not fail at making the light bulb one thousand times, but rather that “the light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”[1]

Michael Jordon said “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve also lost more than 300 games. I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot 26 times and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.”[2]

Making mistakes is a natural part of learning.

The latest research shows that mistakes are a very important part of learning. When a person makes an error and they have the opportunity to learn from it, they actually develop a much stronger understanding. The research states that students learn more from making mistakes than from getting all the right answers. When a child makes an error, it offers an insight into what understanding the child has about the idea, concept or skill. It allows teachers and parents to talk to the child and to guide their thinking and understanding. When you have an attitude that values learning from mistakes, you are telling the child that mistakes are a valuable and a natural process in learning that leads to deeper and better understanding.

It is hard to believe, but Year 11 and Year 12 are approaching the home straight. Many images are conjured up as we consider the term ‘home straight’ - the final segment of the race, the big push to the finish line, the excitement of watching how fast and how far one can go. It is the same with the end of the academic year, just as in any race, we don’t want to saunter over the finish line; we want to run our hearts out, look forward, stretch ourselves right up to the finish, and then celebrate our achievement from doing our best. I encourage everyone - staff, students and parents - to keep this analogy in mind as we navigate through these last weeks for Years 11 and 12.

I encourage all students to view mistakes in tests or the Trial HSC as opportunities to learn from. These mistakes can become the areas for focus and improvement before the final exam. Anything is possible and there is everything to gain. Focusing on those areas where we made a mistake can lead to 10, 20, 30% improvement in the next test, assignment, Preliminary or HSC exam. Like preparation for a very important race or game of sport, don’t peak too soon, stay the course so that you are at your best on the day.

Souce: Br Steve Hogan fsc, Principalm Oakhill College, Castle Hill 

[1] http://www.thomasedison.com/qu...
[2] https://www.brainyquote.com/li...