Dear Trinity Family,
I spent the weekend doing battle with a software suite new to me. Doing battle may be too strong a term; I was learning a new software suite. I knew just enough to think I understood, but still made mistakes. I consider myself committed to lifelong learning. However, the frustration I was experiencing and the embarrassment from the mistakes I was making made me consider giving up.
It was then that I thought of all the times that we tell students “mistakes are a part of learning.”
In fact, concepts and skills that cause us to regroup and try again are often learned at a deeper level than those that come too easily. Ask any professional athlete how much practice it takes to excel at their game. Ask any artist how many pieces they worked on before fully developing their technique. The writer must edit. The scientist will design another experiment that will better test their theory. The teacher will find a new way to present a difficult concept.
The fact is, what we do in school is called LEARNING, not knowing. This is why we must leave room for our students’ mistakes. Give a little grace, some guidance, and the opportunity to try again.
As for me, I am determined to learn this new software. There will be more frustration, and I’ll make more mistakes. I might even ask questions. I will persist. If it is good for the students, it is good for me.
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried something new." - Albert Einstein
Marie Kidd, Interim Head of School