Allowing for Failure
It is just as important to allow students to fail in a safe environment as is it to help them succeed. They need to learn that it is okay to make mistakes. It isn't the error that counts, but the effort made to correct that error.
Hi Brenda,
Sometimes it is okay if students fail. Some students simply need more time to grasp the information. You want all students to be successful at the first attempt, but this is not always going to happen.
Patricia Scales
Out of failure comes success!!
We all need to remember what failure felt like and if there was someone there to pick us up and show us the right way to do things. I enjoy being there for my students and seeing their faces when they fail the first time, they try again and succeed! the expressions are priceless sometimes.
Hi David,
I agree! Our students need to know that we are there for them as long as they put forth great effort.
Patricia Scales
I agree, i give many practice test to show their weaknesses and to build on it.
Should I as a new instructor feel as if its my fault that a student fails ?
Hi Vaughan,
No! As long as you thoroughly prepared the student for success on various assignments/tests, and you did a fabulous job presenting the material for understanding, the rest is left up to the student.
Patricia Scales
I believe you need to inform students that it is ok to fail at an attempt. All successful people have been failures many times. They must learn to be persistant and learn from previous mistakes and keep trying over and over again. A good scenerio would be, driving down a road just to find that there is a road block. You have two choices, turn around and go back or find an alternate route. They need to learn what caused the failure and re-group and try again.
Hi Jeri,
I concur! Keep trying and eventually you will succeed, but never give up because then you don't have a chance.
Patricia Scales
I tell our students that they are at the school to learn and fail in the safety of an educational environment. If they Fail a task with us its a learning experience that they can remember the work around for future reference. Where as in the job market they don't have that option.
Hi David,
You are right, failing is not an option in the workplace. Students have to learn through trial and error at the educational institution.
Patricia Scales
I take failure with my students very hard. But i know if i did everything i could to work with the student and he needs time to mature.
Hi Zack,
No instructor wants their students to fail. You should be able to sleep at night knowing you did all you could as an instructor to help the student succeed.
Patricia Scales
I can agree with everyone on the fact that a student needs to fail, and I feel that if a student gets every skill and every test perfect I am not changing them. However I am finding a some students can have some real esteem issues with failing, I notice it more in the younger students. What are some ways that I can allow them to fail with a more positive outcome?
Hi Rebecca,
Let them fail and talk to them privately about the potential to succeed. Some students will step up to the plate when you build them back up positively after being honest with them from the beginning.
Patricia Scales
