The other day in Peace Class, we were talking about why people lie to cover up mistakes. Most students thought it was so that they wouldn't get in trouble, but one explained it just a little differently. She said that she thought it might be to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of embarrassment and her reflections gave me pause. Why does making mistakes cause us to be embarrassed? Aren't mistakes just learning opportunities in disguise? Then, another student asked me something that stopped me in my tracks: Do you ever make mistakes, Mrs. Gruener? The answer, of course, is a resounding yes, but only recently have I learned that it's not the end of the world to admit to mistakes, to ask for forgiveness, to grow from them, even! I love this saying, especially if you replace the phrase things from the past with one simple word: mistakes. Then last night, I participated in a #daretobe Twitter chat about confidence. Is it possible that fear of making mistakes keeps people from living life fully, with confidence? Lisa from Growing Firsties uses this classroom mantra below to keep that from happening with her school family; talk about your confidence-builder. What if we looked at mistakes through a growth mindset lens, as just a natural part of the education process, the journey rather than the destination? What would celebrating mistakes change? Enter Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg. Do you know this book? Check out the trailer: This past January, Workman Publishing launched a campaign with one thing in mind: Celebrating mistakes in this classroom ... because every oops is an opportunity to make something beautiful. Make it your resolution that your classroom and school be a mistake-making place where you foster creativity and work with students to learn, explore, and grow. Then register your school for the Celebrate Oops program {here}. Once you do, you'll receive a kit with a cool poster for your door, some Beautiful Oops stickers and an Educator's Guide. It would feel like a huge mistake to miss this freebie! The author is also available for school visits; clicks {here} for more information about that beautiful opportunity. Want a title to compare and contrast? Click the Willow graphic for a review and a long list of ideas. What was your most recent beautiful oops? How did you celebrate? What did you learn?
