Learning From Mistakes

Future successes are built upon the successes of today. We want to praise the efforts of our children, not just the outcomes.

Making mistakes is a part of life. In fact "getting it wrong sometimes" ( a better phrase than 'failure') is a normal part of creativity. We often need to remind both ourselves and our children of this important lesson. Only after children learn to separate a person's behaviour from the person himself can they begin to tolerate the mistakes of others and themselves.

The difference between those who are successful in life, as opposed to those who are not, relates directly to how they deal with failure at an early age. Failure should always be looked at as something temporary, a stepping stone to any eventual success.

In the process of rebounding from setbacks, children can be reminded of their strengths and be encouraged that 'getting it wrong sometimes' has helped many famous people become very successful. After all, Thomas Edison "got it wrong" over ten thousand times when he was inventing the light bulb. Ten thousand times! How is that for persistence? He never thought of himself as a failure. In fact, he once retorted to a well-meaning friend who was offering him consolation, "Why, I have not failed. I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work." Try sharing some of your own experiences of getting it wrong before getting it right.

Teaching our children to be proficient at problem-solving and coming up with innovative solutions begins by reinforcing that behaviour. It's natural and easy to praise children when they are successful. But if they make honest mistakes, be sure to acknowledge your child's resolve to explore new solutions to their problems. This in itself is an important accomplishment for your child.

No problem or temporary difficulty should ever stand in the way of your child's ability to creatively come up with solutions and answers. It is through solving problems that our creative imagination can be exercised. Transforming every problem into an opportunity can become a habit. Our children's confidence soars with the realization that they can rise to every challenge.

Students do not fail, they just give up trying.

Did You Know?
Formulas For Scoring "A's
According to the College Board 2006 Profile Report analysis of SAT scores, students from wealthier families typically receive higher marks. Is there any secret formulas that all successful students use to minimise their study time but maximise their results? Here are some secret formulas:

1. Be Consistent
Students must be consistent in learning their schoolwork throughout their school year -- be sure that they fully understood a topic that was taught. If they were not sure about anything, it is important that they find out the answers straight away. Small actions over time bring huge results. Students who are consistent in their work would hardly need to spend much time studying for exams. They have spread out their learning time throughout the year -- when the exams are near, they have almost learnt everything. They only need to spend minimal time doing some extra practice and preparation before the examination day.

Some useful tips to ensure that students keep up during their school year includes

• Reading Ahead of the teacher. This means that students should find out which chapter the teacher is going to teach, and then they should read the chapter ahead of the teacher.
  
• Be Attentive and Ask Questions.
  
• Revise Your Work -- Students should spend some time each day to revise what they have learnt in school. In this way, their memory will be retained much longer.
• Finish Homework On Time -- Doing homework allows student to find out where are their weakness and at the same time it helps the students to understand better those concepts that were being taught.
  
• Learn From Mistakes. This means that students should always clarify their mistakes in homeworks. They should find out where they went wrong and learn not to repeat the same mistakes again in the examination.

2. Learn From Mistakes
Contrary to what most students think, good students do not make fewer mistakes than poor students. In fact, they make more mistakes than anybody else! The only difference is that they make their mistakes during self-practice sessions and learn from their mistakes before the examinations. Mistakes are the best teacher. Students should learn from their mistakes in homework, assignments and class tests.

3. Take Tests And Assignments Seriously. Many students do not know the importance of tests and assignments. Tests are vital indicators of where the students stand. If students fail the test badly, then it is unlikely that they will get an "A" in the final examination. Students should do their best in each test and any assignments they may have. If students have consistently understood what they had studied, and perform well in every tests and assignment, they can be sure they can have a higher chance of scoring 'A's. As mention above, students must learn from their mistakes from tests and assignments.

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