Dear Families,

I am looking forward to another year of opportunities to learn and grow with your child. Students will be challenged to work hard to reach the learning goals established for each task required of them in class. Of course there will be mistakes along the way, so students will be encouraged to learn from their failure in order to propel them to success. This means that students will have the opportunity to revise their work after they receive feedback which will enable them to correct their mistakes. I believe that, with the proper support, all children can learn when things go wrong for them.

Students will understand that mistakes are welcomed in this class since mistakes mean they are taking a chance. Mistakes are the stepping stones to success! Some students may be fearful to participate in class discussions since they feel they will be teased for having the wrong idea. However, I have a zero tolerance policy in my class that no one will be teased for being incorrect. Students may not always be right, but it’s how the class reacts to it that matters. Students will be taught how to respectfully disagree or share an alternative idea without putting down the students with the original idea. Rest assured, I will model how students can build each other up with appropriate attitudes and responses to students who share ideas that may be off track. This method has been successful in the past as I have witnessed how students have emulated my positive words and interactions with their peers who have made mistakes. I believe that the safer your child feels in class the more they will be open to making mistakes. Once the stigma of mistakes gets taken away, the real learning can begin!

Learning to embrace failure is hardly easy and the process can sometimes be frustrating. No one wants to see a child fail, but failures are essential for the development of skills that will allow them to grow into successful adults. Children need the opportunity to fail in order to learn how to persevere and develop problem solving skills. As children learn to persevere and become resilient, they will be able to create their own successes both now and in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Limond