We all know we learn from mistakes. What should be a logical consequence of such insight in our learning journey? If our objective is learning, we must not hide our mistakes, right? Yet, it does not happen.
Most often, we do not want mistakes to be visible. So students copy rather than try to solve a problem themselves. And parents or tuition teachers do the homework for the children. We need to understand this is clearly harmful for the child as such practices rob the child of learning opportunities.
At Klorofeel School, we welcome mistakes. We understand mistakes are an opportunity to teach and learn. We understand the social negativity around mistakes and a key purpose of Klorofeel School is to create an environment where children are not afraid to try, not afraid to present output without being sure of its acceptance, where parents understand students go to school to learn from mistakes.

Fear of mistakes also prevents us from exploring. Fear is an obstacle to finding new answers, or better responses; we go with the safest choice rather than try out a “good” choice. This is a problem that plagues our society and most of us do not want to risk being original. Mistake-averse behaviour, ingrained in childhood, leads to finding safety in going with the crowd. How can we be innovative if we are afraid of exploration?

In a rapidly changing environment, we must also challenge existing notions, and question answers written in the best books. Without the confidence to be wrong, we cannot gather such courage.
This diagram of a completed 4×4 sudoku has a mistake. But we welcomed it since it showed the student has tried it, rather than seek parent’s help. Parent did not have the anxiety to “correct” it. This augurs good news for the child. Parents’ obsession to get the perfect answers for their children is often the biggest obstacle in the learning journey.

Other Assignments also have mistakes. But we have no hesitation in putting them up. Our children are here to learn. If they were perfect, they need not have come to school. Every time we notice a mistake, we know the child has tried on her own.
Those who don’t make mistakes are googling or copying. Or they have stopped trying, stopped exploring. A school is not the best place for them.