Mindfulness of Errors

As you may have noticed, a small, rectangular, white piece of paper was attached to your child's tests that are to be signed and returned. The purpose of the white slip is to help your child be more proactive in their learning and to hold your child accountable for their errors.

As I address errors, one must first consider why errors occur. Errors are due most often to the convergence of multiple contributing factors. Blaming an individual does not change these factors and the same error is likely to recur.

That brings me to my next thought that students do not arrive in my classroom as an empty vessel waiting to be filled with knowledge. Then when tested and errors occur, I simply tell them the "right answer" to the question.

During instruction, I introduce the major components of Short Stories:

* identifying important characters and their personalities and motivations
* identifying the main problem and significant plot development
* noting characters' attempts to solve problems, and
* identifying a narrative's overarching theme.

The instruction is highly interactive as I demonstrate and "think aloud" as I read through a story, illustrating how I arrived at my conclusions. I elicit student discussion about the story. When students commit errors, I will direct them to the appropriate section of the narrative to reread it for the correct answer. I use guided questions and model as necessary to help students come up with an appropriate response.

I am trying to facilitate proactive learning; encouraging the students to identify, challenge, test assumptions, and to take different perspectives from which to critically encounter and evaluate their mistakes.

I am developing a classroom learning community; relating literature to students' lives, making the learning process an inviting and welcoming experience, engaging students to analyze reading passages and encourage them to come up with or choose alternative ways to learn the material covered. (ASK YOUR CHILD ABOUT OUR NON-NEGOTIABLE AND ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO HELP THEM BE MORE SUCCESSFUL)

Our learning community values intellectual effort, diversity in thinking, mindfulness of errors, and striving for excellence. In short, your children are learning to be critical readers.

Attending to text and correcting one's errors are important skills that make one a good reader. I hope the ideas presented will be useful in knowing how to help your child become a more proactive learner and to understand these important reading skills.