September 19th 2024
In assembly on Monday morning I asked the children to define the word "wise". Their responses ranged from "being old" to "knowing all the answers" but the most touching was hearing a Year 1 boy say "learning from our mistakes".
We all make mistakes every day and for the children in our care it is our job as teachers and parents to encourage them to notice, reflect and learn from them. If we don't take this approach children may stop trying for fear of failure.
As Arianna Huffington said "Failure is not the opposite of success - it's part of success".
Of course there have been more than a few mistakes in Pre-Prep this week, but determination to succeed has produced wonderfully descriptive pieces of writing about dragons in Year 2; thorough research about categories of animals in Year 1; writing the letters accurately in Reception and using simple numbers in Pre-School.
The joy on the face of a child when they learn from their mistakes and turn failure into success is truly magical. The children in Pre-Prep are not wise yet, but they are definitely on the way.
