Yes, at Redwood CoE, we believe that mistakes are important!  They must not be underestimated and they are a vital component to our ability to learn and healthy development.

It may seem counterintuitive, but mistakes are welcomed positively and with affirmation at Redwood CoE.  Here, we give each child the space, time and confidence they need in order to make mistakes.

It is also key how we, as adults and educators, learn how to respond to mistakes as it affects children’s willingness to engage in difficult problems.  “When the milk is splattered all over the floor and those little eyes are looking at you for your reaction, remember what really matters.  It takes 5 minutes to clean up spilled milk; it takes much longer to clean up a broken spirit.” Rebecca Eanes.

Across CoE’s blended curriculum approach, we aim to create the conditions in which each and every child succeeds.  With success, of course, comes trial and error.  Knowing what works, and how it functions best.  We see this best within our unique IB PYP, Montessori, Reggio & STEM approaches.

It is not that we encourage mistakes, but rather that we support them.  We find value in every worry and misconception.  They give us courage to try harder next time with increased resolve and fresh determination.

Unlike in traditional educational settings where your mistakes are discovered for you, at Redwood CoE we discover our own mistakes. It might seem like a turn of phrase, but it’s a revolution in the way we approach education.

Many of our educational materials have an inbuilt ‘control of error’ so children can independently recognise if something is not right.  There’s no educator hovering over their activities.  There are no concepts of striving for competition of perfection.  It’s just the children and their confidence, growing and growing!

And that’s where parents can also foster a curious mind and positive growth mindset and support children in discovering their own mistakes so they are not afraid to make them.