"Like cheating on a test, ignoring a friend’s phone call, wallowing in self-pity, or eating a pint of ice cream in one sitting, being wrong feels the worst when someone else is around to witness it. Unlike these things, being wrong is unjustly stigmatized as unacceptable. Everyone answers a question incorrectly now and then, but it’s the shame associated with being wrong, especially in front of others, that harms us more than the fault itself."
Via Beth Dichter
Many students are afraid to fail. Therefore they may be afraid to try new things or to ask questions. Too often we may hear the words "I don't know" because the student may feel embarrassed if the give an incorrect answer. This post discusses this topic in some detail before it provides 20 suggestions on ways to work with students to help them overcome the fear of being wrong. Five of the suggestions are below. Additional information on each is in the post as well as fifteen additional suggestions.
* Learning has two definitions and one is failure.
* Always respond to an answer with more than No."
* Turn wrong answers into a learning experience for all.
* The "wrong" answer is often more educational than the "right" answer.
* Remember that everyone is wrong sometimes.
We will never grow if we don't make mistakes and then learn from them. I am sure Bill Gates and James Dyson would agree. Look up any interview with them as they talk about their products.