Destigmatizing failure

Any educator who moves to mastery-based grading will inevitably deal with students who fail to master new skills the first time around. Of course, that’s an essential part of learning! But, for many students, understanding that failure is only temporary can be a challenging process.

In this article, Expert Modern Classroom Mentor Maureen Mitchell explains why failure — and a healthy attitude towards it — is so important. She writes:

As teachers embrace mastery-based grading, we must be intentional about how we frame failing grades to students. It is our job as a teacher to emphasize that failure is part of the learning process, often a necessary step toward mastery. While doing this, we will not only hold our students to a high learning standard but also help them develop effective strategies and mindsets essential to becoming a lifetime learner.

You can read her four actionable strategies for teachers here: Destigmatizing Failure in a Mastery-Based Classroom. We hope you’ll find something in here that resonates with you!