Part of being a student is making mistakes. At times, students will be challenged or face obstacles. It is easy to turn obstacles into excuses, but overcoming them will be an important skill for life. Recognizing mistakes is only the first part; learning from them is more important. Students may dwell on their mistakes even if they seem insignificant to others, and this may cause them to not want to take positive risks or try something new. Practicing and realizing that mistakes are a part of life is important.
In this activity, students will flip mistakes into a learning experience. Individually, students can use their own mistakes since their storyboard will be viewed by only them and the teacher, but if this is used as a group or partner activity, students may want to create examples outside of their own experience. In this case, it may even be helpful for the teacher to provide several mistakes that students can select from and discuss how to change each one into a positive learning experience.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard showing lessons learned when making everyday mistakes or obstacles.
Encourage students to use positive self-talk and growth mindset phrases when reflecting on their mistakes. For example, guide them to say, "I haven't mastered this yet," instead of "I can't do this." This reinforces resilience and a willingness to learn from errors.
Share a time when you made a classroom mistake and how you learned from it. Be honest and specific, showing your process of reflection and adjustment. This builds trust and shows students that everyone, even teachers, can grow from setbacks.
Set clear expectations that mistakes are welcome and part of the learning process. Use activities like "Mistake Monday" or an anonymous mistake box to let students share experiences without fear of judgment. Celebrate effort and learning rather than perfection.
After students identify a mistake and its lesson, have them set a small, specific goal to apply what they've learned. For example, "Next time I’ll double-check my work before submitting." Follow up regularly to encourage progress and accountability.
When reviewing students’ storyboards or reflections, give feedback that highlights their effort and the strategies they used to learn from mistakes. Avoid focusing solely on the outcome. Reinforce the idea that growth comes from trying new approaches.
FLIP It! Learn From Your Mistakes is a social-emotional learning activity where students create storyboards to turn their mistakes or obstacles into valuable learning experiences, helping them build resilience and self-esteem.
Teachers can guide students to reflect on personal or provided examples of mistakes, encouraging them to illustrate both the obstacle and the lesson learned. This helps students see mistakes as growth opportunities, not setbacks.
Examples include missing homework deadlines, misunderstanding instructions, struggling with group work, or making social errors. These scenarios allow students to explore real-life lessons and positive change.
Reflecting on mistakes helps students build resilience, develop problem-solving skills, and gain confidence. It teaches them that errors are a normal part of growth and learning.
Have students create columns labeled "Obstacle/Mistakes" and "Lessons." In each row, they depict a mistake in one cell and the lesson learned in the adjacent cell, using visuals and brief explanations.