Mistakes

No one learns math without making mistakes.  Neuroscience research has shown that there is more neural activity (building connections, memories, learning) in the brain when there is a mistake versus when a student answers correctly.  Mistakes must be honoured in the classroom as a springboard to learning.

Kathy Marks Krpan writes about "Struggle Talk". Help students understand that struggle is an important part of math class--more important than churning out completed tasks, or being correct.

See Jo Boaler's work on growth mindset and accepting errors.

Below is a video on a classroom technique called "My Favorite No", a way that a math teacher uses and honours mistaken reasoning as a way to construct lessons.