Recently I was carpooling with a colleague to a Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS) board meeting and retreat in downtown Bellevue.  I mistakenly took the wrong exit off Highway 520, recognized my error, turned around, and found a parallel arterial.  We were now off the suggested route provided by PNAIS, but instinctively I knew we were headed in the right direction.  I noted some new landmarks and sensed I was approaching downtown Bellevue, albeit from a different direction and new entry point.  My colleague and I briefly collaborated.  Together, we agreed we had one more turn east to find our destination.  We were successful.

Not long ago I obtained a new cellular telephone, a significant upgrade from my old phone.  I read the manual.  I tinkered with the buttons, trying to get set-up and comfortable with my new phone.  I asked and received help from my spouse and boys.  I’m still learning more functions and capabilities, very often through trial and error.

While hardly earth shattering, both episodes remind us of the importance and role of making mistakes in the learning process.

We are human; mistakes do happen.

We are seldom perfect on the first try.

By consulting others, we test our own thinking.

Knowing from experience what not to do is progress as one continues to seek a solution.  Mistakes inform our thinking process moving forward.

Over time, we develop a mindset – an attitude – that mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow.

Cultivating a little perseverance is a good thing.

At Seattle Country Day School, we believe in the spirit of inquiry.  Curiosity and inquiry are the pedagogical foundations of learning here, as students and teachers are encouraged to explore divergent paths to generate innovative, creative, and novel solutions in their schoolwork.  Making “mistakes” should not be construed as automatic failure; rather they are an important and necessary part of the learning curve and process.