We also learn from mistakes

The day-to-day life of a person confronts them with everyday learning processes, whether in the family, at work, or in academics. We are constantly learning, and every step we take is an opportunity to discover something new. Learning from mistakes leaves us with the knowledge and the certainty that we can always do better. To learn, to understand how things work, and how life functions, it is also necessary to make mistakes. We understand this at Deutsche Schule Medellín. We create scenarios for girls, boys, and young students to discover and make mistakes. We know that mistakes are a big part of learning: when learning to walk, there are more falls than steps taken, but every time we get up, we strengthen ourselves until we walk and run one day. From a theoretical standpoint, we understand that mistakes are necessary. It allows us to think deeper about a subject and make the entire learning process evident. Error expands our understanding of the world, all while recognizing that learning is not absolute. The brain constructs and processes information, recording what is incorrect so that in the future, when the situation repeats itself, we already know the correct path. This is how we achieve a deep understanding of things.

At DSM, we understand that making mistakes is human, and failure is not the end of a process. On the contrary, it's the first question, something valuable that enables us to understand where we need to make adjustments, allowing us to reflect, generate doubts, and find the reasons behind things. It's an invitation to practice cognitive development, which enables us to understand why something isn't working and how to find a solution to face the situation when it arises again. Our teachers and students know this. They have the correct attitude that we promote in the face of errors. In fact, in many cases, we encourage making mistakes because it enhances learning in the classroom. Scientific thinking encourages us to form hypotheses and attempt to prove them. In this process, incorrect paths are taken until we finally find one or more that help confirm or refute what we initially thought. This is how we work on various projects such as “Pequeños Científicos” (“Little Scientists”) or the extended essays from the International Baccalaureate (GIB). We teach them that knowledge often doesn't come intuitively or immediately but requires hard work and, therefore, numerous missteps.

Developing tolerance for frustration is essential. Students must realize that not everything is always handed to them, that not everything is easy, and that effort is required to learn something new. This is a journey taken in the company of teachers and peers, who also contribute with their experiences and perspectives. It's very important to us that the entire educational community understands that error and frustration are crucial for teaching. We also understand that errors can happen due to personal situations and moments. That's why we address them with understanding and empathy to comprehend the academic and personal conditions that can easily lead to incorrect responses.

We want our students to be aware of errors, to understand them, make them evident, and learn from them. We encourage awareness and understanding in their academic and social lives.