No Mistakaes!

Twirling a fire baton is no joke!  It requires training and a certain level of expertise.  When twirling a fire baton there is little room for mistakes.  Regular baton twirling and fire baton twirling are two different things.  In competition, I could catch my regular baton on the end, or I might drop the baton.  But when I twirled fire baton, I had to be aware of the placement of my hands and my body at all times.  No way would I catch the ends of a fire baton due to the flames rising from them.  Dropping the baton was a better choice than catching it by the tip.  In competition with the regular baton, I could still make errors.  It might cost me a medal/trophy, but I could and did make errors.  When twirling fire baton, there was little to no room for errors.

We always made sure that I was well prepared before twirling the fire baton.  I began by practicing the routine with my regular baton where I could make mistakes.  I would practice and "perfect" each move or trick.  Once I felt a sense of excellence using the regular baton, I would switch to using the fire baton without flames.  The fire baton had a different feel from the regular baton.  So I would transfer my learning from one baton to the other.  I practiced the routine until I felt a sense of excellence again.  Next, we would light the fire baton with small flames to practice some more.  By the time I performed the routine in front of a crowd, most of the mistakes had been overcome and my routine was a "habit" of near "perfection."  

Every time I worked with my baton teachers, they would tell me what my strengths were.  They would look for errors, even small ones and help me to correct mistakes.  I received constant feedback.  The feedback helped me to practice in a new way and to focus on how to make things better.

In the learning process, we allow for errors.  We expect them.  Errors actually become a part of the learning experience.  We even tell students that it is okay to make mistakes.  We stress a growth mindset.  We don't know certain things yet, but we will.  We can't do certain things yet, but we will.  

Kids do not have perfect knowledge.  They are not perfect.  Everyone needs to learn.  As teachers instruct, they know mistakes are common.  They realize errors will be made.  Teachers look at where each child is at.  They look at student strengths and their struggles.  They give feedback and guidance.  They allow mistakes, and use those mistakes to teach.  One day those students will go out into the world, and will have to use and apply their learning.  Eventually, learning will have to be put into practice.  We all know that no one is perfect.  The only perfect one was Christ.  But we can use the learning process and mistakes to build excellence and expertise.  Learning is not perfection.  Excellence comes from mistakes and practice.

So, as we learn, it is inevitable that we will make mistakes and errors.  We need guidance and feedback.  For some, the journey they take with their careers will allow for few mistakes.  These individuals will have had years of learning and practice.  Who wants a surgeon who is known for making big mistakes?  Who wants a lawyer who misses key facts and details?  Who wants to ride in a plane with a pilot who doesn't know how to land an airplane?  We want errors to be made during the learning process.  We also want continued learning and growth.  We want problem solving.  We want certain skills to be "perfected."  We create a practice phase and make sure we have instructed students in everything they need to know to be successful in in their performance and in life.   

"Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence."  Colin Powell
"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection.  Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God's business."  Michael J. Fox

​BEcky