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CONVINCING STUDENTS, IT’S OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES

back to school life skills making mistakes social skills social story Jul 15, 2020

Do you have students who get really upset when they make even the smallest mistake?

Do you have students who try so hard to avoid making mistakes that they get incredibly anxious and preoccupied with doing something “right?”

Do you have students who struggle to understand (or admit) when they have made a mistake that requires an apology?

I do.

I have students who will rip their papers if they don’t like the way something looks. They will work really hard on something and then, out of (what seems like) nowhere, rip it up and throw it across the room.

It’s heartbreaking.

I also have students who are so afraid to make a mistake that they sit quietly all day and will not start anything until the teacher gives them explicit instructions. They ask the same questions over and over, checking, to make sure they are doing it “right.”

Ugh…

And yes, I also have students who refuse to admit when they make a mistake, they wont apologize no matter what! Big mistake, small mistake, it doesn’t matter. It’s as if apologizing means they are a terrible person. In these situations you have two people who are upset, the one who feels they deserve an apology, and they one who is super upset about being asked to give it….

For some of these students, a social story may be very helpful.

Social skills stories use clear, concise language to break down information into small, explicit steps that help children understand what they should or should not do in a given situation.

Social skills stories are a great way to teach important skills to children who are struggling to understand a particular social concept such as handling mistakes.

Social Skills Stories And Skill Builder Activities combine a story and one or more follow up activities and/or visual supports. These activities and visual supports will help your students build the skills they need, in order to use the information presented in the story more successfully.

This story will help children who have a difficult time handling their mistakes. The story breaks down various types of mistakes and gives suggestions for how to handle each of them. The story discusses how some mistakes need to be FIXED, some require an APOLOGY and others just need to be LET GO.

The skill building activities help children to understand when, why and how to give someone an apology or when to let something go and move on.

Inspirational quote posters will be wonderful reminders to your students that making mistakes is a necessary part of life and that we all make mistakes.

Who Might Find This Social Story Skill Builder Helpful?

✓ Social Workers/Psychologists:
Use this story with students who are anxious about getting everything right and never making a mistake.
✓ Special Educators:
Use this story with students on your caseload who engage in challenging behavior when they make a mistake or refuse to try in fear of making a mistake.
✓ Regular Education Teachers:
Use this story with students in your class who are anxious and perfectionistic and who are afraid to take academic or social risks.

Social Skills Story & Activities:

It’s Okay To Make Mistakes, is great for children grades {or ability level} 3rd-5th

1 Social Skills Story {in color}