ATTITUDE PACKET #6:
LEARNING FROM MISTAKES
INTRODUCTION
Everyone makes mistakes. Some mistakes are big and some are small. No one is
perfect. But you should try to avoid making the same mistake over and over again.
We need to learn from our mistakes. It is not fun to repeat mistakes. That makes
life difficult.
If you forget to bring your books to class once, most teachers understand. But if
you forget them two or three times a week it is another matter. The same is true
with getting to class on time. A student who is a few seconds late to class once
will probably not get in too much trouble. But if he is late every day, his teacher
will probably punish him for it.
This packet gives you a chance to discover the importance of learning from your
mistakes. Perhaps by reading about other students who have problems with
repeating mistakes you will realize the need for you to make improvements in this
area.
SCENES FROM A SCHOOL
Betty learns a lesson the hard way
Betty was a good student. She earned almost all “A”s on her last report card. For
Betty, math, science, English and social studies were easy. But Betty was not very
coordinated. She was a “spaz,” when it came to sports. If someone threw her a
softball, she was sure to drop it.
Betty knew she wasn’t very good at athletics so she tried to get out of gym class.
Her favorite excuse was, “I forgot my gym clothes.” Betty used this excuse three
times and got away with it. Finally, Mrs. Walker (the gym teacher) talked with her
about not dressing. Mrs. Walker had a good idea why Betty wasn’t dressing for
gym. She even offered to stay after school and help Betty work on improving her
skills. Betty agreed to the help but never showed up.
Finally, Mrs. Walker warned Betty that she would fail the class if she kept on
forgetting her gym clothes. Betty was stubborn. She refused to listen to Mrs.
Walker’s advice. It wasn’t long before Betty had earned enough “no dresses,” to
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
fail the class. Betty made a small problem into a big one by not learning from her
mistakes.
Fred can’t break an old habit
Fred wasted too much time during passing periods. He talked to everyone he knew
and then, seconds before the bell rang, he would dash off to class. Usually he
would get in his seat with a few seconds to spare. But lately he was getting to his
seat a few seconds late.
Several of Fred’s teachers mentioned to him that he was coming late too often.
Even the assistant principal, Mr. Meyer, had stopped Fred from running in the hall
because he late.
For a while Fred changed his habits. He went for a whole week without being late
to any of his classes. But then he started to slip. Mr. Meyer had a talk with him
about being late. He hoped that Fred would learn from his mistakes. But Fred just
couldn’t stop talking to everyone between classes. He came late to class again and
again.
Finally, Mr. Meyer lost his patience. Fred was given after school detentions for
being tardy. Fred hated staying after school for detention because he was missing
baseball practice. Now he sits in the detention room wondering if he will be able
to play in the big game Saturday.
REASONS FOR NOT LEARNING FROM MISTAKES
There are several reasons why people don’t learn from their mistakes. Mistakes
can become bad habits. Habits are hard to break. Cigarette smoking is a bad habit;
once you start, it is hard to quit--even if you want to quit. This is a good reason
why you want to identify your own mistakes and solve them quickly.
Some people rationalize their mistakes and this makes it even more difficult to
correct them. Just what does rationalize mean? When you rationalize something,
you make excuses for yourself.
At the beginning of a semester a student may say, “Oh, I have plenty of time to
bring my grade up in this class, I’ll get busy next week.” Then next week comes
and the student is still not working. You have to be careful that you don’t put
things off too long--they will be harder to correct later.
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
Some people don’t want to change. They know they are making mistakes but don’t
want to give up something that is bad for them. They may know cutting class is
wrong and that it can hurt their grades but they are afraid to disappoint their
friends who cut class with them.
It is best to avoid doing something wrong in the first place. If you do make a
mistake, the best thing you can do is to admit it and correct the problem. Right
away! The longer you wait the more difficult it will be to correct it.
RESULTS OF NOT LEARNING FROM MISTAKES
When you don’t learn from your mistakes, you usually pay a price. Something
negative usually happens when you continue to make the same mistake. If you are
at school, you might be punished with detentions or suspensions. If you are at
work, the person who continues to make the same mistake can lose his job.
People who care about you become concerned if you don’t learn from past
mistakes. Your parents may say, “I don’t understand why you continue to get bad
grades, we have no other choice but to ground you and take away phone
privileges.” Friends may eventually give up on a person who doesn’t try to
improve. They may say, “We’re fed up with Mary, she is always late, we can’t
count on her for anything.”
If you don’t correct the problem, it can affect you now and in the future. Learn
from your mistakes and try to get them corrected immediately. Don’t risk your
chances for success in school and later at work.
HOW TO AVOID MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN
You can avoid making the same mistake over and over again by realizing that
there are no shortcuts to being successful. You can’t cut class and then get good
grades. You can’t refuse to study and then pass the test. You can’t be late to
everything and expect people to be understanding.
Because most people make honest mistakes now and again you must learn from
them. Try to correct the problem. If you can’t do it on your own, ask for help.
Whatever you do, don’t ignore the problem and hope other people won’t notice.
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
Write a goal. Goals can help you solve problems. A goal is a personal plan. It is
something that you create that will get you started on solving a problem. An
example of a goal might be: “I will wear my watch every day and look at it two or
three times during the passing period so I know exactly how much time I have to
get to class.”
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
STUDENT RESPONSE FORM #6.l
LEARNING FROM MISTAKES
Name
Teacher
Date
The questions below were written to help you think about how you behave. Please
answer them honestly. Also be neat, spell correctly and write in complete
sentences. You are expected to answer all the questions. Your teacher, a counselor,
the principal or your parents may read your answers.
1.
Why do you think you have been asked to work on this packet?
2.
Why should you learn from your mistakes?
3.
Why is it hard to be successful if you keep making the same mistakes?
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
4.
What do most people think of individuals who don't want to learn from their
mistakes?
5.
Usually people who have trouble learning from mistakes also have difficulty
being responsible. Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement.
6.
What bad things can happen when a person keeps making the same mistakes
over and over?
7.
If you were the owner of a record store and one of your workers kept
coming to work late, what would you do? Assume that you had already
spoken to her twice about this problem. Explain your answer.
8.
Write a goal that will help you do a better job of learning from your
mistakes.
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
STUDENT RESPONSE FORM #6.2
LEARNING FROM MISTAKES
Name
Teacher
Date
The questions below were written to help you think about how you behave. Please
answer them honestly. Also be neat, spell correctly and write in complete
sentences. You are expected to answer all the questions. Your teacher, a
counselor, the principal or your parents may read your answers.
1.
Why is it important for us to learn from our mistakes?
2.
What mistake did Betty make? What lesson should she learn from her
experience?
3.
What mistake did Fred make? What lesson should he learn from his
experience?
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
4.
What mistakes do you want to quit making? Be honest.
5.
Name several reasons why people don’t learn from their mistakes.
6.
What is a goal and how can it help you improve something in your life?
7.
Pretend you are in charge of a student talent show. The show will be on in
two weeks. So far you have arranged three rehearsals and you have
scheduled two more. One of the bands that is supposed to play in your show
has missed every rehearsal. What would you do? Explain why.
8.
Write a goal that will help you learn from your mistakes.
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
FILL IN THE BLANKS #6
Name
Fill in the blanks with the correct word. You may look back to the reading section
for help.
1.
Betty knew she wasn’t very good at
gym class.
2.
Betty made a small
mistakes.
3.
Fred was given after school
4.
Mistakes can become
5.
Some people
difficult to correct them.
6.
Some people don’t want to
7.
If you do make a
correct the problem.
8.
When you don’t learn from your mistakes, you usually pay a
9.
If you are at
mistake can lose his job.
10.
People who care about you become
past mistakes.
11.
Friends may eventually give up on a person who doesn’t try to
12.
If you don’t
future.
13.
Learn from your mistakes and try to get them
14.
You can avoid making the same mistake over and over again by realizing
that there are no
to being successful.
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
so she tried to get out of
into a big one by not learning from her
for being tardy.
habits.
their mistakes and this makes it even more
.
, the best thing you can do is to admit it and
.
, the person who continues to make the same
if you don’t learn from
.
the problem, it can affect you now and in the
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
immediately.
15.
A
is a personal plan.
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
UNSCRAMBLE THE WORDS #6
Name
Unscramble the words below. You may look back to the reading section for help.
1.
smtakesi
2.
frepcet
3.
pertea
4.
fogtre
5.
vemtensropim
6.
bitsha
7.
velso
8.
cussexe
9.
rocrect
10.
hangec
11.
onrwg
12.
rothsustc
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
Answers: Attitude Packet #6
1.
Betty knew she wasn’t very good at athletics so she tried to get out of gym class.
2.
Betty made a small problem into a big one by not learning from her mistakes.
3.
Fred was given after school detentions for being tardy.
4.
Mistakes can become bad habits.
5.
Some people rationalize their mistakes and this makes it even more difficult to correct
them.
6.
Some people don’t want to change.
7.
If you do make a mistake, the best thing you can do is to admit it and correct the problem.
8.
When you don’t learn from your mistakes, you usually pay a price.
9.
If you are at work, the person who continues to make the same mistake can lose his job.
10.
People who care about you become concerned if you don’t learn from past mistakes.
11.
Friends may eventually give up on a person who doesn’t try to improve.
12.
If you don’t correct the problem, it can affect you now and in the future.
13.
Learn from your mistakes and try to get them corrected immediately.
14.
You can avoid making the same mistake over and over again by realizing that there are no
shortcuts to being successful.
15.
A goal is a personal plan.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Mistakes - smtakesi
Perfect - frepcet
Repeat - pertea
Forget - fogtre
Improvements - vemtensropim
Habits - bitsha
Solve - velso
Excuses - cussexe
Correct - rocrect
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc
10.
11.
12.
Change - hangec
Wrong - onrwg
Shortcuts - rothsustc
Attitude Packet #6: Learning from Mistakes
©2000 Advantage Press, Inc