Classroom Happenings: The Wonder of Blunders

A lopsided cake … a plant whose leaves have turned brown … a not-so-great test score. We’ve all been there! Failures are universal.

At Steward, students in all divisions learn and grow through foundational skills and innovative problem-solving. They also discover that challenges are part of the learning process. This semester, third-grade teachers Liz Houston, Andy Routzahn, and Emma Zehfuss helped their students explore how to recognize and combat failures and how to pull from a “growth mindset toolbox” when failures arise. 

“We learned about the brain, emotions, how to face challenges, grit, and strategies to use when failure strikes,” said Ms. Houston. When the third-grade team learned that author Brad Montague had published a new book, “Fail-a-bration,” they ordered it and started planning a special surprise for their students. “Mr. Montague is such an inspirational author,” said Ms. Houston. “His book ‘Circles’ is how we kick off the year and set the tone for third grade: that we are all connected.”

Page Turner
On November 14, third graders were encouraged to write down something they had failed at. Then, they settled in on the floor of a third-grade classroom to listen to Lower School Librarian Carlee Smith read “Fail-a-bration.” Little did they know that the book's last page was also the beginning of … a party!

“Friends, please join me,” read Ms. Smith from the colorfully illustrated book. “Get excited! I’m throwing a Fail-a-bration! Of course, YOU are invited!” And with that, our young readers were ushered to the Lower School Library, which was decked out with balloons and a perfectly imperfect Fail-a-bration cake.

“The party was planned before we even read the book,” shared Mr. Routzahn. “When students walked into the library, they were so excited. Some of their parents were there, too, adding to the fun.” 

Failure is Universal
Several weeks earlier, the Grade 3 teachers had asked third-grade parents, plus Steward faculty, staff, and coaches, to submit short videos of themselves in which they share examples of how they’ve failed and bounced back. As students nibbled on the delicious cake, they watched the videos, which elicited lots of cheers and laughter. 

“I always say ‘good morning’ when I should say, ‘good afternoon,’” shared School Counselor Jentae Scott-Mayo in her video. “We played the wrong basketball team,” laughed Director of Athletics Bruce Secrest, “because we went to the wrong school and insisted they were on our roster! But we won!” Other video testimonials included a snorkeling mishap, keys locked inside a car, a not-so-great test grade, a missed appointment, and a homemade cake that was supposed to look like a dog, but … didn’t! 

Ms. Zehfuss said, “The goal was to show students that failing doesn’t have to be bad. It means that you tried and learned. Our motto is: Yay for you! You are not alone.” Ms. Houston added, “Normalizing failure helps students realize that mistakes are how we grow. Plus, failures often turn into funny stories that we can laugh about!”

Failing … and Growing
After watching the videos, students were in for one more surprise.

“Stand up, tear up the piece of paper you wrote your failure on, and when I count to three, throw the pieces in the air!” instructed Mr. Routzahn. “One … two … three!”

“The confetti of our failures was the highlight of this project,” said Ms. Houston. “We are really proud of the students and how they have come to view failures as an opportunity to grow.”