AdmiGram.com will tell you about the impact of highlighted mistakes on a child’s perception of the world through the example of a remarkable teacher from the past.
When I was young, we lived in Marseille. I went to a school where we were terribly annoyed by Madam Benish with her calligraphy lessons. It was a real nightmare, and nobody ever got good grades from her. Everyone hated the subject.
Then a new teacher came, and everything changed. The school administration couldn’t understand how the most hated subject among the children suddenly became the most beloved, and their performance in it improved.
It turned out to be quite simple. Instead of using red ink, the teacher used green. Moreover, she didn’t mark poor handwriting with a pen, but highlighted in green ink only the words that turned out the best.
And we tried incredibly hard to see those coveted green circles in our notebooks and to be praised for our efforts. Do you understand where I’m going with this? The difference in a child’s perception of the world is based on approaches.
In the first case, the child focuses on mistakes. Concentrates on deficiencies, on what they’re drilled to believe, that you’re doing this poorly. All of this carries over into adult life and becomes the most common cause of dissatisfaction in life.
In the second case, the child concentrates on what’s done correctly. It’s entirely different emotions, a different perception; it’s just a different world. It’s not the desire to avoid mistakes, but the desire to do well! Do you see the difference?
By using the ‘green ink’ method in child-rearing, you will ensure that even if you don’t point out a child’s mistakes, they gradually disappear on their own because the child strives to do everything excellently on their own free will.
