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I’ve written a lot about the importance of teachers being able to apologize to students when we mess-up (see The Best Resources On The Importance Of Saying “I’m Sorry”).
Here’s another reason why it’s important. It’s — more or less — a transcript of a story that my colleague and co-author Katie Hull had this morning:
I want to tell you about something that Joan (a student that we have in common — not her real name) told me yesterday. She came to me and said “You and Mr. Ferlazzo write books together, right?”
I told her, “Yes.”
She said, “It’s about how to be a good teacher, right?”
I told that it was, more or less.
Joan then said, “I can tell – you both teach the same way. If Mr. Ferlazzo gets upset at the wrong student for talking, he apologizes. You do, too. Most teachers never say they’re sorry about anything!”
Enjoyed this post, Larry. It’s so, so important for adults to role-model the art of the sincere apology. Kids need to learn that there’s no shame in being wrong, and that ‘fessing up gracefully to mistakes is one of *the* keys to success in relationships and in life.