Mistakes by Pamela Paula

Mistakes by Pamela Paula - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Teachers do not get enough credit, inside or outside of school. However, they teach different important lessons – whether it be a topic related to the class that he or she is meant to teach or a simple life lesson. One particular lesson that I have learned from teachers is that it alright to make mistakes.

People make mistakes all the time and they immediately pair it with failure. Sure, teachers will mark points off when mistakes are evident in the work that is submitted. However, a person can learn more from their mistakes. There are people who do not make mistakes in their work but they do not show strength in their assessments. Classwork and schoolwork successes should mean success in assessments, right? Not necessarily. There are people who simply copy off of people’s work to avoid mistakes. But little do know, those who work hard to avoid future mistakes have dealt with many errors throughout the process of near-perfection. It is better off to make mistakes and learn something from it, rather than not making any mistakes at all and suffer in the future.

Teachers make mistakes every once in a while – nobody is perfect – society expects all teachers to be flawless in the topics that they teach. On the other hand, they make mistakes in the process of their teachings. For example, I once had a math teacher who made mistakes all of the time. But did he give up right then and there? No. My math teacher picked himself up and corrected his mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, whether it be small or big.
The way to success is not a straight, smooth road. On the other hand, it is a curvy, bumpy road. For example, drivers have lower chances of getting into car accidents in a straight, smooth road, unless they are over-speeding. On the other hand, they have higher chances into getting one or several in a curvy, bumpy road, but they risk it anyways. That is how life is: we take risks for eventual success. Yes, mistakes are bound to happen, but we learn from them and we can always try again next time. For example, an actor who failed an audition will not stop auditioning for future opportunities. That same actor most likely did not realize that he required an immense amount of practice. He would think that his already established talent is enough, but he will try harder the next time. Simply, individuals take risks to failure to be better next time.

Life is full of important lessons, but teachers show their students that it is acceptable to make mistakes, as long as they show progress in their success. Teachers are not only meant to teach topics that they are meant to teach in their class – like logarithms in algebra – but they are also meant to give their students advice in life. In this case, a teacher has taught me that slip-ups in learning can be turn out to be a positive thing.