Hey everyone,

If the goal of education is growth, then failure is one of the greatest sources of data we have.

But put yourself in the shoes of a learner for a moment, in a culture where success is the only acceptable outcome. Failure is avoided at almost all costs, creating fear, impeding on the learning process.

Fear treading on my learners…?

So let’s dive into the art of failure!

Self Reflection

Is this you or your classroom?

• We praise perfection instead of persistence.
• We design assessments that end learning instead of informing future growth.
• We treat mistakes as detours instead of data points.
• We grade accuracy instead of insight.
• We value speed of mastery over depth of understanding.
• We focus on completion instead of connection.

I get caught up in these too, both when I’m teaching AND designing learning experiences. But, each unlocks a deeper truth...

Learners need space to stretch, trip, recalibrate, and try again, without it tanking their grade or confidence.

What the Nerds Have to Say

Let’s talk “errorful learning.”

It’s a research-based approach where learners are encouraged to guess and make mistakes before being shown the correct information.

A couple studies on this:

• ​University of Illinois, 2017​
• ​Foundation for Science & Technology of Portugal, 2022​

Here’s what they found:

• Depth of understanding and transfer improves when learners identify, understand, and correct their own mistakes.
• The process builds context for future learning and mistake prevention.
• The data gained from leveraging this method is actually insane (my verbiage, not theirs), benefiting students, teachers, and curriculum design.

You want examples? Hold that thought for the strategies section. First, a tangent.

A Quick, Totally Relatable Tangent

Machine learning thrives on this same principle.

Feedback loops help systems use identified errors to adjust and improve the model.

And if we zoom out to human learning, the same truth appears in the engineering design process:

1. Ask to understand the challenge
2. Imagine possible solutions
3. Plan and create a prototype
4. Test and analyze
5. Refine and improve

See the pattern? Failure fuels resilient growth.

(I have a video on why it’s important to study cross-curricular standards)

Strategies for Success with Failure

💡 Normalize iteration and versioning.

Treat drafts, mock runs, or first performances as part of the creative process.

🧩 Grade the process, not just the product.

If your rubric only measures the end result, you’ve already taught learners that the journey doesn’t matter. POW!

🧠 Predict-Then-Play.

Have learners anticipate potential outcomes BEFORE performing or producing. It’s a high-rigor strategy that strengthens metacognition (and it’s essential for creators and problem-solvers).

🗣️Normalize failure early and frequently.

In a previous newsletter, I wrote about the need to set culture up early, the same applies here. If you model “successful failure” and frame it through a growth lens, your students will learn to celebrate the process, not fear it.

Updates From the Music Room

• I’ll be presenting at the Music Ed Conference in D.C. on Jan. 30th, come say hi!
• A brand-new FREE marching band show is live: Capes & Chaos (medium-easy). It’s a fun, superhero-inspired story packed with next-level impacts and playful SFX.

• My marching band show, Sugar Skulls and Marigolds is now available for preview and purchase (medium-easy)!
• 📸 And seriously…are you ​following me on Instagram​ yet? I’ve been posting short, quirky, informative clips that have been a blast to make.

Your Thoughts

What are some ways you have designed for and/or encouraged failure in your learning? What were some results?

​Share your thoughts here.

Get Inspired,
Evan

​​Previous Issue: The Curse of Low-Level Objectives​

​PIXELartist.net​

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