AFTER A BAD GRADE · 03
How to correct mistakes without copying the answer
Correction is not copying the right answer. It is being able to rebuild it.
Four steps to work through carefully.
- 1
Explain the mistake
Write one clear sentence: what I thought, where I went wrong and which clue I should have noticed.
- 2
Rebuild the method
Redo the original question on a clean page, showing every essential step.
- 3
Attempt a variation
Complete an equivalent but different question without looking at the previous correction.
- 4
Check later
Test the skill again the next day. Recovery needs to last beyond immediate memory.
Quick check
Before moving on
- ✓ I can describe the mistake in my own words
- ✓ I can redo the question without looking
- ✓ I can solve an equivalent question
- ✓ I check the result using a clear method
KEY IDEAA mistake is truly corrected when the student recognises the situation and independently chooses the right method.