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RUNNING HEAD: Mindfulness and Learners Mistakes

Mindfulness and Learners Mistakes

By Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Twitter: @jonacuso
Post 173

How often in the world of education- do we hear teachers that they need to be
more mindful with their learners? I personally bet this is something that is scarcely heard
in school halls, in staff meetings, or even in teachers rooms. But what seems to be the
reason for this lack of mindfulness among the teaching staff at any level of education?
Reasons may vary from individual to individual, but the fact is that mindful instructors are
very often absent from the school/college rooms, and when this happens, teachers forget
that mistakes are part of the learning process any single individual undergoes when
involved in an educational process.
Teacher mindfulness in the educational process is a must for learning to take place;
its absence can simply yield catastrophic results for teaching staff and for the students
themselves. On the one hand, mindful instructors will try to put themselves in the shoes
of their pupils and will try to see what kind of feedback is needed to motivate students
to continue to face their comprehension of a topic and the construction of their
Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano

RUNNING HEAD: Mindfulness and Learners Mistakes

knowledge. On the other hand, teacher mindfulness will trigger some backwash that can
help instructors reflect on the reasons why their learners are making mistakes or why
their learning goals are difficult to achieve by students. In conclusion, mindfulness is
crucial for the understanding as to why mistakes take place and how learners may feel
in the presence of their own mistakes.

Mindful instructors do worry about the importance of mistakes in the learning

process. Teachers must comprehend the importance of mistakes since they become
conscious attempts learners are making to use what is being explained to them by their
instructors. In a language classroom arise when language trainees are playing and
experimenting with the language, and the mindful instructors will see how their pupils
are developing the interlanguage (Cook, 1993) needed to speak the target language. In
a technology class, where the instructor is training students to use freeware to create
interactive materials for their students, the teachers show their mindfulness when
scaffolding the learning experiences that were programmed to facilitate learning.
Additionally, though mistakes are bound to happen, mindful instructors will kindly assist
learners to understand and achieve the learning goals that will help them develop their
own skills and competencies.
Mindfulness is indeed a way of living and a way of teaching. The fact that teaching
professionals understand why students make mistakes helps us visualize that they are
aware of the importance of being mindful of what is happening inside the classroom walls
and beyond them when learners are practicing on their own. And a great way to have
learners approach their teachers and ask for help is by means of mindful community
Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano

RUNNING HEAD: Mindfulness and Learners Mistakes

builders, which are simple but participatory activities that can be carried out before major
learning experiences are going to take place. That is, learners are given the chance to
connect with their instructor and other peers as well. Their affective filter (Krashen, 1985)
will go undoubtfully down, and their disposition for learning can be more acute.

Cook, V. (1993). Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition. Hampshire: PalgraveMacmillan

Krashen, S. (1985). The Input Hypothesis: Issues and Implications. London: Longman

Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano