Mistakes are not the problem. The shame we attach to mistakes and inability to grow from them is. Mistakes are part of learning. Every educator knows this. But what happens before and after a mistake that facilitates that learning is rarely explored practically. Colleen provides research, examples, and tools that help teachers destigmatize mistake-making so that they and their students can do the real work of growth. In Risk. Fail. Rise. teachers will learn how to address their own teaching mistakes, model with their own mistake-making, and improve their responses to others’ mistakes. The more aware we are of why we make mistakes, what we can do to avoid unnecessary ones, and respond to useful ones, the more our classroom will be a place of risk-taking and growth for all students. Lay the groundwork for a mistake-welcoming school culture and embrace positive risk-taking and productive failure in your classroom. The outcomes for you and your students are worth it.

Introduction: These brains are made for mistaking -- Mistakes cost more for some -- Other people's mistakes -- Martyrs make more mistakes -- Common cognitive error: "Fear is the mind-killer" -- Common cognitive error: "Everything will be OK" -- Thomassons: Maintaining mistakes for the wrong reasons -- A mistake-welcoming classroom culture -- Mistakes lessons -- Epilogue: It's what we do next that matters.