MISTAKES CAN MAKE US BETTER

We will continue the Parents Series tomorrow. Today I Brought Back This Classic, Enjoy It!

MISTAKES CAN MAKE US BETTER
David Adeniji

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We were in class – Further maths class – the most dreaded class in those days, probably even now. And our teacher – the Further Maths teacher – he was no rookie in that subject. He’s even our school principal at that time. He’s in his sixties so we call him ‘Baba’. Matter of fact, he’s one of the authors of our further maths textbook. A textbook used nationally. Seated quietly somewhere in the middle of the bench in a class of over 60 students, I paid rapt attention to the algebraic jargons being scribbled all over every available space on the blackboard.

About 45 minutes into the class, the silence was freezing as students grappled with the long expressions. ‘Baba’ made understanding no easier because he talks as fast as he writes. And then ‘boom!’, I spotted a rare error in between the lines. ‘Baba’ had written a plus(+) somewhere instead of a minus (-) and that gave the equation a whole new answer. And that answer was WRONG. So long a solution, but the answer was WRONG.

schoolownersforum.com/mistakes-can-make-us-better

But how do you correct a guru, an author of the textbook he’s teaching from, our principal, a man in his 60’s? I was just a teenager. I was terrified. What if i’m wrong. But I shook that off. I broke the silence. ‘Sir, there’s an error’. All eyes on me. Everyone. ‘Baba’ reluctantly reviewed his very long solution. The x squares and y cubes and the rest. Alas! I was right.  I was rewarded, ‘Baba’ gave me money, new notes, much more than enough for a young chap’s lunch. I was applauded, a heroic applause. I had done what no one else could do. I became a star in the class. Everyone gave me their problems to solve. Maths became my best subject in school. I have even written a textbook on it.

Lesson:

No one is too big to make mistakes. Everyone makes them. Even professors. Most of the worlds inventions came through mistakes. The microwave oven, super glue, X-Ray, Coca-Cola, saccharin, are inventions that came accidentally.

Don’t always go with the Flow. Think critically and make corrections where necessary. But let your attitude not betray your wit. Let your timing be right. With the right attitudes, together we will change the world for better.

Learn from your mistakes. When you do, you grow stronger and become better. Don’t repeat mistakes. From that day on, ‘Baba’ taught slower, and we understood more. More students loved the subject. Me too. And more students passed it.

David Adeniji
Convener – SOF, NSIG, SOFCOOP
08069462143
adenijidav@gmail.com

*?DETAILS OF THE SOF OUTDOOR SESSION*

*✅Date*: 14th March, 2018 | 10am
*✅Venue*: Cranfield Bizhub, No 7, Razaq Balogun Street, off Adebola Street, Off Adeniran Ogunsanya Road, Surulere, Lagos ✅Venue Description: From National Stadium, drive to Masha Round about and turn Left to Adebola, then link Razaq Balogun ( no 7). The street where you have that DSTV office visible from stadium.
*✅Host*: David Adeniji (Master School-Strategist, Business Coach)
*✅Entry*: N29,000 (Early Bird – N25,000 – First 50 Registrants)
*✅Covers*: Lunch, Full Course Materials, One-On-One Consultation with David Adeniji
*✅Payment*: Access Bank, 0033762968, David Adeniji
*✅Contact*: 08096719400, 08069462143

*?There’s always a better way to doing business, Join the Class of Masters. Your
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