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Aug 20, 2026
Start Strong: Safe to Be Wrong
Start Strong: Safe to Be Wrong
00:00
00:41
Transcript
0:00
It's your first proper lesson with a new class. You ask a challenging question and nothing. No hands. Nobody wants to risk getting it wrong in front of a room full of peers they barely know.
0:12
The temptation is to make the question easier, but I think that's the wrong move. Don't lower the difficulty. Instead, lower the stakes entirely. Use mini whiteboards. Give students time to talk to a partner first.
0:25
Let them test an answer before sharing it publicly. Make being wrong feel cheap and safe while keeping the thinking hard. So here, the big question.
0:35
In those first couple of weeks, how do you lower the stakes without lowering the bar? Let me know in the comments below.
The DistillED Staffroom
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