Today we were solving 8 + 3 + 2.
I asked what answers the students had found.
"12," someone said.
"15," Maggie said.
I recorded both totals on the board. "Any more answers?" I asked.
No more hands went up.
"Who will defend their total?" I asked. I pulled a name out of my cup of names. It was Jaylin.
"I know that 8+2 is 10," he explained. "And 3 more is 13."
I wrote down his solution on the board.
"Who else wants to defend their answer?" I asked. Then I saw Maggie's hand up. I called on her.
"I made a mistake," she said.
"What was your mistake?" I asked.
"I thought it was 15," she said. "But I counted wrong. It's 13."
I smiled at her.
"Wow, Maggie," I said. "You have to be really brave to say 'I made a mistake' like that."
Suddenly, Maya raised her hand.
"Yes, Maya," I said.
"I made a mistake," she said.
"What kind of mistake?" I asked.
"I thought it was 15, too," she said.
I smiled at her.
"Maya, Maggie made a mistake today. I'm not sure if you did or not, but that's okay. There will be lots of other days for making mistakes."
