New teacher at Riga Jugla Secondary School aims to help pupils stop fearing mistakes

Krista Patrīcija Zeibote has started work as a teacher at Riga Jugla Secondary School in the new school year. Her first year in the profession is the subject of a feature by Latvian public broadcaster LSM. It looks at how a new teacher's outlook can help pupils who find school difficult.

Fear of mistakes gets in the way of learning

Mathematics is a hard subject for many pupils. Fear of making mistakes can sometimes stop them from even trying to understand formulas and tasks, so a child may give up before really starting.

The teacher's approach

Zeibote considers mistakes a natural part of learning. In her view, a teacher's job is to help children believe in their own abilities, so that they dare to try and are not afraid of getting things wrong.