What If Failure Is Actually the Point?

Rethinking Failure, Play, and Learning Through Theatre

One part of this reading that really stuck with me was the idea that failure is not the opposite of learning, but actually a part of learning. It made me think about how much failure is a normal part of theatre and how much I have learned from it.

Theatre is full of moments where things do not go as planned. You forget a line, miss a cue, go the wrong direction in choreography, or try an acting choice that sounded great in your head but completely falls flat when you actually do it. Sometimes you can rehearse something for weeks and eventually realize, this just isn't working.

But we usually do not stop there. We figure out what went wrong, try something different, and do it again. Sometimes we laugh about it, sometimes we get frustrated, but we keep going. Failure becomes part of the process of making the show better.

I think this is one of the reasons I enjoy teaching drama. There is something really valuable about creating an environment where students can mess up without feeling like they have actually failed. If a student tries an acting choice and it does not work, that is information. If they forget their lines, we figure out what might help them next time. If they are struggling with a dance combination, we break it down and try again. The goal is not to avoid mistakes, but to create a space where students feel comfortable making them.

This also connects to something else we have talked about in class: development is not a straight line. Students are constantly developing at different rates, and part of our job as teachers is to give them opportunities to try, struggle, adjust, and try again.

What Theatre Can Teach Us About Play

I also think this connects to the importance of play. As we get older, we sometimes forget how important it is to play, experiment, and try things without knowing exactly how they will turn out. We become more focused on doing things correctly and avoiding mistakes. In a way, we can lose some of the curiosity and freedom that comes naturally when we are younger.

I think there is actually a lot we could learn from kindergarteners. They are often willing to try something simply because it looks fun or interesting. They will make something, decide they do not like it, and immediately try something else. They do not always worry about whether they are doing it “right.” There is something really valuable in that willingness to play, explore, and fail.

This is something I see in theatre as well. When students are given the freedom to play with a character, movement, voice, or an idea, they often discover things they would not have found if they were only focused on getting it right. Play gives them permission to experiment and take risks.

From Failure to Learning

The reading says, “Failure provides us with the feedback necessitating change.” I really like this idea because it changes the question from “Did I fail?” to “What did that tell me?” Instead of seeing failure as the end of something, we can see it as information that helps us figure out what to do next.

As a future teacher, I think that is something I want my classroom to encourage. I do not want students to feel like getting something wrong means they are not capable. I want them to understand that making mistakes, playing, experimenting, and even failing can all be part of learning.

I also think this is something we sometimes lose as we develop and grow. When we are younger, we are more willing to play, try things, and make mistakes without thinking too much about what other people might think. As we get older, we can become more afraid of being wrong or looking like we do not know what we are doing. Maybe there is something we can learn from those kindergarteners who are willing to just try.

And honestly, if theatre has taught me anything, it is that sometimes the best moments happen because something went completely wrong.

References

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2016). The Kindergarten Program. Government of Ontario.

Taylor, M. E., & Boyer, W. (2020). Play-based learning: Evidence-based research to improve children’s learning experiences in the kindergarten classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48, 127–133.