Dealing with "Silly" Mistakes

How many times have we told a student something similar to the following: "Come on, stop doing those silly mistakes and concentrate harder!!"?  Do such harsh words usually help the student focus more?  Most likely not!  All we're actually doing is lowering their self esteem.

I believe that no one intentionally errs.  There are reasons for everything we do.  So what is really behind those "silly" mistakes?  I would like to discuss few of them here:
 
a) One of the basic sources of such mistakes is what I like to call "foundation problem".  If there is a basic theory that the student does not understand, that would create many problems.  So it's always important to diagnose the mistake carefully and try to figure out what is causing it.

b) Another reason would be if the student is working too fast.  Solving problems hastily could be a dilemma for many students, because they are not taking their times to think carefully about a problem and double check their work.  It's of utmost importance to ask a student to take his/her time while solving a problem.

c) Sometimes the type of food we consume affects the way our brains function.  It's important to pay close attention to find out if there is a constant occurence of confusion because of a specific food being eaten.

d) The intake of water could be another cause.  Many research have proven that lack of water causes the short memory of the brain to become weaker.  We always have to ensure that we're drinking lots of water to avoid that problem.

These are just few of the reasons accountable for "silly" mistakes.  So before accusing someone of being stupid or silly and hurting his/her feelings, let's focus on what is creating that confusion.