Science specialist: let students 'mess up' to build confidence in labs

Eric Kinkade, science specialist for Monongalia County Schools, told the Motivation and Momentum podcast that allowing students to “mess up” in laboratory work helps build scientific confidence. “Letting them mess up. Science is messy,” Kinkade said. He described classroom assignments that ask students to design experiments, watch them fail, analyze what went wrong and try again as crucial to learning: “That productive struggle … helps calm us, like, it's okay if I mess up.” Kinkade said the approach applies across grade levels, from sixth grade through 12th grade, and stressed teachers must balance safety and structure with opportunities for exploration. He advised teachers to resist immediately fixing students’ work so learners can develop troubleshooting and critical-thinking skills. Amber Nichols, the podcast host, framed the advice for teachers seeking practical strategies; Kinkade said he calls active exploratory time in labs “play in the lab” while keeping safety protocols in place. The podcast discussion was descriptive and instructional; it did not include any new district mandates or formal classroom policy changes.