Looking at Student Work Through a Responsive Lens: Part 2

Identifying and Addressing Misconceptions

In every classroom, student work offers us a powerful opportunity—not just to see what students got right, but to uncover the why behind their mistakes. Misconceptions aren’t just errors; they’re windows into student thinking. When we take the time to recognize and explore them, we create space for deeper understanding rather than just correction.

Shifting Our Mindset on Mistakes

Instead of seeing misconceptions as problems to fix, what if we viewed them as insights to guide our teaching? For example:

🔹 A student writes 1.4 > 1.39 but explains that 39 is “bigger” than 4. This tells us they may not yet understand place value in decimals.

🔹 A student consistently multiplies a number by 10 by adding a zero (e.g., 4 × 10 = 40 becomes 4.2 × 10 = 4.20). This indicates a developing understanding of place value, specifically how the magnitude of a value changes when a zero is added to the end of a number, including decimals.

Rather than simply correcting these mistakes, we can design learning experiences that help students make sense of mathematical ideas.

Turning Misconceptions into Learning Moments

✔ Use student errors as discussion starters – Ask, Why might someone think this? How can we prove or disprove it?

✔ Encourage multiple strategies – Exposing students to different ways of thinking can help clarify concepts.

✔ Normalize mistake-making – Build a classroom culture where errors are seen as natural steps in the learning process.

Try This in Your Classroom:

The next time you see a common misconception, resist the urge to correct it immediately. Instead, pose a question that helps students reflect: What do you notice? Does this answer make sense? How can we test our thinking?

What are some misconceptions you’ve encountered in student work? How do you turn them into learning opportunities? Let’s reflect together! 💡👇