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When the Teacher Corrects Me

Roo Bloom · Social Stories · roobloom.com

  1. I am writing my lettersIn class, I am writing letters on my paper.
  2. My teacher shows meMy teacher comes over and shows me a different way.
  3. I might feel crossI might feel cross, embarrassed or worried.
  4. Helping my bodyI can help my body feel ready to listen.

    I could try… Squeeze my hands, then let go · Count slowly · Hold my calm-down thing · Say “I need a break”

  5. This is how teaching worksShowing me a different way is how teachers teach.
  6. I am not in troubleBeing corrected does not mean I am in trouble.
  7. I can ask what to doIf I’m not sure, I can ask what to do.

    I can say: “Can you show me slowly?”

  8. I can watch and listenI can watch while my teacher shows me.
  9. I can try the new wayI can try the new way on my paper.
  10. It gets easierEach time I try a new way, it gets a little easier.
  11. I am learningI am learning new ways to do things every day.

I can remember

  • My feelings are okay.
  • Being shown a new way helps me learn.
  • Being corrected is not being in trouble.
  • I can ask what to do.
  • New ways get easier with practice.
For grown-ups

What this story teaches

That when a teacher shows a different way, that is teaching, not telling off — and that feeling cross or embarrassed about it is allowed. It gives the child things to do: steady the body, ask, watch, and try the new way.

When to use it

  • If your child hears every correction as being in trouble.
  • Before starting something new, like handwriting, swimming or a new sport.
  • After a hard moment at school when a correction led to tears or a shutdown.

For this story

  • Separate the correction from the child: “That’s a new way to try,” not “That’s wrong.”
  • Asking “why?” or saying “I liked my way” is a skill, not rudeness. Help your child say it calmly.
  • Ask the teacher whether a quiet, private correction works better for your child than one in front of the class.
  • This story is for ordinary teaching. If corrections are harsh, shaming or constant, that is for you to raise with the school — not for your child to get used to.

How to use it

  • Read it together on a calm day, not mid-meltdown. In the hard moment itself, fewer words help more: stay close, keep everyone safe, and save the story for later.
  • Read it again just before a tricky moment you can see coming: on the way to the park, the night before a haircut.
  • Make it fit your child: skip pages, stop when they’ve had enough, swap a detail as you read so it matches your child’s day, or read only the “I can remember” card.
  • Add your child’s first name on the story’s opening page and it appears in a line or two. The name stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere.
  • Use the story’s words in real life (“No means not right now”), and model them when you hear “no” too.
  • Notice tries, not perfect calm. Big feelings are allowed; the story is about what to do with them.

Good to know

  • These stories are for everyday disappointments and changes. They never mean a child should put up with pain, fear, unsafe touch, bullying or anything that hurts — telling a trusted adult is always the right answer there.
  • Nothing here asks a child to make eye contact, hug anyone — family included — stop stimming or stop crying. Crying and moving are ways bodies cope, and headphones or a break are always allowed.
  • Where a story says a grown-up will do something — stop when a hand goes up, give a warning, keep a “later” spot — make sure it really happens, or change that page. A signal that isn’t honoured teaches a child their words don’t work.
  • The aim is understanding and choices, not a quiet or compliant child. Asking “why?”, saying no to touch and disagreeing in words are skills to welcome.
  • Visual stories help many children and not every child. Adapt, skip or change any page. This is an educational resource, not therapy or medical advice.