I come clean and honest infront of them. Belonging to medical profession, I talk about medical ethics, medical conscience and professionalism all the time. I tell them nothing is more important than a human life, not even our careers. I believe best way of teaching them honesty is with action. I tell them from the beginning that no one is perfect, including me and human error is always going to be there. It means I can make an honest mistake too, just like anyone else.

I apologize then let them help me fix the issue. seems to work because they see they could have made the same mistake.

Being "up front" with the students seems to help them respect the instructor more in the long run. Then I look for solutions to avoid in the future.

I have always admitted to the students that I had made a mistake or I did not know the answer.  I have always told them that I would look into it.  Just make sure that you get back to them as soon as you can.  You will gain the respect of your students.

Mary Cornelius

I agree that honesty is the best policy! However, I don't think there is anything wrong with havin a sense of humor about being human, either. It is important for students to see you as an approachable human being while not crossing the line. Students can interact with a computer in the library or a lab or at home. They physically attend classes to engage in a social activity. Therefore, be social, have a sense of humor, but remain professional.

I feel that admitting to students that you made a mistake shows that you are human. Students respect you more than if they feel that you are being truthful. If they catch you in a mistake, it shows that they have learned something and depending on how you address the error is important. Being able to laugh at your own mistakes is good in the classroom, but not if it is too often.