[GreyingJay]

The message I'd want to send my students is... be as smart and diligent as you can. Use common sense. And I would expand common sense things to include knowledge about basic electronics or shop safety or whatever.

For example - if an electronic part wants to be powered by 5 volts, then you don't try plugging it into a 12 volt supply. (Unless the spec sheet specifically says it can handle it.) This may not be common knowledge to a beginner student, but it darn well should be once they've started to learn some basics.

Double-checking power supply voltages should be as ingrained as looking both ways before crossing the street.

However, given all that - I would want students to know that mistakes are OK. They happen. They're forgivable. They're normal. They're a learning experience.

They do, however, have consequences - if you blow up the RoboRio, you may be asked to come up with a way to replace it. Or, the team may have to learn to adapt. You blew up the RoboRio in the practice bot. We can't afford a new one. What will we do? Maybe build a transportable control system to move the one remaining RoboRio between competition and practice bots.