Response to "I am An Optimist" by Mr. McClung

Teachers need to hold on to their optimism, or else why are they there. A positive attitude toward the profession, subject, and student body will go far in the way students perceive the teacher. I can remember those teacher that seemed like they didn't want to be there or had just a negative out look on the students, these were the worst classes to be in. Label the students is also a dangerous affair. Putting kids into groups of those who will succeed and those who won't is setting them up for failure. Teaches should go into the job with the attitude that all can succeed. It is not for the teacher to condemn students that they feel can't succeed. If teachers start labeling kids into a group of "those who can't succeed" then it might become self fulfilling. As teachers how can we live with ourselves if we did this?