Respecting Students

I came across an interesting article today about how one professor turned his class around by getting a more positive view of his students and his material.

I thought it was an excellent point he made when he said he went into his material and found that it was put together on the idea of "You must learn this though it is a painful process". When he went back and tried to make the experience of learning more interesting to his students and a more enjoyable experience (note: not easier, just more enjoyable) by celebrating the discoveries with the students suddenly fewer students dropped his course and more were passing with higher grades.

Funny how that works... a little respect pays back 10 fold, rather than just dismissing students as "impossible to teach."