I use the Henry Ford philosphy. He said that failure was just an opportunity to start over more intelligently. I reassure my students by telling them that no one expects them to be perfect, but they can't know what they need to get better at until they see what they don't do well. Then we have a goal to improve. I tell them not to compare themselves to anyone else in the class but to compare themselves to what they knew when they walked into the class. As long as they are getting better, they are going in the right direction. We all learn at different rates and all are smart at something. We just have to keep trying until we get there.
