Don't bail; the best pieces of gold are at the bottom of the barrel of crap.
It's not how hard you hit. It's how hard you get hit... and keep moving forward.
Are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?
When you do the right thing, good stuff has a way of happening.
We need to make sure our students are exerting themselves. We need to praise them when they deserve it and to tell them honestly when they have it in them to work harder.
Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress. When you're pissed off at someone and you're angry at them, you just haven't given them enough time. Just give them a little more time and they almost always will impress you.