[Gazelle]

A teacher is there to teach. Can one teach confidence? One can encourage it. But, whatever this might lead to...i think the best way to teach (and the way i try to do it), is to be realistic, but, that does not mean that you should bring people up or down intentionally. You should convey the information in the most positive way possible (that sounds terrible), i mean, if there is a problem with a technique, for example, then tell them what they are doing wrong, but don't jibe them and mock them, tell them how they are doing it wrong and what they can do to correct it. Take small steps. There is no point giving them 10 things they have to do to correct something, just stick with maybe max 3, depending on what you are doing. Of course, given they were doing something in not the best way, or even, incorrectly they will be uncertain (unless it was a mistake, or they are cocky) and looking for reassurance. If you think there is an improvement tell them, and what it was, if you think they have done well, praise them, if they have done worse or no better, tell them, put encourage them that it is not a hopeless cause...a teachers job is to teach, and to do it effectively, they need to read their student. Undertand what helps them do better, and what sort of encouragement or experience they require to get them at the confidence level you think is appropriate, in an appropriate fashion. The teacher is the one taking the class, they are able to control who they spar with, who they train with. If they think one person in a situation would be good, then they can ensure they end up with them.

A teacher does what s/he believes is good for the student to learn. If that involves giving them more encouragement, then so be it. But, at the end of the day, though a teacher can mean a lot, it is in the end up to the student. They can not feed them the skills, or the mentality on a silver platter.