I believe that mistakes or a lack of knowledge are not personal failings, nor are they a reflection of you as a person. Students often believe that a single bad grade or a few missed questions define them as a bad person or a bad student, even though there is never one single reason for a bad grade, and that grades are not a defining factor in life beyond a certain point. However, a person's response to their own mistakes will always define the kind of person they are. My students will not be children forever; there will come a point where they will need to be independent, responsible, and productive members of their community. Adults facing difficulties must choose to give up or continue working, choose to pursue the same course of action or change their approach, and choose to examine their own personal responsibility within a given situation. These are difficult choices, and it is the responsibility of adults (parents, siblings, extended family, supervisors at work, and teachers at school) to model the choices that define a well-adjusted adult.