Eduhonesty: Those kids who go left when you say right? Who do their homework only when they feel like it? Who ignore the rules when the rules prove inconvenient? Try to appreciate them for who they are. I (almost) always enjoyed my miscreants, even as I tried to work on modifying their behavior.

 

The truth is that the best and brightest kids in the crowd are not always people- or teacher-pleasers. If you have that kid who wants to go left when you say go right, try to find alternative assignments and activities that will allow both of you to save face while that kid sometimes journeys off to the left. Some of those kids who go left will be among the most interesting people you will ever meet.