Stay Positive: Skills, Attributes, or Attitudes That Do Not Require Much Talent

I rarely talk (if ever) about my work on this blog, but I've had a frustrating semester with one class. I know they can do the work and can improve, but it sure doesn't seem like they want to invest the time and effort to actually get better. And it's frustrating the hell out of me. 

In honor of that frustration, below I offer you items that don't require much talent at all. This is cribbed, in part, from a meme that's been galavanting about social media. But these are things I've thought about for years as an educator. 

Skills, Attributes, or Attitudes That Do Not Require Much Talent:

• Effort
• Paying Attention
• Being Coachable
• Work Ethic
• A Growth Mindset
• Being Prepared
• Following Directions
• Active Listening
• Being on Time
• Positive Body Language
• Caring about the Quality of Your Work
• Giving a Damn

So I'm trying to stay positive about things that work and get good results.