Students don't always get a true sense of development and the amount of trial and error that is required to bring projects to fruition. It is my opinion that, as teachers, we help to initiate and perpetuate our students' learning anxieties. We may not be the root cause, but we do share some blame. Students perceive critical opinions we form about them or their abilities, and that can lead to a negative classroom experience. In his book Mastering Teaching Techniques, Joseph Lowman states that instructors cannot be held responsible for the differences in ability students bring with them.
Teachers have as much power to excite a student's enthusiasm as to dampen it.
It is difficult for some teachers to open up to their students. We have some of the same fears that they have. We may be fearful about different issues, but we all have fears. Some teachers worry that getting too close to their students will lead to a breakdown in discipline or respect. Personally, I feel this to be a risk worth taking.