This is very understandable due to the fact that he is a teacher, and his role as a teacher prevents him from getting too personal with his students. Moreover, in my opinion, it was very important to keep this barrier between the professor and his students because otherwise they could've lost their respect for him as a teacher. At the same time, Keatings was eccentric and open enough to make his students be interested in him which helped in getting their attention to poetry. .
Unfortunately, we live in the world "with more emphasis on what is wrong with us than on what's right about us" (Michael Cody), and because of that there are people who depend on the approval of others in order to feel good about themselves. People with low self-esteem try to avoid showing their unfavorable characteristics and in order to do so they avoid taking action at all. When Todd Andersen refuses to read his poem in professor Keatings' class, he is afraid of getting negative opinion from his classmates, moreover, he truly believes that he is not able to write poetry. However, John Keatings neither gives him an "F" nor lets him sit down. What does he do? He makes Todd believe in himself. He says: "Mr. Anderson thinks that everything inside of him isworthless and embarrassing, isn't that right Todd, isn't that your worst fear? Well, I think you're wrong, I think you have something inside of you that is worth a great deal."Saying this was enough to make Todd believe that he is just as any other students of his class is able to write a poem. And he does improvise a poem so well that he impresses Keatings and all his friends. When individuals experience success, they grow in self-confidence. And as their self-esteem grows, they will feel more comfortable to face new challenges.
Perhaps the highest purpose of education is for the individual to become aware of oneselves because when people know themselves they can maximize good outcomes, for it is through awareness that we are able to choose our goals and create our destiny.
