Success). Building trust does not happen overnight, but by focusing on the four elements of trust

--- competence, reliability, intentions and appearance --- the seeds of trust are planted (Peterson).

The positive environment then allows the relationship, or seed, to grow and develop.

"Relationship selling transcends the sales transaction and looks beyond it to the ongoing

relationship between the buyer and the seller." (Cathcart, p. xiii)

 Whatever level of motivation students bring to the classroom will be transformed, for

better or worse, by what happens in that classroom. Interaction between teachers and learners

and interaction among learners are powerful factors in promoting learning (Angelo). Active

learning creates excitement in the classroom and needs to be incorporated into the daily routine

of classroom instruction. Active learning gets students involved, relative to passive learning, and

engages students (Bonwell). By placing a greater value on exploration of attitudes and values,

and encouraging cooperative learning, information transmission is de-emphasized and greater

emphasis is placed on developing student skills. Students can then be involved in higher order

thinking.

 One way to develop a positive learning environment is to allow students to co-create the

 course syllabus. Give students the opportunity to take responsibility for what they will learn in

 the course by allowing them input on the syllabus prior to the syllabus being distributed. Solicit

 input based on student's prior experience and interests. This does not mean that the students

 determine course content, but that they have some opportunity to influence that content, its

 presentation and prioritization (Ellis, 1991b). The syllabus can be much more than just a list; it

 can introduce the course to students in a number of creative ways, and can represent a vested

 covenant between student and teacher ("What Did You Put in Your Syllabus?").