Community Education Partners has worked with school districts for 20 years to help underperforming students in grades 6 through 12 get back on a path to success. When students are underperforming, they may feel incapable of academic success. Teachers can build students' confidence by establishing achievable goals, acknowledging accomplishments, pointing out individual strengths, and opening with positive statements before identifying areas for improvement. This helps students internalize their strengths and focus on questions they can answer successfully while knowing they can continue building their knowledge.

1. Building Confidence in Middle
School Students
Community Education Partners

2. Introduction
• For 20 years, Community Education Partners has
collaborated with school districts to help students get back
on a path to success. Community Education Partners works
with students in grades six through 12, many of whom are
performing below grade level.
When students are underperforming, they may feel as
though they are not capable of academic success. Teachers
need to understand this mental block and offer not only
subject instruction, but also tools and experiences that
make children believe themselves to be competent. Many
teachers begin this process by establishing achievable goals
with each student so that he or she has something to work
toward.

3. Building Confidence
• As children progress, teachers can continue to build their
confidence by acknowledging specific accomplishments and
milestones. Teachers can also improve students' self-image by
pointing out each child's individual strengths, particularly if the time
has come for the teacher to identify potential areas of
improvement. If a teacher opens with a positive statement, the
student is often more open to hearing correction.
Ultimately, students begin to internalize this focus on strength. They
can learn to look at an exam or an assignment and identify those
questions that they understand and can respond to successfully,
while also knowing that they are fundamentally capable of asking
questions and building their knowledge base.