Key Takeaways

• Confidence is a foundational skill that impacts students’ ability to engage, take risks, and persevere in academic and social situations.
• Evidence-based strategies, such as positive reinforcement, self-reflection, and scaffolded challenges, can help students develop confidence.
• Example IEP goals provided in this guide help educators create individualized plans that support self-assuredness and independence.

Confidence is a key factor in a student’s academic, social, and emotional development. When students believe in their abilities, they are more willing to participate in learning, engage with peers, and persist through challenges. Confidence empowers students to take risks, develop resilience, and advocate for themselves in various settings.

However, students with low confidence may hesitate to take initiative, avoid challenges, or experience self-doubt. These struggles can impact their academic performance, social interactions, and overall well-being.

This article explores the importance of confidence in students, effective strategies for building self-assurance, and how to set IEP goals that support confidence-building in both academic and social environments.

Understanding Confidence in Students

Confidence is the belief in one’s abilities to succeed in various situations. It is an essential trait that empowers students to take risks, overcome challenges, and thrive in various aspects of their lives. It influences:

• Academic performance (e.g., willingness to participate, persistence in problem-solving)
• Social interactions (e.g., initiating conversations, collaborating with peers)
• Emotional well-being (e.g., handling mistakes, self-advocacy)

Students with low confidence may struggle with taking initiative, avoiding challenges, or experiencing self-doubt in learning environments. These indicators not only impact their academic performance but also hinder their social interactions and overall well-being.

Strategies for Building Confidence in Students

Confidence plays a crucial role in a student’s academic and social success. When students believe in their abilities, they are more likely to take on challenges, advocate for themselves, and persist through difficulties. However, confidence must be nurtured through intentional support and encouragement.

The following strategies help students develop a growth mindset, take healthy risks, and recognize their own progress, fostering long-term self-assurance in both academic and social settings.

1. Encourage a Growth Mindset

• Teach students to reframe mistakes as learning opportunities.
• Use language that emphasizes effort and progress over perfection.

2. Provide Structured Risk-Taking Opportunities

• Gradually expose students to challenges with appropriate scaffolding.
• Celebrate small successes to reinforce confidence.

3. Foster Self-Advocacy Skills

• Teach students to articulate their needs in academic and social settings.
• Use role-playing and video modeling to build comfort in self-expression.

Here is a sample video modeling lesson from Everyday Speech that shows students how to advocate for their unique needs:

4. Use Positive Reinforcement

• Reinforce confidence-building behaviors with specific praise.
• Provide tangible rewards when appropriate to encourage continued effort.

5. Promote Self-Reflection and Goal-Setting

• Implement reflection journals or goal-setting discussions.
• Help students recognize their progress and build intrinsic motivation.

What Are IEP Goals for Confidence-Building?

Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals are structured, measurable objectives designed to help students build essential skills for academic success and personal growth. These goals are outlined in a student’s IEP—a legally binding document that specifies the specialized instruction, services, and accommodations they will receive.

When focusing on building confidence, IEP goals help students develop self-assurance in their abilities, take on new challenges, and advocate for themselves in academic and social settings. These goals may include participating in class discussions, trying new tasks without hesitation, using positive self-talk, or seeking help when needed.

By setting realistic, strengths-based goals, educators can provide the right support to help students develop resilience, recognize their achievements, and build the confidence they need to thrive in school and beyond.

How to Set IEP Goals for Confidence-Building

Creating IEP goals that promote confidence requires a structured, collaborative approach.

Step 1: Collaborate with Key Stakeholders

IEP goals should be developed with input from students, parents, teachers, and specialists to ensure they are realistic and supportive of the student’s unique needs.

Step 2: Assess Current Confidence Levels

Before setting goals, assess the student’s:

• Willingness to participate in academic and social settings
• Ability to persevere through challenges
• Comfort level in self-advocating for needs
• Use of positive self-talk and growth mindset strategies

Step 3: Set SMART IEP Goals

IEP goals should follow the SMART framework:

• Specific: Clearly define the skill to be developed.
• Measurable: Establish criteria for tracking progress.
• Achievable: Ensure the goal is realistic for the student.
• Relevant: Align with the student’s personal and academic growth.
• Time-Bound: Set a timeline for achieving the goal.

Example SMART Goal: “The student will participate in class discussions by raising their hand to contribute at least twice per lesson in 4 out of 5 opportunities.”

Step 4: Implement Evidence-Based Strategies to Support Goals

• Use positive reinforcement (praise, rewards, encouragement) to build confidence.
• Provide structured opportunities for risk-taking in safe environments.
• Teach self-advocacy skills to help students express their needs and opinions.
• Encourage self-reflection through goal-setting journals or discussions.

Step 5: Monitor Progress and Adjust Goals

• Track student participation and self-advocacy behaviors across different settings.
• Use student self-assessments to measure confidence growth.
• Modify strategies if a student needs additional support or challenges.

Step 6: Support Parents and Caregivers

• Provide resources for encouraging confidence at home (growth mindset strategies, structured independence-building activities).
• Collaborate on consistent messaging and reinforcement of confidence-building efforts.
• Share progress updates and celebration milestones to encourage continued development.

Example IEP Goals for Building Confidence

Building confidence in students is essential for fostering independence, resilience, and a willingness to take on new challenges. When students feel confident, they are more likely to participate in class, advocate for themselves, and persist through difficulties. IEP goals focused on confidence help students develop self-assurance in academic, social, and emotional settings.

Below are example IEP goals designed to support confidence-building in structured and natural settings.

Increasing Participation in Academic Settings

1. The student will raise their hand to contribute to discussions at least twice per lesson in 4 out of 5 opportunities.
2. The student will volunteer to share an idea or answer a question during group activities in 80% of observed instances.
3. The student will participate in small-group discussions by offering a relevant comment or response in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Here’s a sample video modeling lesson from Everyday Speech you can use to address conversation maintenance with students:

Developing Self-Advocacy Skills

1. The student will independently ask for clarification or assistance when needed in 80% of observed situations.
2. The student will practice using self-advocacy phrases (e.g., “Can you explain that again?” or “I need help with this part.”) in 4 out of 5 structured activities.
3. The student will identify and express their own learning preferences or needs in 80% of classroom interactions.

Strengthening Positive Self-Talk

1. The student will use at least one positive self-statement when faced with a challenge in 80% of observed situations.
2. The student will replace negative self-talk with a growth-oriented phrase (e.g., “I can try again” instead of “I can’t do this”) in 4 out of 5 opportunities.
3. The student will identify and verbally express at least one personal strength in 80% of structured discussions.

Here’s a sample video modeling lesson from Everyday Speech you can use to help students with positive self-talk:

Demonstrating Growth Mindset Strategies

1. The student will reflect on mistakes and identify one learning takeaway in 4 out of 5 structured discussions.
2. The student will demonstrate a willingness to try a new or unfamiliar activity in 80% of opportunities.
3. The student will accept constructive feedback and apply it to improve their work in 4 out of 5 classroom tasks.

Engaging in Peer Interactions with Confidence

1. The student will initiate and maintain conversations with peers in 80% of structured social opportunities.
2. The student will join a group activity or game without hesitation in 4 out of 5 observed recess or classroom settings.
3. The student will use appropriate greetings and introductions when interacting with new peers in 80% of structured social situations.

Here’s a sample video modeling lesson from Everyday Speech you can use to address greetings with students:

Building Resilience Through Challenge

1. The student will attempt challenging tasks without seeking immediate help in 75% of opportunities.
2. The student will complete a non-preferred or difficult activity before requesting assistance in 4 out of 5 observed instances.
3. The student will demonstrate persistence by making at least one attempt to solve a problem before asking for help in 80% of structured tasks.

Bonus IEP Resource

Everyday Speech is a no-prep social skills curriculum that teaches skills like self-regulation, resilience, and problem-solving through evidence-based video modeling. Here is an example video modeling lesson from our curriculum: Understanding My IEP.

The video, developed for middle and high school students, guides students through understanding their IEP, highlighting its purpose, components, and the importance of self-advocacy in customizing their educational experience:

Building confidence in students through well-designed IEP goals is essential for fostering academic and social growth. By setting targeted, measurable goals and implementing research-backed strategies, educators can empower students to believe in themselves and take on new challenges with self-assurance.

With structured support, consistent reinforcement, and meaningful progress tracking, students can gain the confidence they need to thrive in both academic and social environments.