Guiding Students to Overcome Learned Helplessness

New teachers, I see you. I was you.

I’ve been in education for over 20 years, but I still remember those early classroom days of feeling excited, overwhelmed, hopeful, and terrified. I wanted to create the kind of classroom I’d never had—one where every student felt seen, capable, and safe to try.

That dream met a hard truth as I quickly noticed that many of my students were carrying more than backpacks into the room. They were weighed down by quiet self-doubt. These students had struggled so much in school that they began to believe they just weren’t good at certain subjects, regardless of effort.

Some students hesitated, unsure how to begin. Others avoided the work altogether, convinced they weren’t capable. Some were afraid to try and fail. These students didn’t lack skill; they lacked belief in their ability to succeed. To be honest, I wasn’t always sure how to reach them.

If I could go back and talk to that first-year teacher version of myself, I’d tell her this:

• The most impactful thing you can do is help your students believe in themselves.
• Their past struggles don’t define them (and yours don’t define you either).
• You will make mistakes, and that’s OK. You’ll learn, just like they will.

Back then, I didn’t know the full story behind what I was seeing, but I felt it. And eventually, I discovered that there was a name for it: learned helplessness.

What is Learned Helplessness?

Learned helplessness happens when students begin to believe that effort doesn’t matter—that no matter how hard they try, success won’t follow. Often, this mindset forms after repeated struggles or feedback that didn’t affirm their progress. It’s more common than we think, and it shows up in subtle ways.

Think about the student who says, “I can’t do this,” before picking up a pencil; or the one who crumples their paper at the first mistake; or the one who zones out, jokes around, or uses their hoodie to make themself invisible when things get hard because they’re convinced that they’ll get something wrong.

These behaviors aren’t from laziness or apathy. They’re self-protection habits that students develop to avoid more discouragement. The good news? These patterns can shift. With the right environment and intentional strategies, students can start to see effort differently. Classrooms can become places where students learn that trying is worth it—where they build confidence through small risks, persistence, and consistent wins. Over the years, I’ve collected practical tools to support that shift. They’re grounded in real classroom moments, and they work!

1. Normalize Mistakes, Model Recovery

Confidence grows when students see mistakes as part of learning, not proof that they’re failing. But for many, mistakes feel like public proof that they’re “not good” at something. That’s why I model my own mistakes out loud and in the moment.

When I slip up while teaching, I don’t brush past it. I’ll say, “Wait a second, y’all. I need a redo—who’s ready for the remix?” They laugh, I reset, and we keep going. It shifts the energy.

Mistakes don’t pause learning, they deepen it. When students see us own our missteps and keep moving, they begin to believe they can, too. Modeling mistakes helps build a classroom culture where effort, revision, and persistence are part of the process.

2. Break Up the Task, Keep the Rigor

Big assignments can feel overwhelming, especially for students still building confidence in their abilities. Early in my teaching, I noticed that prompts like “Write an essay” or “Create a project” often led to blank stares and instant shutdown. The task felt too big, too uncertain.

So, I stopped assigning essays and started assigning steps. Not to water things down, but to show students how to approach complex tasks in manageable parts:

• Brainstorm ideas
• Craft a thesis
• Draft a hook
• Gather supporting evidence
• Write one strong body paragraph

Scaffolding this way helped students stay engaged and build momentum. With every small win, they saw progress, and that made it easier to believe in their ability to keep going.

3. Shift the Language of Feedback

Feedback can build confidence or reinforce self-doubt. That’s why how we talk to students about their work matters deeply.

Early in my career, I often said things like, “That’s a perfect example!” But over time, I learned to shift toward process-focused praise that celebrates effort and strategy:

• “I love how you kept trying different strategies.”
• “That’s an interesting approach! Let’s see what happens if we try it this way.”

One story that sticks with me is from Rita Pierson’s TED Talk. She once gave a student a quiz and marked it +2 instead of –18 to highlight what the student got right. That subtle shift in framing helped the student focus on progress, not just what was wrong.

When students hear feedback that names their effort, curiosity, and growth, they start to see themselves as learners who can improve, not just performers being judged.

4. Build Emotional Tools

Confidence isn’t only academic; it’s emotional. Students need tools to manage nervousness, frustration, and self-doubt. When they feel overwhelmed, their brains shift into survival mode, not learning mode.

That’s why I integrate simple mindfulness and breathing techniques into our routines.

One of my favorites is my GROW bell ringer, a daily check-in that centers reflection:

• G—Gratitude: Something they’re thankful for
• R—Reach: A goal or intention
• O—Opportunity: An area where they want to grow
• W—Win: Something they’ve accomplished

Before presentations or tests, we practice four-seven-eight breathing:

• Inhale for four seconds.
• Hold for seven.
• Exhale for eight.

Sometimes we even play the chorus from the Pointer Sisters’ song “I’m So Excited” to shift nervous energy into excitement. 

These simple strategies help students regulate their emotions and reclaim a sense of calm and control. They also send a bigger message: Learning isn’t just about mastering content, it’s about learning how to show up, even when things feel hard.

New teachers, remember this: Confidence grows when we model mistakes, break tasks down, and build emotional safety daily. You’ve got this, and so do your students.