Teacher builds confidence using writing exercises

Every student was excited for the school year to begin and that’s just one of the many things that make this high school so special.

In the tight-knit community of 14 students, barriers and fear have turned into openness and bravery. I am confident that the students feel heard, supported, and validated. They are embracing who they are.

In the first four years of my teaching career I was in a bigger high school with class sizes as large as 60 students. I noticed that these class sizes were extremely intimidating for many students and I believe it caused them to shut down. As a teacher, it was also difficult to keep track of every student and give them exactly what they needed at all times. It's extremely rare and important for students to have small class sizes where they can receive the individualized attention that they need in order to succeed.

I decided to take the leap and pioneer this brand-new high school because I believe in how special, powerful, and transformative it can be for students to engage in a setting specifically designed for them.

A common challenge I’ve seen in students is confidence and negative self-talk. They learn to doubt themselves and begin to solidify these beliefs by the way they talk about themselves.

It’s important for each student to build confidence as a human being and a student. One strategy that works well is daily writing time. If students spend just a few minutes a day responding to a writing prompt of their choosing and sharing it with their peers, they begin to take ownership of their writing. This ownership is something that can lead to confidence in themselves. By starting with smaller low-pressure writing, students are more likely to engage in bigger writing projects. The sharing of their writing and the praise from peers and teachers can transform their self-image as a person and student.

It’s important that when talking about a teen with ADHD we see all of the wonderful things that come from their experiences. They are creative, enthusiastic, inquisitive, humorous, helpful, and kind. All of these things make the classroom environment that much more exciting!