Reigniting Student Confidence: Strategies to Overcome Learned Helplessness in the Classroom

Outline

2 Min Intro: Real Life Example

4 Min Impact: cognitive and emotional effects of learned helplessness, deficit vs. strength-based mindset

8 min: Actionable Strategies
1. Naming Strengths
2. Normalizing Productive Struggle
3. Design for Independence Using Technology

4 min: Mini Case Study example

2 min: Wrap Up

Outcomes

After this session, participants will be able to identify strategies for supporting student engagement that maximize their independence, highlight individual strengths, and reduce learned helplessness by fostering a classroom culture that values effort, resilience, and meaningful risk-taking. Participants will also reflect on current practices and plan for more inclusive, strength-based support.

Supporting research

Investigating Special Education Teachers’ Knowledge and Beliefs of Learned Helplessness by Jennifer Engemann (2016)

Combating learned helplessness in special education (Gaytan‑Martinez)

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) https://cast.org

Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain (Zaretta Hammond)

Effective Teaching Approaches to Combat Learned Helplessness for Students in High School Special Education (Lindsay Wurm)

Understood.org

National Center on Intensive Intervention https://intensiveintervention.org

The Anxious Generation (Jonathan Haidt)

"Technology Supports in the UDL Framework: Removable Scaffolds or Permanent New Literacies?" (Vasinda & Pilgrim)