In 1930, one phrase – “I think I can.” – uttered by a train taught millions of people about courage, perseverance, positive thinking, and self-determination.  

Unlike that little train, every day educators see students quit something before they even start because they fear failure. It’s easy to assume this is a self-confidence issue but it’s more than that – this is a self-efficacy issue. Self-efficacy is the overall belief in our ability to succeed in a specific situation.  

An important part of developing inclusive learning environments is encouraging students to develop a strong sense of self-efficacy so they know that with the right mindset, you can succeed regardless of who you are, where you come from, or where you’re going.  

In this episode of our special series of inspriED dedicated to education equity, a group of education professionals discuss self-efficacy and the role it plays in classrooms, share challenges they’ve experienced, and offer actionable ideas and strategies they use to promote self-efficacy with their students.  

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