Building Confidence One Student at a Time

“A lot of my students arrive convinced they’re not smart,” says Ms. Hentemann, who has taught at Julie Billiart for six years. “Before we can teach reading or math, we have to undo that belief.”

Her classroom is full of small rituals designed to build trust: a morning check-in, a wall that tracks personal goals instead of test scores, and a standing rule that mistakes are how the brain grows.

“The breakthrough moments don’t always look dramatic,” she says. “Sometimes it’s a kid who finally raises his hand. That’s the whole job, right there.”