As educators prepare for a new school year, one critical question is worth pausing to reflect on: “Will you have a student this year who is perceived as ‘bad’ by their peers and other adults?” The answer, for many, is likely yes. But more important than the question itself is what comes next: 

“Flip the script. Provide a clean start. Assume positive intent. Prove that you’re worthy of this young person’s trust.” 

When students walk into our classrooms, they often carry more than just a backpack. Some bring the weight of past misbehavior, disciplinary reports, difficult social/family history, or whispers in the teacher’s lounge. If we’re not careful, we can absorb these narratives and allow them to cloud our judgment. However, if we choose to focus on strengths, build early relationships, and advocate for every student, we can shift those trajectories in powerful ways.

Focus on Strengths, Not Deficits

Every student has strengths—even those with challenging behavior. It’s easy to identify what a student does wrong, especially if that behavior is disruptive or noncompliant. But it takes intentionality to identify what they do right.

Begin the year with a mindset of curiosity. What interests this student? What do they excel in, even outside academics? Can they solve problems quickly, show empathy to peers, or create incredible artwork? Keep a strengths journal for each student, jotting down observations that highlight their abilities. This simple practice can shift your mindset and also be a tool to share with families and the students themselves.

Using a strengths-based approach doesn’t mean ignoring the challenges. Instead, it means leading with what a student can do rather than what they can’t. This empowers students and helps them begin to see themselves through a more positive lens. 

Every young person has diamonds, and diamonds are worth digging for. 

Tune Out the Noise: Don’t Inherit Bias

It’s common for educators to talk about students in informal settings—sometimes as warnings, sometimes as jokes. These stories, while often shared out of frustration or a desire to help, can plant seeds of bias. Before you even meet a student, you may have formed an image of who they are based on someone else’s experience.

Challenge yourself to form your own opinions. If a colleague shares negative information about a student, listen respectfully but reserve judgment. Remind yourself that every teacher-student relationship is unique, and you have an opportunity to see this student differently. Sometimes the most “difficult” students thrive in the presence of someone who gives them a clean slate.

Build Relationships Early and Authentically

Relationships are the foundation of successful teaching. Students are more likely to engage, cooperate, and grow in classrooms where they feel safe and seen. That foundation must be laid early, especially for students with a history of being misunderstood.

Start by learning students’ names quickly and pronouncing them correctly. Greet them at the door, find time to talk one-on-one, survey them (and their families), and show interest in their lives beyond school. Let them see that you care not only about their academic performance but also about their well-being.

When it comes to families, make the first contact positive. Don’t wait until there’s a problem. Call or email with something encouraging: a kind gesture the student made, effort on a task, or a personal strength. This early effort sends a powerful message to families: “I see your child as someone with value.” Make those deposits! 

Students who live in chronic stress, who are neurodivergent, who have experienced many adversities, and who have lagging executive functioning are most often the students who are “in the red”. Adults and peers tend to make more withdrawals than deposits. They are constantly corrected, redirected, called out, punished, etc. for various things. When they are in the red, there is no teaching of skills, no reason to change, and often no motivation or growth mindset. 

Seek out students who need lots of deposits. When young people have adults who SEE them, BELIEVE in them, and know they are not their behaviors, they will begin to evolve into humans who are ready to learn!

Advocate for Your Students

Educators are not just instructors—they are advocates. For students who are often labeled or marginalized, having one adult who truly believes in them can make a world of difference.

This advocacy might take many forms: helping a student access a support service, speaking up in a team meeting, challenging unfair discipline policies, sharing what works with a student, or simply reminding colleagues of the student’s potential. When you advocate for a student, you model compassion and justice, and you also teach the student that their voice matters.

Being an advocate doesn’t mean ignoring accountability or challenges. It means refusing to reduce a student to their mistakes or circumstances. It means saying, “I believe in who you are, not just what you’ve done.”

Create a Culture of Trust and Mutual Respect

Trust is earned, not given. Respect is earned, not given.For students who have been repeatedly misunderstood or punished, trust in adults may be fragile or nonexistent. To earn it, consistency and care are key.

Follow through on your promises. Set clear expectations and enforce them fairly. Apologize when you make mistakes. Celebrate student growth and effort. Let students see that you are human—and that you genuinely want to be part of their journey.

When a student trusts you, they will be more willing to open up, take academic risks, and engage in problem-solving around their own behavior. Trust transforms the classroom from a place of compliance to one of connection.

Treat young people the way you want to be treated, especially when you are NOT okay, or when you need grace. In those times, what you need is compassion and patience, NOT correction, advice, or shaming. Remember, the people who need the most love often ask for it in very unloving ways. 

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In the new year, let us be reminded of the power we hold as educators. When we flip the script—by assuming the best, starting fresh, and seeking out strengths—we create classrooms where all students have the opportunity to thrive.

This year, let’s challenge ourselves not to inherit the narratives others write. Let’s write our own stories with our students—stories of growth, trust, and unwavering belief in their potential.

Make deposits, keep students in the green, and watch them grow into who they are meant to be.

Bethany