Building Hope in Students

According to Teaching with Poverty in Mind, building hope in students is not a pie-in-the-sky, Pollyanna attitude. It's also not a pep-talk that "you can be President in three easy steps!" So what can you say? The author suggests asking, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" then connecting what they are learning in school to that profession. Tell students specifically why they can succeed. Also recommended is helping students set goals and develop goal-setting skills, along with telling true stories about people who overcame obstacles.