Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem Activities to Help Virtual School Students Thrive

August 4, 2025 by Valerie Kirk

4 min to read

A young, confident teen in a white sweater smiling with her arms crossed

This article was originally published October 2014 and has been updated August 2025.

Kids that are self-confident set goals, make their own decisions, trust their own judgement, and know they are ready to face challenges and demands.

From starting their own business to competing at the highest levels of sports, some kids forge their path and excel at a young age.

Whatever your virtual school student’s personal goals , having self-confidence is an essential life skill that can help them thrive in school and wherever their journey takes them after graduation.

Why is Self-Worth Important for Teens?

It’s important to understand that self-worth isn’t tied to specific achievements, test scores, or good grades. While those things may be the outcome, self-worth is what drives a student to success because they believe in themselves.

A positive self-worth is critical for students to achieve success in any of their pursuits. Students who value themselves tend to be highly motivated, use critical thinking to solve problems, and set realistic goals. They are also more capable of resisting peer pressure and making good decisions. Students with high self-worth tend to have healthier relationships and enjoy a better overall well-being – they have less stress, anxiety, and depression.

Signs of Low Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence in Teens

If you’ve ever heard your student say things like “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t do this,” they may have low self-esteem, which can lead to low self-confidence and a low overall sense of self-worth. Students with low self-esteem often don’t believe that they can achieve success in anything they try, which can impact them academically, socially, and emotionally.

Other signs your student may have low self-esteem include:

Being overly sensitive to criticism. They take feedback very personally and can have negative reactions to even the slightest bit of feedback.
Avoiding challenges. Students with low self-esteem are hesitant to try new things for fear of failure or embarrassment.
Lacking motivation. Students aren’t motivated to study or put effort into their schoolwork or other activities if they don’t believe they can ever achieve success.
Hiding from social interactions. Having low self-esteem causes students to avoid group activities. They isolate themselves from their peers and often struggle to make friends and connections.
Striving for perfection or overachievement. Students with low self-esteem can also set unrealistic standards or goals, thinking that if they achieve them, they will feel better about themselves. However, their goals are often unattainable, leading to lower self-esteem if they do not succeed how they envisioned.

How to Increase Low Self Esteem and Build Self-Confidence for Teens

While it may seem like having self-confidence and positive self-esteem comes naturally to some kids, these are actually soft skills that can be developed and built over time.

Here are five self-esteem activities for students to help build their confidence.

1. Reframe Negative Thinking

If you hear your student say that they can’t do something or that they just aren’t good enough, have them say positive affirmations instead. Just speaking the words “I am good enough” can help them start to believe in themselves.

Encourage your student to make a “Things I’m Proud Of” list and keep it visible in their room or study area. When they start to feel discouraged, they can look at all of the things that make them feel proud, which can help them overcome negative thoughts.

2. Encourage Them to Set Goals

Setting and achieving goals can be a huge self-esteem boost for teens. Start by having them set small, achievable goals and celebrate all their wins. Achieving small goals can boost their self-esteem and make them more likely to try achieving larger goals in the future.

Also, if your student doesn’t achieve their goal, help them view all the work they put in as a win in itself. Encourage them to keep trying. Talk through things they could have done differently to achieve their goal. Remind them that if they learned something in the process, then they found success. Use this opportunity to encourage your student to re-evaluate their goal. Is it still something they want to pursue? Are the steps toward that goal still feasible?

3. Provide Mastery-Level Experiences

Mastery experiences are when your student teaches something they know or are good at to someone else, such as serving as a tutor or volunteering outside of school. Using their skills in the real world can boost their self-confidence because they can remember the work they put into achieving that level of knowledge or skill as they teach others.

Maybe your child is nervous about an upcoming math exam. One mastery experience that could be helpful to boost their self-confidence is to teach a sibling, friend, or even an adult how to do the math that they have already mastered. By walking through the steps for someone else, they can realize how much they do actually know, giving them the confidence to do it again on test day.

4. Ask for Their Opinions

Talking to your student and really listening to what they have to say can help them feel important, which can boost their self-esteem. Ask for their opinion on things, even little decisions that make up your day, such as what to make for dinner. When they feel like they contribute to the little decisions, they will feel more confident in making bigger decisions on their own.

5. Spread Kindness

Helping others and giving back is a huge self-esteem boost. Look for volunteer opportunities they can do, which also helps them build the courage to try new things. They can also practice kindness at home by helping around the house. Doing something nice for others feels good, and they likely will want to find additional ways to keep that feeling going. Maybe your child is nervous about an upcoming math exam. One mastery experience that could be helpful to boost their self-confidence is to teach a sibling, friend, or even an adult how to do the math that they have already mastered. By walking through the steps for someone else, they can realize how much they do actually know, giving them the confidence to do it again on test day.

Self-Esteem Coping Skills

Developing self-esteem and building self-worth takes time. To help your student overcome challenges they may face along the way, teach them how to cope with setbacks. Encourage them to go outside if they are struggling to work through an issue or a problem. A change in scenery can help motivate them to break through any barriers.

Exercise is not only good for the body, but it is also great for the mind. Encourage them to get their bodies moving and get some fresh air. When they shift their focus, they can often find a new path to overcome their roadblocks.

It’s also great to indulge in activities they know they are good at and they enjoy. If they are struggling to achieve a goal, tell them it's okay to take a break to do something they love, like playing video games or baking cookies. This can reenergize them and teach them how to practice self-care.

Get Support from Your Child’s School Counselor

School counselors can help students that are struggling with poor self-esteem and low self-confidence. Counselors also have tips and tools they can share to guide families on all student well-being issues.

Connections Academy students can email, call, or meet with a counselor in their virtual office for support.