Among teachers' most daunting challenges is the task of ensuring all students are engaged in and motivated by learning. Obviously, skilled teachers look to instructional strategies such as differentiation and hands-on learning as ways to increase student engagement. But what about reluctant learners, students who have the potential to do well but who seem satisfied with just getting by? Such students often avoid challenges or don't complete tasks. Although they sit quietly and pose no discipline problem, they are also shortchanging their own ability to learn. While there are a variety of reasons for such behavior, one possibility is a student's lack of confidence in his or her own ability to learn--referred to as low self-efficacy. This belief about personal capability to accomplish meaningful tasks can directly affect a student's motivation to learn. In this article, the author discusses the role teachers play in enhancing students' beliefs in their ability to learn.