Did you just start your teaching career? This is for you.
You are in the right place, and will eventually stop feeling like a fraud
I did not study to be a teacher, but I believe it is my purpose in life.
I started teaching out of the blue after my co-working space managers asked me to teach my native language to foreigners. However, it only took me a month to realize that I wanted to follow a career as a teacher.
This goal might sound a bit weird or masochist — especially because teachers are undervalued and underpaid — but this profession makes me feel alive like nothing else does. Besides, I believe that teaching consists (amongst other things) of adding love and empathy to your students’ lives, which resonates with me.
However, even amongst the most enthusiastic and dedicated professionals, being a teacher presents its challenges. In the beginning, my biggest struggle was imposter syndrome. I felt like a fraud, jeopardizing my students’ future.
To cope with this, I adopted a reserved attitude (in my mind I was super mysterious), thinking this would make me feel more confident and on top of my game.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
After a while, I decided to broaden my horizons and open my mind to new options. The results were almost immediate: I felt less pressure, less lonely, and much more included.
These are the lessons I have learned that helped me feel better in my teacher’s skin:
Don’t be afraid to brainstorm with your colleagues
When I started teaching, I wanted to be my most independent and confident self since I was the youngest teacher in the whole school. I was closer in age with the students than I was with the rest of the staff.
I tried, therefore, to do everything by myself. I also avoided talking to the other teachers to feel less intimidated by their experience.
I now feel silly about this. I had no bad intentions, but it was not the correct way to face the challenge.
Since I let my guard down and began asking my colleagues for advice, I started feeling much more included and more aware of what was happening around me.
Most of the teachers around me are creative and have suggestions. They also tell great stories about what works — and what does not work — inside the classroom.
This type of connexion provides a lot of clarity and keeps me humble. I love it so much that I have a WhatsApp group where I share my work and ask my peers to share theirs.
Find another “freshman” whom you can trust
Talking to experienced colleagues helps a lot, but there is nothing like finding another teacher whose just starting.
For me, that was Mati. She did not work at my school, but we were already acquainted. We started to teach at the same time, and it felt nice someone whom I could text whenever, about whatever problem I was having at the time.
Some of the most recurrent topics included: feeling overwhelmed, struggling to develop a relationship with students and other peers, and moments of frustration.
This helped me release a lot of pressure. Having someone facing the same issues made me feel understood and less silly. Also, thanks to Mati, I realized that I was not the only one feeling insecure and that, sometimes, that insecurity just means that you care.
Befriend all the staff members
From day one, I knew I wanted to have a good relationship with everyone. The reason was simple: I wanted to experience a good work environment and to provide that.
Also, I wanted to prove to myself that I could adapt to any personality.
Most of the staff welcomed me with open arms. Others looked down on me for being so young. Despite that, I was determined to be their friend.
By doing this, I just felt immense joy coming into school. Being greeted with a smile always made me feel better, and I believe it has the same effect on others. Also, when someone you respect knows my name, I feel like I am floating.
This is particularly important after a rough day inside the classroom, being that you’ll be able to find a shoulder to cry on and to reassure you everything will be just fine.
To sum up
Starting a new job — any job — may be daunting, and you might even feel like a fraud. However, developing healthy work relationships helps tremendously.
Also, don’t ever doubt that your youth is valuable, and might help shake things up, even amongst the older, more conservative, staff.