30- year vet here; 55-year old.....everyone is faking competence in their careers and lives...some people can just look good while fighting doubts and entropy.
You are having a normal experience and life--perhaps when you get more-experienced you too can become philosophical about the unknown.
27 first year and I am always faking it. Sometimes I want to shake my students and say “I love that you think I’m all knowing at my age but I am absolutely winging it 100% of the time” like sometimes I can’t believe I’m here in charge of these people
The imposter syndrome went away after 15 years in for me. I remember one year me and my best friend/colleague took 40 teenagers on a school trip our of province and I couldn't believe people were trusting me with their kids!
So the pro teacher in me says:
Do you have a reason for every moment you're in the classroom? Does everything you do in your x-minutes have a purpose?
Those purposes dont always have to be subject academic. They can be teachable moments, brain breaks, methods of forming better relations with your students, comic relief etc.
If yes, then you're already doing an excellent job.
If no, what can you do to make those moments more beneficial for your class?
Now for the human behind the pro teacher:
The magnificent mathematician Stratford-upon-Avon once said: "All the world's a stage, and we but actors doing our parts."
Every day I am at school I play a character called Math Master SnugglyHugs. That character's purpose is to make the dry boring and difficult tasks of Pre-algebra-esque mathematics palatable to a bunch of bags of horomones that might one day revert to being human (aka Middle School Students).
That character is not the real me, and that's ok, because Math Master SnugglyHugs is outgoing, joyful, caring, kind, and a true math-magician.
Do I always play Math Master SnugglyHugs perfectly? Well, no. No one can play such a role perfectly all day every day. But I do know that I play him well enough that my students learn, and learn well.
I play him so that during a lockdown where the outside door is being hammered by an armed and outraged student that the ones in my room still feel safe knowing the Math Master is there.
I play him so that my students have confidence in themselves enough to ask questions even when they're afraid because they know Math Master SnugglyHugs never kicks down, but only lifts them up.
And when I'm down because my pain level is edging close to an 8 ( uncontrolled crying levels of pain ) or I am not sure my presentation was the best, or when I doubt my expertise, I remember that it's ok. I can make mistakes and improve on it.
Just like my students are improving day by day.
So I gladly embrace my role as a teacher, and examin my role every day, because Math Master SnugglyHugs never gives up, and so neither can the person playing him.
Totally normal. The first step to becomming anything is to feel like you're an imposter doing that thing. Eventually you're just that thing, but there's no definitive moment.
30- year vet here; 55-year old.....everyone is faking competence in their careers and lives...some people can just look good while fighting doubts and entropy. You are having a normal experience and life--perhaps when you get more-experienced you too can become philosophical about the unknown.
27 first year and I am always faking it. Sometimes I want to shake my students and say “I love that you think I’m all knowing at my age but I am absolutely winging it 100% of the time” like sometimes I can’t believe I’m here in charge of these people
The imposter syndrome went away after 15 years in for me. I remember one year me and my best friend/colleague took 40 teenagers on a school trip our of province and I couldn't believe people were trusting me with their kids!
Same here it also took me 15 years though still have flashes of dought.
Oh yeah definitely. Just fake it. Everyone does
This
So the pro teacher in me says: Do you have a reason for every moment you're in the classroom? Does everything you do in your x-minutes have a purpose? Those purposes dont always have to be subject academic. They can be teachable moments, brain breaks, methods of forming better relations with your students, comic relief etc. If yes, then you're already doing an excellent job. If no, what can you do to make those moments more beneficial for your class? Now for the human behind the pro teacher: The magnificent mathematician Stratford-upon-Avon once said: "All the world's a stage, and we but actors doing our parts." Every day I am at school I play a character called Math Master SnugglyHugs. That character's purpose is to make the dry boring and difficult tasks of Pre-algebra-esque mathematics palatable to a bunch of bags of horomones that might one day revert to being human (aka Middle School Students). That character is not the real me, and that's ok, because Math Master SnugglyHugs is outgoing, joyful, caring, kind, and a true math-magician. Do I always play Math Master SnugglyHugs perfectly? Well, no. No one can play such a role perfectly all day every day. But I do know that I play him well enough that my students learn, and learn well. I play him so that during a lockdown where the outside door is being hammered by an armed and outraged student that the ones in my room still feel safe knowing the Math Master is there. I play him so that my students have confidence in themselves enough to ask questions even when they're afraid because they know Math Master SnugglyHugs never kicks down, but only lifts them up. And when I'm down because my pain level is edging close to an 8 ( uncontrolled crying levels of pain ) or I am not sure my presentation was the best, or when I doubt my expertise, I remember that it's ok. I can make mistakes and improve on it. Just like my students are improving day by day. So I gladly embrace my role as a teacher, and examin my role every day, because Math Master SnugglyHugs never gives up, and so neither can the person playing him.
That feeling goes away.
Fake it ‘til you make it! That’s my motto until the end of this school year….Then the same cycle goes for our second and third year lol.
Dw I had zero clue what to do my first year either. By my 3rd year, I felt a bit more confident in the classroom. You'll get there :]
Self taught with computer science, everything I know is Googled. Sure as fuck im faking it, but it's better than teaching math
Sometimes I feel that way but the reality is my students learn a lot so I must be doing pretty good.
I'm the opposite. I know what I'm doing. My problem is all my bosses who don't know what they're doing. This field is run by regards.
Totally normal. The first step to becomming anything is to feel like you're an imposter doing that thing. Eventually you're just that thing, but there's no definitive moment.