Category: imposter syndrome

Teacher professionalism and peer relationships: Handling frustration constructively

One aspect of teacher training that often takes ITT students by surprise is the degree to which they need to learn to work alongside their teaching colleagues.  Beginning teachers expect that there will be emotional labour involved in teaching pupils, but they rarely think about what it will look like to navigate professional relationships with … Continue reading Teacher professionalism and peer relationships: Handling frustration constructively →

Looking in the mirror: Why lesson evaluation matters for beginning teachers

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com When you’ve spent fifteen or more years as a student, you develop certain expectations. For most of her academic life Billie has been accustomed to producing work, submitting it, and then waiting for someone else—usually an expert—to tell her what was good, what needed work, and what to do … Continue reading Looking in the mirror: Why lesson evaluation matters for beginning teachers →

Sitting on the Other Side of the Table: Understanding how to navigate Parents’ Evening

Photo by Rasyid Ahmad on Pexels.com As a parent attending Parents’ Evening consultations, I often find myself glancing at the beginning teacher sitting alongside their mentor on the other side of the table. Inevitably they look a bit overwhelmed by the occasion. While they may have made the odd phone call home, this is probably … Continue reading Sitting on the Other Side of the Table: Understanding how to navigate Parents’ Evening →

Recalibrating Your Teacher Identity: When Your Past Success Doesn’t Fit Your Current Experience

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com I feel like a failure At some point every year I will have a conversation with a beginning teacher who confesses that they feel like a total failure. "I just don't think I'm up to the job," they say. “I just don’t seem to be able to do it”.  … Continue reading Recalibrating Your Teacher Identity: When Your Past Success Doesn’t Fit Your Current Experience →

You Don’t Have to Be a Natural: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Teaching

Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com “Great teachers are born, not made” is one of the great myths of teacher training. Unfortunately, it is also a myth which makes its way into the subconscious of prospective teachers. As we prepare to begin a new academic year in initial teacher education, I know there are soon-to-be beginning … Continue reading You Don’t Have to Be a Natural: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Teaching →