Managing the dreaded imposter syndrome

A hot topic lately seems to be Imposter Syndrome. I keep hearing about it, and I certainly keep feeling it, and it appears that I'm not alone either.

In case you were unaware, I'm an English language teacher. I teach people whose first language is not English, and most of them are young students preparing for their IELTS exams, in hope of getting into a British University. I do, however, teach a range of levels and ages, so I have a nice mixture of students most of the time.

Although I've never been full of self confidence, I had never really experienced this feeling of 'imposter syndrome' until last week.

One of my goals for 2020 is to become more familiar with the IELTS exams and to also gain more experience in teaching preparation classes.

Luckily that came to me in my first teaching post of the year as I was asked to cover 3 lessons for an IELTS teacher who had, unfortunately, damaged her back. I had 3 days to prepare the lesson and by Monday I was confident in the material I was teaching. The students were lovely and I felt as though I built up a good rapport quite quickly. However, I could not shake the feeling that they knew I was new to the whole IELTS thing.

That feeling crept under my skin and would not budge because during the afternoon class I completely messed up. My lesson plan, well, feel free to read about that over on my blog: MissHillsmith

So after reflecting on my previous two weeks, my suggestions for beating Imposter Syndrome are:

Believe in yourself. Because if you don't, who will?

Recognise your achievements and experiences and know their worth. You will be able to offer invaluable knowledge and support to people if you believe in yourself, whether it's about project leadership, solo travelling or social media management.

Prepare sufficiently for your projects

With lack of experience comes great responsibilities to yourself, and to others. You've been given an opportunity to prove you can do something, but it's the proving part that often scares us.

"How will I prove it?" and "What if I make mistakes?"

If you prepare well, do your research and own your mistakes, your dedication will show. Making mistakes is a normal part of life and does not mean you're inadequate for a job. Admit it, learn from it and move forward.

Ask for help from more experienced colleagues

How else are you going to learn? There are many books and a lot of research about most subjects these days, so of course you can do your own studies on something. But, what better way to learn than from someone else who's already experienced in a field?

For example, with teaching. I always take the opportunity to observe other teachers. The lessons I learn have always proved invaluable; from classroom management to revising vocabulary, using games to encouraging reading.

I'm lucky that my colleagues are extremely experienced and intelligent people who often make time for me when I ask for advice or suggestions.

Do not compare yourself to others

This should be in the rule book of life because the easiest way to increase negativity and self doubt is by comparing yourself to other people, within or out of your field.

With only two and a half years of teaching experience, there are an awful lot more teachers who have more experience than I do.

I find myself guilty of comparison, especially when I am observing, or reading about new teaching roles people have gained. But this year I'm working on being more positive and kinder to myself and so far I can feel the effects working in my favour.

I am unique in myself, but my background is similar to many others, I have no reason to compare my situation because the world affects us all different and we just have to accept it.

Be kind to yourself

It's easy to become burnt out in today's world so you should recognise where you need to improve and see these areas as a positive step forward, for self development and knowledge of your field of work.

Do not beat yourself up over little things. You will improve with time and dedication.

Take a step back from work now and again. You cannot, and will not, know everything there is to know, so don't stress over it. Make time in the evenings to enjoy a long bath, watch a movie, or read a good book - make time for YOU!

Make sure you're eating healthily, getting some exercise and sleeping well, otherwise your brain and skin will suffer, which will only make you feel even worse.

Talk about it

This is a separate point because you don't have to talk to someone in your field and neither do I mean 'see a therapist'. I mean, talk about it. Voice your opinions on Twitter (this helped me massively), talk to a friend or your parents. You'll be surprised at how many people have felt, or are feeling, exactly the way you feel now. Or, if you're not a big talker, write it down in a dairy / scrap piece of paper. However you do it, make sure you're voicing your concerns, otherwise it will start to consume your every thought.

I hope this post is helpful to many of you, and if you have any opinions on the piece or would like to share your own experiences of Imposter Syndrome - please feel free to leave a comment or connect with me via Twitter