5 Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt As a Teacher

When trying to find new ways to work as an educator, it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed and struggle with self-doubt. After years of working with students in the Beyond the Classroom course, I’ve realized that teachers go through a few predictable stages when they begin to look for work outside of teaching. Luckily, there are some simple ways to overcome self-doubt and boost your confidence.

Teachers generally come to Educator Forever feeling burnt out and unsure about their next move. After seeing all the possibilities, their mood changes. Suddenly these exhausted teachers are energized and excited. They are ready to get out there and make their dreams come true! But when they get ready to take action, self-doubt often appears. 

Trying new things can feel scary and it’s completely understandable when self-doubt creeps in.  Being a classroom teacher can be so intertwined with our identities, so much so that we can sometimes think of ourselves as “just” being teachers. But there is no such thing as “just” a teacher! Our skills are so valuable, impressive, and applicable in other areas.

When you’re dealing with self-doubt— or any other obstacle— the most important thing to do is to move through it. Recognize, feel, and even appreciate your doubtful feelings. Then keep taking action to make your dreams a reality. Use these tips to help overcome self-doubt when you feel stuck.

5 Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt

1. Boost Your Confidence 

One of the best ways to overcome self-doubt is to boost your confidence. Start by making a list of your skills and your teaching expertise. Then keep challenging yourself to add more to the list. The important part here is to push yourself to think of a lot of skills. Don’t let yourself stop until you have at least 20 things listed. Keep listing and listing more and more skills.

After you have made your list, look back on it with pride. Keep this list in a convenient place where you can keep adding to it and remember to pull it out when you need a confidence boost. (Pro-tip: Use this list as inspiration when writing cover letters and preparing for interviews for flexible jobs in education). 

2. Seek an Outside Perspective 

If you’re not sure what others value about you, ask! It can feel scary, but also brings incredible clarity when you ask others to share about your skills. You can also think about praise that others have given you in the past. Why do people come to you for advice? What do students and colleagues value about you? Add these things to your list!

While these strengths can be hard to see when you’re struggling with self-doubt, paying attention to— and documenting— positive feedback you get from others in your daily life is one of the best ways to overcome self-doubt.

3. Talk About Your Hesitation 

When we realize what’s holding us back, we shed light on important information. By acknowledging and talking about self-doubt, we are able to find a way through it. Don’t feel like you have to go at it alone! One of the best ways to overcome self-doubt is to talk through your feelings with a loved one or a colleague. If you’re not up for talking, consider journaling about what you’re feeling. Writing can be a therapeutic tool to help you move through challenging feelings. 

4. Normalize Your Feelings

When we’re feeling doubtful, sometimes we can then start feeling guilty about feeling doubtful. That can be extra challenging! There’s no shame in feeling self-doubt and just because you’re feeling doubtful does not mean that your concerns are valid. Normalize your feelings and let go of any guilt around them. Just recognizing your self-doubt is a big first step towards managing it. 

5. Do the thing

The tough and amazing solution for self-doubt? Action! Confront your fears head-on and do the thing that scares you. We can get stuck in spirals of self-doubt and imposter syndrome as a teacher, but the only way forward is to keep moving. Truly feel and recognize your fears, then take forward action. 

Through this action you will gain new skills, get clarity, and build your risk-taking muscles. Always remember: As a teacher, you are an expert in learning. This expertise can be used to help yourself to learn how to do anything you’re committed to doing. Committing to action is one of the best ways to overcome self doubt.

More Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt As a Teacher

Whether you’re feeling self-doubt when considering a promotion or a new role, or you’re ready to leave the classroom all together, there are plenty of ways you can boost your confidence and move toward your ideal future.

One of the best ways to overcome self-doubt is to surround yourself with others who are trying to make a similar change. Having a supportive community who understands the challenges that comes along with leaving the classroom will go a long way toward helping you overcome self-doubt!

Looking for your own supportive community? Join our Beyond the Classroom course to learn more about how to apply your classroom experience to flexible jobs in education - such as curriculum development, education consulting, virtual teaching and more. When you join, you’ll also become part of our growing community of current and former classroom teachers who are making an impact in education.