Think about someone you know who is confident (or at least seems to be). What characteristics does this person exhibit? You will see someone with good posture who is also comfortable with direct eye contact when speaking. You will hear authority in this person’s tone of voice. You will also see engaging body language. What do you see in a person who lacks confidence? This is a person who wants to attract as little attention as possible. Therefore, their body will be slouched slightly as if to withdraw into themselves. Eye contact will be minimal with only glances at others or quickly darting from person to person. When speaking, the tone of voice will be more apologetic and hesitant, and lastly the overall body language will be withdrawn instead of engaging.

Now, think about your reaction to a person with confidence and without confidence. Do you find your attitude to be different towards each? Which person do you find more believable and knowledgeable? Which person would you find it hard to trust? The level of confidence we present to others is reflected in the amount of confidence they show in us. A person’s attitude towards another is greatly influenced by these visual and verbal signals. When we exhibit confidence, students, parents, and colleagues have confidence in our ability to teach. When we do not exhibit confidence, the opposite occurs. If this is the case, how can you increase the level of confidence presented to others, even when you don’t feel it?

Confidence in Speaking to a Group

The best way to gain confidence in speaking to a group is through experience. Think about the first time you rode a bicycle (or another skill you had to learn). In the beginning you are not confident that you can even keep the bike steady. However, the more you practice (and apply the skill), the better you get. Eventually you conquer the skill and feel very confident. Soon you don’t even think about how to ride the bike, you just do it. If you feel unsteady when speaking to a group of people, use every possible opportunity to practice. Some people join a toastmasters club in their town to help them practice public speaking.

If you don’t feel confident when speaking to a group, but wish to seem confident, below are a few tips:

·         Use good posture. Stand tall and keep your head up.

·         Use solid eye contact. Look individuals in the eyes when speaking. If you feel overwhelmed by the number of people in the room, break it up into sections. Look at each section and direct your information/speech to that one section for a few minutes before moving your attention to another section.

·         Use a strong and sure tone of voice when speaking.

·         Practice teaching the lesson in front of the mirror, a friend, a husband/family, or roommates. (It may feel silly to practice, but you’ll find that you are more comfortable speaking aloud to the class after you’ve “taught” the lesson a couple of times.)

Confidence in Knowledge/Subject Area

Having confidence in the information you present is very important. The more you know and are passionate about your subject area, the better your students will listen and learn. If you are teaching in a subject area that is not your specialty or about a topic you know very little about, you will have difficulty teaching it effectively. This is an instance where those READ posters are so true. The more you read, the more you know. The old adage practice makes perfect also applies to this situation. Reading and practicing the knowledge and skills you are teaching will make you more confident and a better teacher.  Below are a few tips to help you gain confidence in a subject area that is not familiar to you.

·         Read DK (Dorling-Kindersley) books about your topic. DK publishes a series of wonderful books that include facts, fun or little known facts, and great pictures in small snippets about specific topics including world cultures, science topics, and famous people. Most libraries carry these titles so you won’t have to purchase them. Look for the DK website (http://us.dk.com/)to see the various topics they have available. Usborne is another good resource for content area books.

·         Children’s books are a wonderful resource because they strive to make the information fun and interesting to read. This typically makes it more fun for adults as well as children. For example, Simon Basher has a series of “Basher Science” books (published by Kingfisher) which are highly informative and help both children and adults develop a basic understanding of science concepts.

·         If you are requiring students to do something in class with which you are unfamiliar, be sure to complete the assignment on your own at home first. This will allow you to experience it and learn from the experience before trying to teach it. It also helps you iron out any kinks in the lesson/project/lab/assignment.

o   Complete an unfamiliar science lab at home BEFORE you do it in class.

o   Complete practice math problems at home BEFORE teaching them in school.

o   Create the product/project you are requiring of students BEFORE assigning it.

o   Read the text/novel/story at home BEFORE reading it in class.

·         Be a student in another teacher’s class. If there is a specific topic of study you know you will have to teach in the future that another colleague is teaching now, ask if you can sit in on his or her class. Participate with the other students, take notes, and complete the homework. This will give you a crash course in the topic, practice time, experience, and offer you some ideas on how to teach (or not to teach) this subject.

·         Take a community college or parks & recreation course about the topic/subject area. These courses will offer you in-depth study of the topic as well as time to practice, apply, and experience it enough to develop a sense of confidence.

·         Locate and watch educational videos about the topic/subject area. Even children’s videos will give you at least a basic understanding of a topic about which you know nothing. National Geographic and the Discovery Channel both produce fabulous videos about social studies and science topics that you may find helpful.

·         Locate websites with information, facts, and practice opportunities in the subject area you are teaching. The internet is a fabulous resource and also offers online courses as well. You may be able to find webinars (usually an hour or two in length) or a full course (four weeks or more) to take that will increase your level of knowledge and confidence.

The more you read, watch, practice, and experience the topic/subject area, the more confident you will become in your knowledge and ability level.

Confidence in the School

When you first join a new school everything is unfamiliar. Even if you have taught previously, the procedures are different, the policies are often different, and the people are different. It is a new world with a new set of rules. Gaining confidence in the school is really a matter of experience. When starting out in a new school, it is important to:

Ask questions. Find out where the supplies are, how willing the office staff and librarian are to help, the procedures for paperwork, etc.

Network with colleagues. Meet people and get to know them. Interact with as many different people as you can within the school. Don’t just focus on your team, department, or grade level. Take the opportunity to sit with different people at lunch and faculty meetings. By knowing a larger number of people, you will be in a position to better understand the overall culture of the school. You will also have a wider network of resources to call on when needing ideas, supplies, or help.

Get involved. Don’t just go from your car to the classroom and back to your car. Attend school events. Sponsor a club. Offer to help other teachers and/or the administrator. Spend some time in the library. The more involved you are with the school, the more confident you will feel when fielding questions from students, parents, community members, and even other teachers.

Confidence comes from both knowledge and experience. It is exhibited in the way we look, talk, and interact with others. When our inner confidence is strong, it encourages confidence in us by others. The higher level of confidence others have in us, the more respect we gain, the more confident we feel inside. By following the tips in this newsletter, our hope is that you can gain the confidence you seek in areas where you may feel unsure of yourself. As with anything, the more effort and energy you put into it, the more you will gain in the end.

  Inspirational Thought