First time instructor, lacking confidence
I'm an RN with 5 years expereince in a variety of areas. I'll be teaching clinicals for nursing students. A former instructor of mine game me a valuable piece of information that I will pass on to others here: She said "No matter what they think, or how they treat you, just remember that you will always know more than they do."
Not that I'm better than they are or anything like that. But I just have to remind myself that I do know stuff and I am willing and able to pass it on.
Hi Donna,
Great to hear how your first day as an instructor turned out. Sounds like as a result of this positive experience you have a very comfortable way of opening your classes and getting everyone settled in.
Gary
I too was extremely nervous on my first day of teaching. As I looked around at the faces of the students, I realized that some of them were probably just as nervous as I was, so I relaxed somewhat and decided to have a class discussion on what might make students feel anxious the first day of class. We all had a great time with the answers!
I had the same situation during my first few months of teaching. I just made sure I followed our school policy and implemented them in a caring yet professional way. An example would be how some students during class discussion would share something so personal, I would let them share and listen but at the same time quickly let the student know I appreciate their participation and get a move on with lecture. My college has a strict policy about fraternization with students so I just make sure I avoid any personal discussions with them and I also avoid sharing intimate information about me. I basically stick to what they are there for.
Hi Kathryn,
Good approach. You are confident in your abilities as an instructor and competent career professional. This is important for the students to know. This sets the tone for an upcoming course that is going to be of much benefit to the students as they prepare to enter their field.
Gary
Show your students what you know. Deliver them with confidence. Preparation before the class is the key. The more prepared you are before each classes the more confident you will be in delivering them.
Hi Rizalina,
Yes, it is common for new instructors to go through what you are going through. Try to start each class off with a joke, story, or activity so you can get the class settled down. By sharing a light moment or laugh your nerves will calm and you will be able to move on into the course content. It gets better as you gain more teaching experience. Remember you have the content and now you are gaining experience in delivery. So before very long you will be feeling comfortable as an instructional delivery expert.
Gary
I know how you feel. The first couple of classes I taught, I was really nervous. I teach in a technical enviromet and even with my experience, I was scared that I might not be able to answer a question from a student. Now with experience teaching, I don't even think about it anymore. I tell the student I don't know and then we find the answer together. You both learn something and you help the student look for other resources to help him find information. I find the students really like this.
I have several years of experience as an RN but this is my first time to teach the students in clinical setting. I have oriented a lot of LVN and RN in my unit, but still I get anxiety attack. I guess this expected for a new instructor.
Thank you Gary. It's good to know that I am on the right track!
Hi Cinthya,
Welcome to the profession of teaching where you have a chance to share the passion you have for your field with those preparing to enter it. You get to shape lives and impact futures. These are great responsibilities to have but the rewards are well worth the efforts you put into your preparation. Your last sentence captures it all. Do your best and each time you are in front of your students you will become more at ease and better at instructional delivery.
If I can be of any help to you as you get started please feel free to call on me.
Gary
I too am a new instructor and am having a difficult time finding the confidence in myself to effectively teach. I am teaching a skills lab in which I have not done many of the technical skills I will be teaching in several years. I find myself wanting to review the texts that the students will be reading and learning the same lessons they are so I don't say or do the wrong thing. I also plan on attending as many other classes that other instructors are teaching in order to see how they run their skills labs.
All of the comments in this thread have been helpful and I appreciate any other advice.
All I keep telling myself is to take a deep breath, relax and do my best.
Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better. I will try to remember to breathe and smile through those instances.
Hi Heather,
First don't worry about it. It bothers you more than it bothers your students. Little breaks in language flow do not impact the learning process of the students. Pause, take a deep breath and then refocus yourself on what you are trying to say. What is happening is once you start having a problem with expression you get nervous which increases your problem with expression so you get more tongue tied. So as you start having the problem just pause and reset your mind to what you are trying to say. When something like this happens to me, after many years of teaching I might add, is I make a joke, the students laugh and we move on. No big deal for anyone.
Gary
Hi Julie,
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. You are going to help set at ease the minds of many beginning instructors because you have given them hope. Yes, it does get easier and yes, you will be successful. I try to remind all beginning instructors of this as they work through the first few weeks of their new career.
Gary
I was nervous too, even though I have 20 years of teaching in another industry/subject matter.
What I draw on and get better at each week is the time I take to say how this class or exercise will directly benefit them in real life situations. I tell about my school to work experience, show some examples and pull it back to the student and how they can apply it all.
This is my first time teaching and I am teaching Animal Anatomy. It has been a long time since I took this class and a lot of the things we cover are not used regularly in practice. Sometimes I get a little tongue tied and can't convey my thoughts the way I planned to before class. I find this embarrassing and just want to move away from the topic as soon as something like this pops up. How do I handle instances like this?
I will be starting my 5th week of teaching. I was so nervous the first night until I realized that I had accomplished one of life long goals. This made it easier for me to convey my passion for education, I’m not as nervous and it is getting easier each week.
Hi Marco,
Good to hear the about the positive experiences you are having as an instructor. Teaching is fun and you get to share with your knowledge and experiences with others. This is what makes teaching worth all the effort.
Gary
Hi Scot,
Good to hear how you are progressing as a new teacher. It is like everything else, the more you do it the better you get and the less nervous you are. So look for ways to improve your expertise as a teacher, enjoy your students and have fun sharing your experience with the next generation of people entering your field.
Gary
