Teacher Anxiety

[Axel33]

Hello,

I am a newly graduated secondary teacher. I love teaching and have always wanted to be a teacher, however my anxiety is ruining it for me. I am fine when I am in the classroom however it is the lead up and aftermath to teaching that makes it unbearable. I desperately want this to work out but I don't want to work in a job where i feel like this for the rest of my life!

Does anyone have any tips? What are the odds of me becoming desensitised to it as I teach more?

Thanks

[Janey123]

Hi Axel,

Congrats on graduating and starting to teach! I think the anxiety will ease as you teach more and get more comfortable with your new environment, it's always worse when you are doing something new I find.

I can relate to the lead up anxiety and would like tips myself, but what do you mean about the aftermath?

Janey xx

Janey xx

[Axel33]

Hey Janey,

Thanks for your reply.

I start to think about the lesson and things I could have done wrong etc. I also begin to think of the next thing I need to do. Its a vicious cycle!

Regards

Axel

[suesie]

Hi Axel

I taught for many years and often felt worried before and after lessons. I think at this stage you are just finding your feet. It does get easier and one of the things that really helped me was to plan very carefully for each day. I would write reams but it really helped me to have that lesson plan near me so I could focus on what I was teaching. Perhaps you are trying to cover too much in one lesson. Always make comments in your plan as to how individual students are working. As you relax your students will see your personality. Hope these comments help a bit. Also some schools help new teachers by giving you a mentor teacher.

[MissTeacher]

Hi Axel,

Congratulations on choosing teaching as a career. It is a very rewarding job. I am a primary school teacher and have been teaching for about 4 years. I felt (and still do a bit) the same way that you do. It shows that you are a brilliant teacher because you are so self-reflective and genuinely care about how well you are doing. I have found that as the years have gone on, I have managed my stress and anxiety better. Each year you improve on what you did before and learn from your mistakes. It is important to make mistakes as well because this is how we learn. The first year is definitely the hardest because every lesson you teach is for the first time, however every year that goes on gets easier, I can assure you!