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whats the best way to prepare myself to teach? and be confidant in it?

I'm a student at box elder high. I like the idea of becoming a teacher. I enjoy and also am considering teaching astronomy, earth science, or even science in general. I do struggle being confidant when I am describing things to others which is kinda a big deal sense that's a big part of the job... #teaching #astronomy

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Dana’s Answer

Hello!
I love that you feel like you have found your passion! Building confidence while teaching just takes practice! Once you are able to practice the material in front of a class it becomes a lot easier. You will get a lot of practice when you are in your student teaching portion of your classes. During this time you will get to spend a lot of time in a classroom. You will get to observe a teacher and take over the class for a little bit! This will help you get a flow for what works and what doesn't. The teacher will also be able to give feedback on anything they feel you need improvement on as well as things that you did great on!
Hope this helps!
Dana
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Prerak’s Answer

Hi Emma! I feel like you are passionate about teaching and are therefore aiming to pursue teaching as your career. I am sure that your passion will convert into confidence which will only increase with experience. Take small steps; start with teaching/tutoring one on one, then small groups and finally large groups. Other thing that will boost your confidence is knowing the topic and ability to answer questions. Remember that you don't have to answer all questions right away and you may have to conduct additional research before answering some. You will eventually become the subject matter expert for the course you plan to teach and that will automatically make you confident. I see you becoming a great teacher one day! Good luck.
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Dave’s Answer

Hi Emma,
You don't have to worry about the subject matter because you'll learn that. What you do need help with is your confidence. You get that through experience, but there are some things that you can do right now to start building that up. First of all, step forward and be a leader amongst your peers. You probably have small groups that you work with right now. Practice being the kind of leader that everybody looks up to. That doesn't mean you're the boss, that means you're the guide. You're the voice of reason, you're the one that suggest something, you're the one that gives alternative answers. When other people are wondering what to do, you're the one that steps forward and at least has an idea.
The other thing that you need to practice is how to deliver that. You've often heard people who are speaking stutter, use phrases over and over again such as "you know," "well", "like", "okay" "umm". Those are very irritating things that a true leader never uses. They are filler wasted words. When you speak to anyone don't use those. Right away, you will be more in command of your words.
So, you see it's not about what you do, it's how you do it. Speak well and you will be in command of the situation.
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Gloria’s Answer

Hi Emma,

I think that you might consider this question from two perspectives.

First, why do you want to be a teacher? Do you admire someone or do you have a natural skill? Some people are naturally good at helping people to learn. You probably have a sense of whether or not you have the natural gift. What skills do you have that you will use for teaching? It is important to know your own strengths and weaknesses before you turn your attention to what to do to become a teacher.

Second, consider what skills you feel are important to be a teacher. I would consider knowledge of the subject very important, but in many ways secondary. You have to be able to share your knowledge, to make other people understand. So in my mind, I would ask you to consider either jobs or classes that allow you to interact with people. You should practice your communication skills, including how to interact with people who don't agree with you. You need to learn how to explain things in different ways because no two people learn in the same way. I would say become a part of a speaking club where you have to practice presenting to others and getting feedback. If you get a job in college, make sure that it is a job where you interact with people like customer service or being a tutor so you can practice explaining things to people.

Good luck with your teaching career.
Gloria
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Kira’s Answer

Hey Emma! I was a Chemistry teacher for 6 years and can tell you I had those exact same fears before I started teaching. Just like everything else in life, you will become more confident the more you do it. In your education classes in college you will have tons of opportunities to present to your peers to help you gain confidence in your presentation skills. Then, once you get a little further down the road, you will start to work in classrooms, partnering with a cooperating teacher. Every program is different, but in any program you will start with presenting small things to the students in the class you are working in, then keep building up, and eventually when you get to student teaching you will take over teaching the whole class. Throughout all of that you will be in partnership with your cooperating teacher so make sure you really utilize them for feedback and learn and grow from it!
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Kimberly’s Answer

When I was in college and studying education, the main focus was to teach you how to teach! The more you know about the theory of how to teach and understand the methods behind delivering messages, utilizing different techniques for different students - the more confident you'll become in your approach. Also, a degree in education offers a LOT of hands on experience from aiding to student teaching; during this time you'll have the opportunity to learn from dozens of mentors and gain confidence along the way!

Good Luck!
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Yasemin’s Answer

Hi Emma! Your passion is so great! I think teaching is wonderful and I remember the amazing teachers I had to this very day. I think the best way would be to practice; practice in your classes when you're studying and also to your friends as well in explaining topics- or to your family members as well. Maybe you have a younger family member who needs help in their classes! I also think tutoring is very effective if there are positions at your school to tutor I would recommend to enroll to become one because this will help you become more prepared through practice and experience with others. I remember I had an amazing tutor for precalculus and she was aspiring to become a teacher; I told her that I knew that she was going to be a great one because the way she explained everything and was so caring was amazing! In the end it may take time but if you truly love it then I believe you can do it! Don't give up, practice and remember your passion because it can help in subsiding fears!

Best of luck future educator!
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Heather’s Answer

As far as developing confidence , the best tactical ways to go about that are prep and experience. Whenever you have opportunities to present a topic or teach a lesson plan, you can prep ahead of time and start by answering some key questions:
What are the key takeaways I want my audience to get from this lesson?
What are potential questions a student or audience member might have? (and prep the answers)

The next step is to get experience. This will help you better anticipate questions that could come up in future lessons and make your prep sessions even more productive. Finally, BE YOURSELF -- it's ok not to know every answer and it's ok to forget a key point every once in a while. Through prep and experience you'll develop strategies to deal with that when it happens. We are all human and when you are being your authentic self, it inspires trust in any audience, including students. When you build rapport and trust with the students, your confidence will grow exponentially!
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