Moving Past the Anxiety of Teaching

For the past couple of months, I have been working as a supply teacher in various high schools throughout the Lambton-Kent district. It has not been easy. I always thought that teaching was my passion; I felt a sense of purpose when I set foot inside the classroom, but now there are so many questions and doubts that have continued to plague my mind. Is it worth waiting on the supply list for a full-time teaching job? Can I wait? Should I travel and teach elsewhere? Should I gain more experience before I settle down in an Ontario region? Is teaching right for me? Unfortunately, I still don't have the answers to these questions, which has caused me considerable amounts of anxiety.

How do I move past these anxieties? 

My anxiety tends to kick into overdrive when I am sitting alone with my thoughts. My anxiety creates fear and resistance inside of me; so much so that I struggle to talk myself into going to a teaching assignment. In order to get a hold of my anxiety, I need to feel like I have a purpose in life; like I have something to work towards. I have to keep myself busy and focused on a meaningful task, or else my anxiety will start to overpower me altogether. 

I came up with a plan today: 

• Document my "Little Wins". As humans, we tend to get too caught up in the negatives: all of the work we didn't do, all of the things we didn't accomplish, all of the things we are too scared to try, and all of things that we are not. STOP THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. This is so much easier said than done, but I am going to give it a try. I want to start celebrating my little victories each day, in order to bring the positive energy and self love back into my life. 
• Reflect! As teachers, we have done our fair share of reflection. We know that reflection is the key to learning and personal growth, so I am going to be reflecting on my supply teaching days. What did I learn today? What worked well? What should I do differently? Did I make any connections with my students today? 
• Learn! Speaking for myself, I am at the top of my teaching game when I am constantly taking the time to learn and prepare for the day. Teachers are lifelong learners, which means that the learning doesn't stop when you enter into the field. There is always something new to learn, so keep trying your best to be a role model for students and show them the importance of learning. 
• Keep myself happy! It is so important that teachers take time for themselves. We are in a helping profession, which means that we LOVE to help others. As teachers, we tend to put our students' needs above our own, but we need to remember that we are no good for our students if we are burnt out and unhappy. Take time to do the things you love. Relax. Spend time with your loved ones. Plan exciting things to do with your free time. Enjoy your life and explore the world.

I am going to be using this blog to set my plan into motion. I will be sharing my personal teaching reflections, goals, plans and ideas for the classroom. This blog will document my growth as an individual and as a teacher, and will help me find my inner happiness and self worth. It is a tall order, but I have faith that I can continue on the path to be an amazing teacher if I can move past my anxieties and be my best self. 

-Ms. Perry