Guess who's back? Back again?

TODAY’S CHALLENGE

Please answer this question : What is it that is holding you back from becoming the best version of yourself (as an EFL teacher – don’t really care you haven’t hit the gym in a year 😆)))

My previous posts were “vanilla”, but after reading many posts recently and talking to some of you, today’s post is all about ACTION, y’all.

Afraid of failing (even before really starting out)?

Well, yes, the Impostor Syndrome is real.

Is it creeping up on you?

So, what are you going to do about this?


Today’s post is especially for people who are just starting out as EFL teachers (BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE “AN IMPOSTOR”, STICK AROUND AND READ THIS).

Let’s make a contract. I’m going to tell you how to overcome this negative feeling but YOU have to take ACTION, guys. Like TODAY.

Are you a fence sitter? I hope you’re not. Cause if you are, this post is not for you.

Stop complaining and felling sorry for yourselves.

Ok, maybe you lack some skills. So what are you going to do about it?

Let’s start, shall we!

Maybe you’ve just got your TEFL qualification and, although are happy and excited, you don’t know what steps to take first.

And this is where you start sabotaging yourself. You might be afraid and start thinking :

– Oh, I’m new at this, people don’t know me, won’t trust me…blah blah blah blah blah… how am I ever going to get a job in this field?

Or

– Oh, I feel I’ve learnt so much during my course, but now I don’t know where to begin. I’ve seen this job offer and I’m not sure I understand what they want from me…

… and then it hits you:

YOU DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING
(like, really, are you going to use this excuse?)

… and what if potential employers or clients are going to ask you exactly those questions that are going to :

-show them that you are a fraud,

-show them you are a person who knows nothing,

-oh, my God, why did I choose teaching in the first place???!!!! ….

STOOOOP! Just stop. Please.

By now, you’ve probably understood that IT IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD, ok. Even if you don’t know everything, YOU CAN STILL LEARN.
When most people come to work with me, they’re more afraid of taking that first step, identifying what they don’t know and putting in the work to improve their skills, than anything else.

In my country, we have this saying : “to baked pie go ahead, to war back down”. This roughly means that when we face challenging times, sometimes we might find it easier to run and hide in our little corner, than face the challenge, find a solution, and deal with it.

So today is all about NOT KNOWING EVERYTHING. And that’s a thing, ok? And many people don’t know everything, ok?
So, what are YOU going to do TODAY?

1.Write in the comments to this post WHAT is really holding you back from applying for that dream job or starting working as a freelancer.

Maybe it’s : I don’t know what to teach, or who to teach, or where to find students, or … whatever

JUST WRITE IT DOWN so you can clearly see it, face that fear

Be honest with yourself
(Are you ashamed of letting everyone know, then just pm me or write it down on a post it)

Sharing, however, might make you more accountable.

2.Read the other comments and if you feel that you can help someone with their problem, DO IT, comment (others might also feel inspired)

Give back, don’t just wait to receive.

3.Found your answer? Implement it NOW.

4.Haven’t found the answer yet? Don’t worry, I’ll also go through the comments and maybe give you some ideas.

You might just find out you’re not alone, maybe others have the same problem. Wonderful (not that you all have problems 🙂) but that you’re not alone.

Most of the time, in order to overcome the impostor syndrome:

-although you may have all the skills, YOU REALLY JUST NEED A PUSH (so here you have it, you’re welcome)

Or

-if you do realise there are things you still need to learn, GO AHEAD AND LEARN .. yes just a bit more … come on, you can do it

I hope you take my post the right way. I hope that you start believing in yourselves because if you don’t do it, the battle has already been lost.

Let go of perfectionism.

Talk to a mentor or a manager / director of studies / more experienced colleague.

Be kind to yourself.

Track your success.

Know you’re not alone.

So, (if you’ve just skipped to the end )

(Beginner) EFL teachers, WHAT’s holding YOU back from becoming the best EFL teacher out there?