How to Teach with Confidence

Teachers and educators are fundamental to creating a supportive and nurturing learning environment. Their expertise, coupled with their passion for teaching, inspires students to learn and develop new skills. Students often absorb the mentality of those teaching them, as such, when taught by someone who is confident in their ability and knowledge, they absorb this confidence. 

Whilst teaching with confidence may not come naturally to everyone, it is an incredibly useful soft skill that can be developed over time. In this article we will explore why confidence in teaching is crucial and provide some practical tips to help you teach with confidence. 

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The Importance of Confidence in Teaching

Teaching with confidence is important as it acts as a trust signal to students that you are an expert in your field and have the necessary knowledge to teach them effectively. Those who teach with confidence easily demonstrate their skill and the depth of their understanding, reaffirming themselves as trustworthy figures and valuable sources of information. This is especially important when one considers a student’s first introduction to a particular subject or topic. In these instances, having a teacher who exudes confidence reassures students that they have a well informed guide who can help them to navigate this new world of information. 

As well as reaffirming you as a trustworthy and knowledgeable figure, teaching with confidence can:

• Reduce teacher anxiety.
• Encourage enthusiastic student participation.
• Strengthen classroom management.
• Effectively engage students.
• Create a positive learning environment.
• Boost a student’s confidence in their own ability.
• Evoke enthusiasm to learn.
• Empower students to face challenges. 

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Tips for Teaching with Confidence

As mentioned above, teaching with confidence is a soft skill that can be developed over time. Throughout your career in education you are likely to develop your confidence and gain valuable experience that will help you to feel better prepared for most situations. Nevertheless, there are certain tips that you can follow to further bolster your confidence when teaching. 

Tips for teaching with confidence include:

Don’t be afraid of silence – Silence is something that can be hard to attain in a classroom, especially when working with younger children. In fact, in many instances, silence is actively sought out to help manage the class and teach effectively. However, there are instances in which silence can indicate a lack of engagement, such as when asking a question or for a volunteer. In these instances, don’t be afraid of the silence. If you ask a question and no one answers straight away or raises their hand to volunteer, don’t immediately swoop in to answer it, change it, or pick someone yourself to answer it. Give the class time to think and sit in the silence as they do so. If you quickly answer the question for them or adapt it to seem easier, it suggests that you do not have confidence in what you’ve asked or that your students will be able to answer the question. Adopting the eight second rule can help you to get more comfortable with silence. The eight second rule is a strategy in which a teacher intentionally pauses for eight seconds after asking a question. This time not only encourages deeper thinking by allowing students the time to consider the question and form an answer, it also sets a silent expectation that your question should be answered and that your students have the existing knowledge to attempt an answer.

Be honest – Teachers are often seen as infallible authority figures who are never wrong or make mistakes. Whilst this is used by some as a means to establish respect, it can also make teachers appear inaccessible. Moreover, this is simply not true and teachers like all human beings make mistakes. Though it may appear counterintuitive, being honest with your pupils when you have made a mistake or when you don’t know the answer, highlights your confidence in your ability to learn from your own mistakes and move on. Perfectionism can be an easy but dangerous trap for teachers to fall into, inadvertently stunting their flexibility and willingness to adapt to unexpected challenges. Acknowledging mistakes when they are made and, where appropriate, being honest about them with students, can improve your confidence by highlighting your ability to teach even when things aren’t perfect and haven’t gone to plan. It also reaffirms that you are in fact an accessible figure for pupils rather than someone who should be placed on a pedestal and idolised. Honesty encourages trust which in turn fosters a culture of mutual respect. 

Consider your language – How you communicate with others is one of the key ways in which you can convey confidence. As such, it’s important that your language expresses this. Avoid ending statements with phrases such as ‘if that makes sense’ and instead rest assured that you explained yourself clearly and that your pupils know that they can ask for further clarification if needed. Framing questions with confidence communicates to your pupils that you have faith in their ability, whilst setting the expectation for their participation. Instead of saying ‘does anyone want to have a go at answering this?’ say, ‘who wants to answer first?’ This sets the clear expectation that the question will be answered and encourages healthy competition as to who will do so first. Finally, avoid adding ‘for me’ at the end of certain phrases such as ‘can you answer this for me?’ or ‘can you try it this way for me?’ First and foremost your students are there for their own learning; developing their own skills and their own understanding. Removing this phrase reiterates that they are in control of their education and that they should be as confident as you are in their ability to find the solution for themselves. 

Take the time to reflect – Teaching is a constantly evolving practice in terms of both what you have to teach and how you have to teach. Reflection is an important part of ensuring that you maintain high standards throughout this evolution as it enables you to look back at what went well and learn from what didn’t. Reflective practice enables you to gain a better understanding of how your students learn and the best way to teach them. This ensures that you come to each lesson confident that you are well prepared to provide them with everything that they need to succeed. Taking the time to reflect also enables you to learn from criticism, either from your students themselves or from other members of staff. Critique is an opportunity to learn and when presented in a constructive and professional manner isn’t something that you should take personally. Instead, listen to it with an open mind, accept the feedback and use it to improve your teaching. 

Be prepared – Teaching is a notoriously changeable career and working with students of any age can bring with it unexpected challenges. Nevertheless, this does not negate the need for thorough planning in advance. Well thought out lesson planning reduces stress and enables you to approach each lesson confident in the knowledge that you have a plan. The ability to adapt is a key skill for a teacher to have and this flexibility is especially important when working with young children. As such, it can be easy to think that the rigidity of a well structured lesson plan can, on occasion, be more of a hindrance than a help. However, by having a solid lesson plan you are providing yourself with a structure that will guide the direction of your lesson. Preparation isn’t limited to the classroom either. Dressing for success is known to help you feel more confident and coming to school in comfortable, professional clothing can immediately make you feel more confident in how you present yourself to pupils and colleagues. Having a ‘work uniform’ and planning your outfit in advance can reduce the morning stress of having to decide what to wear and ensures that you can have a calm start to your day. 

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Teaching with confidence naturally evokes confidence in your students. This confidence helps them to feel sure of their ability and optimistic that they can face and overcome different challenges. Teaching with confidence is something that is likely to develop over time as your experience of teaching grows, however following the tips above can further enhance your confidence and belief in yourself as a knowledgeable and effective teacher. 

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Further Resources:

• CPD Courses for Teaching and Education
• 8 Teaching Methods to Use in the Classroom
• Effective Classroom Management: Tips for Teachers
• What’s the Importance of Reflective Practice in Teaching?