You have to believe in yourself to teach others.
Picture this- you walk into a room all excited and ready to learn! You have a sharp pencil, and pristine notebook, and a shiny new perspective just waiting to be filled. Your instructor walks into the room, glances at you, then shuffles behind her desk with downtrodden eyes. She rifles through some papers, then turns her back and writes on the blackboard. She is saying something, but you have to strain and still to hear.
Throughout her lecture, she does not make eye contact. She halts and hesitates and looks at anything but her class.
You really are not learning anything.
She is shy and not confident in her teaching abilities.
But that is ok! Everyone has that same feeling! The trick is to fake it till you make it.
There is nothing worse than trying to focus on someone who appears to not know what they are talking about. That is what you appear as when you lack confidence.
Instead, take a deep breath, walk into the room like you own it with your head high and shoulders back, and smile at the class. You have already practiced your lecture last night at home, and have a few notecards, so you can consult them from time to time. But always hold your body as if you know what you are talking about. You will be viewed as an authority on the subject, and will gain due respect.
Over time it will get easier and before you know it you won’t have to pretend- you will have gained the confidence needed to teach the masses!
Todays Silverwhale Episode brought to you by @ArbitraryKitten
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