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How teachers can increase their confidence in the classroomAccording to Miriam-Webster.com self confidence is defined as ?the confidence in oneself and in one?s powers and abilities?. Self confidence is absolutely essential in order for a person to be successful in anything that he does. A person must trust in oneself to be able to handle the task at hand and only then can that task be mastered. Likewise, a teacher must have the confidence to stand in front of a class and trust in himself to present and teach that material that he has prepared. Although there are many ways for a person to boost their confidence, the three most important things that teachers can do to increase their self-esteem are dressing themselves as professionals, being well prepared and being able to recognize their student?s successes. A teacher cannot walk into a classroom wearing jeans and a t-shirt and expect to appear capable and professional. In fact, the first impression could actually be quite harmful in this situation as the teacher may not even be immediately recognized as the teacher. According to the La Belle Foundation, ?it is a lot easier to get to the top if you look like you belong there? and this is not the case in this scenario. Furthermore, having to fight for the respect and attention that the teacher should have from the beginning definitely will not help his self confidence. Therefore, it makes sense that the teacher needs to stand out from the class and he can easily do this by dressing as a professional. This includes nice slacks, collared shirts and blouses and can even include a tie depending on the type of class. Plus, if you dress better, you feel better which leads to better performance. Arthur Ashe once said, ?One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.? By going into a class with a well prepared and laid out lesson plan, the teacher not only feels better about himself, because he is not stuttering around trying to figure out what to do next, but also proves to the students that he knows what he is talking about. The final result of a well prepared lesson is that the students learn while having fun which will inevitably boost a teacher?s self-esteem. Finally, the teacher must recognize that the student?s are improving ? regardless of how small the step is. As everyone learns at a different tempo, the teacher cannot necessarily base his success on the fastest students but often needs to look at the slowest and ask himself, ?Is this student improving?? If the answer is yes, then the teacher has every right to be proud of himself. Further, in the article ?10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence?, the author suggests that by making and recognizing a contribution to the world, in this case the classroom, the less time one has to worry about one?s own flaws. And by not dwelling on the mistakes but rather on the highlights and successes a teacher will automatically begin to feel better about himself. In conclusion, it is very important that a teacher standing up in front of a class has the self confidence to present the material to the students. A teacher can improve they way he feels about himself simply by dressing as a professional, being well-prepared for his lesson and by recognizing the successes of his students as small as they may be.
