Want to become a teacher but have severe social anxiety

LegacyUser

As the title suggests, I would love to be a teacher but I'm afraid my anxiety will stand in the way.

I just can't seem to speak in front of a group of people without losing my normal breathing pattern and becoming incredibly distracted by my anxiety. Though rarely, I even get this way simply talking to one other person (bank manager, customer service agent on the phone, etc). I have at times just walked away from people because I run of breath while speaking and then can't (or think I can't) continue the conversation.

I loved past experiences of tutoring people one-on-one, and I've always dreamed of working in this field (despite the massive obstacles in finding work for new teachers now) but I don't know if I'm actually mentally able for it.

I guess I want to vent a little about how frustrating it is to be stopped i your tracks by your own thoughts. If anyone has any similar experiences of this but went on to teach (or lecture or anything involving standing in front of people to talk) then please let me know. If I think anxiety of this kind can be overcome to the extent that I can happily teach, then I might try to invest effort in sorting it out once and for all.

Big Bag of Chips

When we get anxious or nervous in a situation we actually talk faster, because we just want to get it all out. The faster you talk, the less time you give yourself to breath.. and that's when you start running out of breath.

Try train yourself when you are in a situation to slow the rate of your speech down. Prepare yourself as much as you can for the conversation. If you are contacting a customer service rep/bank manager etc, write down a few bullet points that remind you what you want to say, that way you are more relaxed about what you need to say, because you have your notes in front of you, so you can concentrate better on the rate of your speech.

It's something that can be overcome. And you should definitely not let it come in the way of your dream of becoming a teacher. Everything gets easier with practice...

moochers

Hey OP
+ 1 to everything Big Bag of Chips has stated.
You are not alone. There was a study done regarding peoples biggest fear and public speaking was second after death. The key is being prepared, in my job we have team meetings all the time, where we have to give back individual feedback. I often have to facilitate group work sessions. Gaining confidence to speak in front of a crowd is a process. Some people are naturally adept, others are not. In college we had to to presentations to the class, on work placement we were videotaped and then critiqued which was very daunting at the start. However, we were constantly being coached and encouraged. I remember we were constantly told to change our way of thinking from saying we were terribly nervous to say we were excited and ready. My best friend is a teacher and she took a six week life skills to be more confident and assertive and it really helped her. Don't know if you are seeing a counselor for your anxiety but Cognitive Behavioural Treatment changes your thought process from being scared and anxious to be more confident and assertive. You should maybe look into this. But if not, being prepared and breathing excercises are great methods and in teacher training college you will be taught public speaking etc. It's a gradual process but you will get there. Follow your dream and best of luck to you

Selfheal

Also, you could think about joining your local branch of Toastmasters. It's set up to be extremely supportive and encouraging, and everyone will be extremely understanding of where you are coming from as they are all, or have been, in the same boat. It's very structured and you just go at a pace that suits you, so you can firstly focus on very minor roles (or none if you prefer) before giving a speech.

Really recommend it.

araic88

Don't give up! In secondary school I developed a real anxiety about reading aloud and presenting projects in transition year. I'd be like you, unable to breath, it was torchure. I had 3 orals do for the leaving cert & in 5th years I'd fail each practice one because I could get nothing out. Its not much help to you really but for me the anxiety left as it came, with no apparent reason. I did well In LC orals and studied primary teaching as I had hoped I could. Now interviews seem to make me less nervous than they do the average person & last year I got a permanent job teaching. I wish I had known back in school that what I thought was a crippling anxiety would not be long term

December2012

I think there's a tv show coming up about this very problem! I think I heard about it on the Ray Darcy show - it might still be a podcast so you could search for that.

Look at the toastmasters, or even some of the theatre schools - it might be something a drama student would be able to help you with if money was tight?

It is something you can overcome, don't let it stop you.

HalloweenJack

I'm a teacher and I have also had serious social anxiety problems, though they have subsided somewhat.

I remember my very first class. I was a nervous wreck. It was on a training course and I was being observed. I don't remember the first part of the class but after doing a short introduction and some explanations, I put them into an activity and had a short break for myself. After that part, I relaxed immensely. The teacher observing me said that once I calmed down and relaxed a bit, it went grand.

I've been teaching for two years now and, to be honest, it gets easier over time but there are days when I go back to being a nervous wreck. For example, tomorrow I'm back at work after a month of holidays and I'm already getting butterflies, even though it's with a group of students I've taught before.

The anxiety does subside and, for me, getting over it involved throwing myself in at the deep end. It does get easier after the start. Once you get to know your students, it becomes a lot easier. Unfortunately, at the start, there will be a considerable teething process. But it does get better.

LegacyUser

HalloweenJack wrote: »

I'm a teacher and I have also had serious social anxiety problems, though they have subsided somewhat.

I remember my very first class. I was a nervous wreck. It was on a training course and I was being observed. I don't remember the first part of the class but after doing a short introduction and some explanations, I put them into an activity and had a short break for myself. After that part, I relaxed immensely. The teacher observing me said that once I calmed down and relaxed a bit, it went grand.

I've been teaching for two years now and, to be honest, it gets easier over time but there are days when I go back to being a nervous wreck. For example, tomorrow I'm back at work after a month of holidays and I'm already getting butterflies, even though it's with a group of students I've taught before.

The anxiety does subside and, for me, getting over it involved throwing myself in at the deep end. It does get easier after the start. Once you get to know your students, it becomes a lot easier. Unfortunately, at the start, there will be a considerable teething process. But it does get better.

Thanks HalloweenJack- it's good to hear of your experiences and that your anxiety never prevented you from teaching. It's exactly what I needed to hear.

Thanks to everyone else too. I think a combination of breathing exercises, maybe getting practice at Toastmasters and just jumping into the deep end is just what I need to do. Sure if it really doesn't work out I can't say I didn't try.

MaxWig

Hi OP, I really feel for your situation, and would really agree with all of what has been suggested.

Like you I had considered teaching as a profession. Like you I suffer extremes of anxiety in social situations.
Unlike you, I did not seek advice or look for strategies to deal with my anxiety. I simply gave up on the teaching idea.

It was not a passion for me, perhaps in the way you seem to love it. However, what I found was that everywhere I worked ultimately involved me being faced with social demands that I found excruciating.

Anxiety is torturous at times. I never fully appreciated how incredibly frightening it can be until I was in my thirties, even though I had been aware of anxiety in myself much earlier than that.

I agree totally that anxiety can be overcome. It is not easy, but practice, reflection, awareness and mindfulness will all help you to put in place strategies to overcome it.

I wish you the best of luck whatever you decide

blatantrereg

Yes. I've had severe social anxiety, to the point of not wanting to leave the house. I still do experience moderate social anxiety. I also am a lecturer and I get terrific feedback these days. I also have done very well-received presentations at conferences, and was always the one put forward to give them when researching.

There are different forms of social anxiety. Lots of people don't like to be the centre of attention. You can get over that simply by putting yourself in situations where you are the centre of attention. I would say that dialogues are far preferable to monologues while teaching in any case.

I'm not bothered by that any more. I'm not the most naturally sociable person, and occasionally cause unintentional offence, or just come across as a bit odd even now. Therefore I prefer to psychologically prepare myself for social engagements, and have anxiety/aggravation of being taken up wrongly etc.

That doesn't usually effect my teaching at all though. I am more comfortable talking about technical concepts than making social chit chat, and am good at reading someone's intellectual understanding of a subject, even if my reading of general social cues is not always perfect. I enjoy and take satisfaction from leading people to understand what are sometimes difficult and poorly understood concepts. Possibly I enjoy this all the more because I don't take great satisfaction in more normal social interactions.

So really I don't see social anxiety or inhibitions as being something that prevent someone from being a good teacher.

Boskowski

I don't know. I always wanted to become a footballer, but I was just not good enough. Stupid example, I know, but you get the idea.
I imagine as a teacher the one thing you don't want to have a problem with is people. Would you not always look over your shoulder - figuratively speaking - even if you did overcome the worst of it for a while?
Sorry, I don't believe in this 'we all can do anything we want' talk which has become the fancy these days. That's just the great equality pc speak which is simply misleading in my opinion. I mean you may get by - eventually - but would you ever be comfortable and actually good at it? Students can be cruel you know. If they have your weakness sussed things could get fairly nightmarish.
We all have different things we're good at and also things we're not so good at. Why don't you find something that you like and that also plays to your strengths?

MaxWig

Boskowski wrote: »

I don't know. I always wanted to become a footballer, but I was just not good enough. Stupid example, I know, but you get the idea.
I imagine as a teacher the one thing you don't want to have a problem with is people. Would you not always look over your shoulder - figuratively speaking - even if you did overcome the worst of it for a while?
Sorry, I don't believe in this 'we all can do anything we want' talk which has become the fancy these days. That's just the great equality pc speak which is simply misleading in my opinion. I mean you may get by - eventually - but would you ever be comfortable and actually good at it? Students can be cruel you know. If they have your weakness sussed things could get fairly nightmarish.
We all have different things we're good at and also things we're not so good at. Why don't you find something that you like and that also plays to your strengths?

I think you may misunderstand anxiety. In fact I know you do.

Anxiety is not a part of you, any more than hunger is. It is an affect, and it is one that can be overcome.

What you are suggesting is the equivalent of telling someone who is a few stone overweight that they will never be match-fit. It's just not true. They can be match-fit, they just need to practice, train, and remain vigilant.

Someone can have wonderful attributes that anxiety can threaten to over-shadow. But the idea that those talents can not shine through is simply wrong. Furthermore, with time, the OP may find he is most at home teaching, and anxiety has become a distant memory

Caonima

Still not entirely sure of the process, but I used to be very shy and socially awkward a few years ago, but now I'm a college professor over in China and have no trouble with giving a lecture let alone administering a good shouting or bollocking to a messer. Hang in there; sometimes just the sheer exposure to trying something like this can bring the best out of you, and teaching can be like riding a bike in that it comes to you after a bit of practice. Knowing your subject is also invaluable; stops you from dwelling on the mind-killing "what if they ask me xxxx" problem.

ocli64

Boskowski wrote: »

I don't know. I always wanted to become a footballer, but I was just not good enough. Stupid example, I know, but you get the idea.
I imagine as a teacher the one thing you don't want to have a problem with is people. Would you not always look over your shoulder - figuratively speaking - even if you did overcome the worst of it for a while?
Sorry, I don't believe in this 'we all can do anything we want' talk which has become the fancy these days. That's just the great equality pc speak which is simply misleading in my opinion. I mean you may get by - eventually - but would you ever be comfortable and actually good at it? Students can be cruel you know. If they have your weakness sussed things could get fairly nightmarish.
We all have different things we're good at and also things we're not so good at. Why don't you find something that you like and that also plays to your strengths?

OP if I were you I would disregard all of this. I can see where Boskowski is coming from but there is a huge difference in overcoming social anxiety and aiming to be a professional in a field you have no experience in. You will be taught everything you need to know in training college and will be well prepared before you ever teach a class. If it's primary you're thinking of doing you will get opportunities to practice teaching the other students in college first. The idea of teaching my classmates was daunting for me at first but I was surprised to discover the amount of shy/anxious people that go into the teaching profession and after a couple of weeks everyone settles into it. You will be well prepared whatever route you choose to take and if anything your experience with anxiety will probably serve to make you a more sensitive and understanding teacher.

EdCastle

Boskowski wrote: »

I don't know. I always wanted to become a footballer, but I was just not good enough. Stupid example, I know,

Think i'll stop you there cause your talking through your ar$e end. If you wanted to be involved in football at a professional capacity then there were options for less talented individuals to become a coach, trainer, physio, motivator, scout, agent, management etc. That's where most footballers end up anyways trying to kickstart a new career in their mid thirties.

Boskowski wrote: »

We all have different things we're good at and also things we're not so good at. Why don't you find something that you like and that also plays to your strengths?

Nobody gets good at anything in this life without hard work and determination even if one has strengths. The fact is that the majority of people want to conquer their weaknesses to become better rounded individuals, that's the challenge and personal journey for each and every one of us.

As for social anxiety and teaching. It could be what the OP needs, face and conquer your fears....it is so much more rewarding.

Initially for all trainee teachers, standing in front of a class of students can be daunting, but it isn't like you have to stand there and make it up on the spot. You will be trained how to prepare, manage and deliver your lesson plans. As you deliver more classes, experience and confidence will grow and your ability to think quicker on the spot on how to handle a situation will increase. Overall, you'll be too busy with too many students depending on you to be even considering your social anxiety.

LegacyUser

Thanks for all the replies-

Even thinking about teaching in front of a class, like public speaking combined with a very dynamic environment, makes me sweat and tremble but it's definitely something I'll try to conquer. I agree with what some people have said here about how anxiety is just negative thinking and it can be learned and therefore 'unlearned'. Part of me posting about this was to hear from the experiences of other people with anxiety and how and if they overcame it so I'm glad I did- some great stories about people with bad social anxiety becoming teachers and lecturers.

I agree with Boskowski too that we're not built for every job out there but most jobs require multiple skills and I think even the most shy person could be a great teacher if they make the effort, have the enthusiasm, etc etc.

Again, hearing that others have gone from having social anxiety to becoming teachers makes all the difference to me. I definitely will start small (Toastmasters, asking questions at public meetings, volunteer- tutoring kids) and gradually work on it until next year or the year after and apply to a course.

muinteor eolaiocht

Hi,

I just saw your post. I was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and depression a few years ago. i've been teaching for 6 years. I did a lot of cognitive behavioural therapy which definitely helped. For what it's worth, in the oddest of ways, I think the disorder has made me a better teacher. It's given me a greater empathy for my students who struggle emotionally/behaviourally etc. and can identify those who need extra support better than most. I still sometimes feel like i can't get enough air in my lungs when talking, feel that horrible cold panic. But with experience has come confidence. It can often feel like an acting gig this teaching milarky lol. I love what I do and hope it makes a difference. I hope you took the plunge and have pursued a career in teaching yourself or at the very least are aware that there's tonnes of support out there. Good luck and keep us posted