[Contrad!ction.]

I'm in my last year of 6th form, and I've applied for maths at Bath and will hopefully be doing a secondary maths PGCE afterwards. Thing is, at the moment I'm not particularly confident, get stressed easily and try to please everyone, which doesn't seem like a good set of characteristics for a teacher. I'm hoping that will change when I get to university, and am wondering: what were you like when you were at school?

Cheers. Hoping for at least a few people who were nervous and unconfident for reassurance

[Inner Poise]

(Original post by Contrad!ction.)
I'm in my last year of 6th form, and I've applied for maths at Bath and will hopefully be doing a secondary maths PGCE afterwards. Thing is, at the moment I'm not particularly confident, get stressed easily and try to please everyone, which doesn't seem like a good set of characteristics for a teacher. I'm hoping that will change when I get to university, and am wondering: what were you like when you were at school?

Cheers. Hoping for at least a few people who were nervous and unconfident for reassurance

My mum's a teacher and, according to her when she was at school she was lazy and crap at the subject she now teaches.

I'll bet that at once you're at university you'll become more confident - living without parents and being self-sufficient does that to you. At least, that's what's happened to me. And you'll have plenty of opportunity to get experience with kids through volunteering opportunities etc.

[sam.hunton]

I was pretty much the opposite and was a complete pain to most of my teachers in secondary school. I make a shockingly bad student for a teacher!

[Contrad!ction.]

(Original post by Inner Poise)
My mum's a teacher and, according to her when she was at school she was lazy and crap at the subject she now teaches.

I'll bet that at once you're at university you'll become more confident - living without parents and being self-sufficient does that to you. At least, that's what's happened to me. And you'll have plenty of opportunity to get experience with kids through volunteering opportunities etc.

All of my good teachers were lazy and played up

Every Wednesday I help out in a Year 9 maths class and I think that's helped with my confidence. I've also learnt some maths, which is somewhat worrying considering the level I'm supposed to be at now 'Centre of enlargement? What's that?' Having to blag it whilst explaining to someone who doesn't get it at all is interesting. Also, this past week I've had to host assemblies which I never thought I'd be doing, so I guess the confidence is improving. But still, class control

[ponpon14]

Im gong into my PGCE now, but at school I was a very different person. My degree and independence this has bought about has changed me a lot. I used to be rather shy, but im not so much now!

I think teachers probably come from lots of backgrounds as everybody changes a lot when they go through different life stages, so dont worry!

The more experience you get, the better too!

[Woostarite]

When I was in my early undergraduate years I was quite introvert, and found it difficult to publicly speak in front of a large number of people. I wasn't very good at giving presentations or such, often getting tongue tied or seizing up.
This completely changed throughout my later university years.
Bottom line is this: don't worry about it. University is a very formative experience, where your personality is likely to change. And while some people might never overcome their social inhibitions and become adept public speakers, the majority can attain this over time with enough persistence.